Spring Season

Hi everyone! Hope your winter went by without an issue! Now that we're popping forward into the spring season it's important to be aware of a few things needed around your that will take a small amount of effort now to save you a lot of time and money in the future.

Gutter Cleaning:

It's important to get your gutters inspected and cleaned now that we've hit the rainy season again. The rains can get pretty heavy and the last thing you want is your gutters overflowing. Not only can this cause potential staining on your Gutters and Siding, but this can also lead to cracks forming in your foundation. I know it seems like it's just a bit of water but we all know how busy life can get and how easy it is to let small things slip our minds. If left for weeks, months, sometimes even years, this water will erode away at your foundation which could end up being an expensive fix down the road. It's not exclusive to your foundation either. Driveways, grass, sidewalks, dirt, plants, garden beds, Long term exposure to heavy water flow will cause damage to these things and many more.

Moss Removal

Now that winter is over and were starting to spend more time outdoors I'm sure you're looking at your roof noticing that there's a bunch of green stuff up there! The biggest question is, "How do I get rid of this without damaging my roof!?" I'm sure someone somewhere has told you to power wash your roof, but this is a horrible idea. like with your gutters overflowing, High Pressure water can cause serious damage to your roof. The only exception to this rule is with Tile Roofs. Pressure washers will blast granules off your shingles. Granules are important to protect the shingles from outside elements. Water can also pool and go under the shingles causing moisture build up and potential rot and mold build up. "Well what about zinc strips? I've heard those work!" Zinc is an extremely effective Moss Deterrent but has more downsides than benefits. First off the zinc is only effective 3 feet from where you install them and the coating washes off the strips within a year. Installing Zinc strips every year adds a lot more wear and tear than treating your roof with a liquid product. Zinc and other metal/liquid based products like zinc and copper sulphates also cause long term damage to the environment, polluting the ground water surrounding your home. These products are banned from commercial use as well making it illegal for companies to use on your home.

            "So Ben what about spraying on an environmentally safe Moss killer instead and letting it do the hard work for me?" Now we're getting somewhere! This is the safest solution to preventing moss from growing on your roof and most local hardware stores will carry these products for a very affordable rate. But this only fixes part of the problem. If you treat your roof with Moss Killer all the surface Moss will die off, but the roots will still be alive and active. Furthermore these roots will have started rooting themselves into your shingles at a more aggressive rate! This will cause more damage to your roof and make these roots harder to remove. Leaving the roots will just have the moss grow back more aggressively the next year. So the only option left is to remove the moss by hand. You can use either a Metal or Nylon brush to do this. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this method, but the moss is already doing damage to your roof. It's the difference between replacing your roof within 5 years when leaks pop up, or getting another 10+ years out of your roof. The moss has to come off somehow and this method is proven to have the smallest impact on the life of your roof compared to any other method. After we've removed the moss and the roots by hand this is where the treatment part comes in. It's important to thoroughly coat your roof as the moss has now spread spores all over your roof. The treatment will kill any of these spores and any moss or roots that might still be left. Now that you've removed the moss its important to stay on top of it before it starts to grow back. The following Spring when you're getting your gutters cleaned is the time to spray your roof again. Preventative maintenance is the best way to get the longest life out of your roof. Every time we have to do a hard removal you're adding wear and tear to your roof. So if we are able to kill any of the new spores in spring before they can grow with a non invasive spray then hopefully we'll never have to do a hard Roof De-Mossing again. You wouldn't want to change the oil on your car after your engine seizes, so why remove the moss after its grown when we can stay on top of it with a cheaper more effective method.

Pressure Washing/Exterior Cleaning/Window Washing

Remember those stains I mentioned earlier? Well it's also important to clean those as well. Not just to keep your house looking pretty, although it is proven that living in a clean and well maintained home will also increase motivation and overall mental health. Stains that are left too long can become semi permanent and then permanent. Waiting too long to get your house cleaned runs the risk of you never being able to get it fully clean again. Now this one isn't as aggressive as Moss on your roof and if you've stayed on top of your gutter cleaning then hopefully there shouldn't be too much build up. You should clean your siding every 2 years to keep a healthy upkeep schedule. We make sure that we use a soft brush to clean exterior homes with environmentally friendly Soaps and Products to not harm any plants or animals in the area. Using a pressure washer on your home is only necessary for tough caked on stains, otherwise let the products and cleaners you use do the hard work for you.

            Now the pressure washer does have its use however. We use it for tough stains on your siding (depending on the type of siding and condition of the paint) we also use the pressure washers for anything concrete or asphalt on the property, Driveways being the most common.  If pressure washing an exposed concrete driveway it's important to paint or seal the driveway afterwards to reduce the wear and tear and dirt build up. We use Riverside Painting For this part of the service, or anytime painting is needing to be done, as there is nobody on vancouver island more qualified. If you let your driveway build up dirt and grime and algae not only will this be a slipping hazard, but can cause cracks to form as well. If your driveway isn't bad then you can use cleaners designed to kill moss and other weeds, as well as keep your driveway/sidewalk clean. Sometimes you can let it sit and rinse it off with a garden hose but most likely you'll need to scrub it with a deck brush or use a pressure washer to agitate the dirt to come off.

         Your roof is clean, your gutters are empty, the outside of your home has been washed and cleaned, and your driveway has been pressure washed. Whats next? The final thing to do is keep your windows clean, Inside and out. You never quite realize just how much it can change how the inside of your home looks until you get them cleaned. Allowing natural light into your home is important to keep your home in its best light, and also for keeping a warm. comforting, atmosphere. Not only dirt, but paint drips, goo from stickers, sap from trees, can prevent light from entering your home. Alternatively it can be very easy to damage your windows trying to remove these harder pieces of debris. A lot of people don't know that glass is actually considered a liquid. "Ben I think i'd know a liquid when I see it, and glass is definitely Solid" While logically you'd be right, Windows are just a very slow moving liquid. It can take decades to ever notice a difference, but if you live in a heritage home with original windows, take a look and you'll notice that the top of the window is thinner than the bottom. This is because over time windows will pool at the bottom. If you've left on these paint drips, and sap, and goo, and other pieces of stuck on debris over the years because you didn't think it mattered, this is where you'll find a problem. As the windows slowly move and pool at the bottom anything that is stuck on the window will slowly be covered by the glass in the window pane. This will make it so you will never be able to remove this debris without replacing the window, or having the glass re poured. So hiring a professional to maintain and clean these things off your window without causing damage is extremely important. We recommend getting your windows cleaned every spring as well.

Conclusion

That's it! To recap the things we've gone over:

If there's moss on your roof its important to remove it before it can cause water leaks and damage your shingles. If the moss has been removed or has only just started growing then staying on top of it with a environmentally friendly solution is important to reduce wear and tear. Make sure to clear out your gutters at the same time. Both of these things need to be done yearly.

It's important to keep the exterior of your home clean and not allow stains or algae to build. We recommend getting this done every 2 years or as needed.

Make sure your driveway and walkways don't have vegetation growing or a dirt/algae build up. If your driveway is clean then you can stay on top of it with an environmentally friendly weed/moss killer that is also a cleaner. Otherwise get it cleaned and sealed by a professional.

Lastly make sure to get your windows cleaned both inside and out yearly. 

If you're looking to get any of these services done on your home by a professional or have any questions then feel free to give us a call at 778-266-0385 or book in through our website home page.

Thanks for reading and choosing Vancouver Island Moss Removal. Remember, We'll Clean your home so you don't have to!