Removing Moss from Asbestos Garage Roof: A Comprehensive Approach

Asbestos garage roofs are not something you want to be making renovations on without careful planning and preparation. Sometimes, you may find that moss has found its way onto your roof anyway.

So, what can you do for removing moss from the asbestos garage roof?

This can sometimes be a tricky problem to tackle. Attempting to remove the moss yourself could release the asbestos into the air, which may cause potential health risks for you and your family. 

This blog is about how to safely remove any unwanted moss from your asbestos garage roof.

What’s The Best Way To Get Rid Of Moss From Asbestos Roofing?

moss on roof

There are different other ways of removing moss from asbestos roofing. The best part is you do not need a license for doing the job. You just need to be very careful regarding taking precautions.

Once you have taken a glove and a disposable dust mask, go to the roof of the garage by using a ladder. 

When you are on the roof, then start cleaning up the shingles of the roof. Firstly, spray the roof with moss killer. Then after a couple of days, use a stiff broom to remove all dead moss.

Another process can be perfectly done with the help of a power washer for cleaning asbestos this tool comes in handy.

If you have built up layers of dead moss and other debris, then simply use a powerful spray stream of your power washer to blast away all that.

You may need some brush to scrub it off in some areas of your roof, you can use a hose as well for pouring water at this point. 

Once, you are done, you need to thoroughly rinse your roof, I am sure you do not want any residual soap or the used biocide to leave behind. By doing so, you would risk the quicker deterioration of the shingles of your roof.

If you still find moss present on your roof, then you will want to kill it. You can try to do so by throwing a mixture of water and bleach in a 1:4 ratio.

You have to repeat this process for several days to get the best result. Remember to cover the infected area plastic sheet and let the solution do its work, preventing any other outside influence.

When you find that there is no moss on your roof then you can do the final work for finally getting rid of this stubborn problem. You can start removing what remains.

There are mainly two ways of doing it, first one is physically scrapping it away, another is using asbestos roof cleaner or chemicals to dissolve what remains in the end.

Whichever chemical you pick to do the finishing job, make sure that is safe. Otherwise, there might be unwanted complications for it. 

Again, I cannot stress enough how important it is to do the job while remaining protected by safety goggles, hand gloves, and disposable face masks.

Also, make sure the roof area is restricted from the pets that you have in your home to save them from the toxicity of that area.

Here is a video explaining how easily it can be done!

How Often Do I Need To Clean My Garage Roof?

Ultimately it is entirely your call how often you decide to clean your asphalt shingles. But while making a decision about it, you can keep these points in mind to evaluate.

Those important points are climate and rainfall in your area, type of building material, frequency of exposure to elements, and so on.

Depending on these factors, you can decide on the frequency of cleaning of your roof.

However, it needs to be noted that asbestos roof shingles tend to need cleaning more frequently than metal because they absorb moisture faster than other materials.

Asbestos Roof And Moss

Asbestos Roof

The asbestos roof is made from asbestos cement. It is primarily a mixture of cement and asbestos. It is very well known for its heat resistance feature.

Nowadays, it is mostly called fiberglass or cement asbestos.

Asbestos tiles are commonly found on older buildings like garages, commercial buildings, and homes.

Today, because of their known toxicity, modern homes seem to consciously ignore building their roof with this material.

It is a common assumption by people that any product containing asbestos is not harmful to a larger extent. Well, it is simply not true.

As time goes by, moss can grow on an asbestos roof, and it is mostly on the old house. So, it is very common to be found. It can’t simply remain unattended for long once you find it out.

The problem with moss on your roof is that it will grow into and break up your shingles. As a result of this, you could end up with leaks in your home and potentially water damage to both interior and exterior walls.

So, the only way to get rid of this risk is to remove moss from your roof before it has a chance to spread and become a real problem!

Is It Ok To Scrape Moss Off Asbestos Roof?

A lot of people think that scrapping the moss off the asbestos roof is the only way to get rid of this problem. But in reality, this is not true. In fact, it can be really dangerous to some extent.

The moss which is removed by the people can cause significant harm to the people who came in contact with it. The reason is this moss contains a significant amount of asbestos that is enough for doing harm to people on a serious level.

To be precise, when someone is breathing or ingesting these particles, can get really sick by accumulating those particles in the lungs or in the gastronomical tract.

On top of that, there are some studies backing up the fact that extreme exposure to asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer.

So, it would be better to follow some other alternative when it comes to getting rid of the moss from the asbestos garage roof. If you do not have any other option, then you can follow this process but make sure you have all the protective gears for that. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Asbestos Cement?

Asbestos cement is a mixture of cement and asbestos. It is commonly seen in old houses, due to the toxicity of these elements it is restricted in some cities of the world.

How do I remove moss from my roof?

You can pressure washer it and apply a protective coat over it to stop attracting Moss. So that it is less easy to stick and form. Use a power washer, but it will always return after a few months.
I would pressure clean the roof to remove the moss, then I would apply a roof sealant to all the sheets, this will help prevent the moss from growing back.

What should I do if my asbestos-containing sheet is cracked?

If the asbestos-containing material is cracked, you should seal the crack with a product like PVA glue, poly filler, or paint.

How do I clean asbestos panels?

If you can’t clean the panels from ground level with a scraper, use a specialist contractor with a proprietary machine.

Wrapping Things Up

Removing moss from asbestos garage roofwould take a lot of effort from your side for sure. When thinking about how to remove dead moss on your asbestos roof, you want to make sure that you’re using a safe Moss removing product on roofs. 

Always test a small area before applying it to all of your roofs! Most importantly, you want to be certain that it does not contain high levels of ammonia or other harmful chemicals.

Remember, these elements can cause severe damage to your asphalt shingles of the roof.

Ralph Wade

Hey...Ralph is here! So, did you find this article useful? If so, please leave a comment and let me know. If not, please tell me how I can improve this article. Your feedback is always appreciated. Take love :)

One thought on “Removing Moss from Asbestos Garage Roof: A Comprehensive Approach

  1. How long does it take for a product moss killer to work on a Asbestos roof before it rains
    The roof is clean,no moss or lican
    Previous owner had it done regularly

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