Moss, Its Effects, and What You Can Do About It With Soda City Pressure Washing
Columbia, SC — Sometimes, it seems like moss can appear on a property’s exterior surfaces out of nowhere. One day, the surface is free from any organic debris; the next, it is covered with a thick green patch, and the longer it is ignored, the further it seems to grow. Where did this moss come from? How does it affect your exterior surfaces? Finally, what can you do to remove this moss before it has negative consequences on your property? Soda City Pressure Washing, a local pressure washing business, presents the answers to these questions below.
How Moss Spores Travel and Spread
The life cycle of moss begins as a microscopic spore. These spores are incredibly tiny, measuring between five and twenty micrometers in diameter. (In comparison, a stand of human hair is about seventy micrometers thick.) Due to the small size of these spores, they are easily spread around by the wind. Ultimately, this wind carries moss spores to various surfaces in the area, and if these surfaces are hospitable to growth, the spores will sprout. A few weeks later, visible moss growth appears. When the moss reaches maturity, it eventually releases new spores, and the cycle begins anew.
If moss appears on your property’s exterior surfaces—such as its walls or roof—the chance of it spreading is high. When the moss releases spores, they do not have to travel far to infest another part of your property. This moss growth is exponential and generally is not resolved by ignoring it and hoping it goes away.
How Moss Affects Property Exteriors
As moss is left to take over a property exterior, it can have a range of effects on the surfaces it grows on. Firstly, the moss will negatively affect the property’s appearance. It obscures the bright colors of its surfaces and replaces them with a dark, unappealing shade of green. Additionally, moss can actually cause damage to surfaces over time. Mosses root into surfaces using structures known as rhizoids. These structures can worsen pre-existing cracks, introduce moisture damage to the surfaces, and cause other sorts of harm.
Removing Moss Via Pressure Washing
To counteract the negative effects of moss, pledge to remove it sooner rather than later when you find it growing on your property’s exterior surfaces. Perhaps the most efficient way of removing this unwanted substance is through pressure washing. We recommend using a treatment chemical such as zinc powder to kill moss ahead of time. Then, it can be easily stripped away from surfaces using high-pressure water. This leaves the property’s surfaces in much better-looking condition.
To remove moss from your property’s surfaces without having to spend hours of your time doing the work on your own, consider reaching out to a professional pressure washing company. For instance, Soda City Pressure Washing would be happy to help and can clean surfaces such as outside walls, roofs, driveways, and decks for you.
About Soda City Pressure Washing
Soda City Pressure Washing is the home of Columbia, SC’s pressure washing professionals. These experts would be delighted to clean your surfaces whether you are a homeowner, business owner, or property manager. Pressure washing will remove not only moss from your surfaces but dirt, mud, and other kinds of unwanted debris as well.
For more information about Soda City Pressure Washing, visit their website or call (803) 463-7565.