[Will Pacala]

Is there anyway to easily go about removing moss from pavers and flagstone,bluestone, etc from patios and walkways? Is there a chemical pretreat that will help to prevent the growth of moss?

[HardDaysKnight]

Originally posted by Will Pacala
Is there anyway to easily go about removing moss?

Yes! Hire Mike Tice! Seriously, I heard bleach is a temporay fix
for patios and walks that you might not care if it mars or
discolors the look.

[Squizzy Taylor]

yes Bleach is the go. We use industrial strength stuff (only a bit stronger than domestic) to kill mould spores on limestone walls. I have never had any problem with pavers, grout or the like. Application in fine weather (direct sunlight is best) and leave it on for a few hours at least. We just dilute/mix in a cheap pressure sprayer and apply it to the wall.

[GLAN]

One thing to consider..................The Bleach will leave a slick and slippery surface to a patio or walkway if not completely cleaned off.


It may not seem slick when dry................but as soon as sprinklers go on, or it's misty and rainy.......basicaly as soon as it gets wet it gets slick.


A few years back I had made the suggestion to one of our customers to use a pint to a quart of bleach in a gallon of water and apply that to there front walk.....can use a mop, broom or what ever you have to distribute the bleach solution.....take a broom and lightly scrub...........leave that one for a couple hours then scrub and wash off.

Get a call like 4 days later...........I did the bleach like you said.....Worked Fantastic........but I can't even walk on the walkway in the morning after the sprinkler has been on......why?

I go running over there and she turns on the sprinkler..........you can see the bleach residue still on the pavers and WOW was it slick.........I asked her if she followed the second half of my instructions.........She forgot that part of the project, cause she was so excited to have a solution to get rid of the moss and mold from the pavers.

[Squizzy Taylor]

Always finish with pressure cleaner

[Rob Shauger]

Has this had any negatvoe effect on the turf or plants around the area being treated?

[Squizzy Taylor]

Originally posted by Rob Shauger
Has this had any negatvoe effect on the turf or plants around the area being treated?

Yep, sometimes we have just used domestic bleach and brushed it, leave for a good day and wash off really well. If you spray it everywhere and don't wash it off vegatation immediatley it will burn them bad.

We actually have our bleach made by a local factory (owned by my cousin) speciffically at.....4% somethingorother. Domestic is about 2% and most industrial strength are strong enough to really do some damage. I'd have to have the MSDS in front of me to quote you the concentration. We get two types made, one for cleaning and one for residual application to prevent the return of mould. Having used the term "residual" it depends on the amount of direct sunlight the area receives but we get about 12-18 months "retardation" of growth on average.

This from a relatively cheap product that does not require any specific licensing here to apply. Normal safety gear (as for any bleach) applies. Cleaning retaining walls started out as an extra service for us but can be a good sideline in summer time. The success of the treatment depends on how porous the substance is you are treating and what condition it is in when you start. Some old walls we have done needed three treatments to get them respectable. Also, bleach will remove organic growth, it wont remove water stains, mineral deposits etc.

Sorry I wasn't more informative in my intial post but I have a heap of quotes to do tonight.

[Rob Shauger]

I had posted a question about moss in my compost. I wonder if I can try this on the mulch as as long as I dont get it on any of the plants. I wonder what the leaching ability of the mix will be. I think I will spot test an area and see what happens.

[OptaGreen]

We use a product called Jomax, available at Home Depot. Great at cleaning mold and moss on hard surfaces and doesn't damage vegetation at all.

[Will Pacala]

Hey OptaGreen, How much is that stuff>? How do you put it down? Spray or spot treat? Thanks guys!

[pineapple]

M mason told me to use Round-Up spray.
We keep a spray bottle of the redi-mix stuff and the guys spray mossy spots about once a month.

Weve had no problems with nearby plants, but you have to be careful.

[Rob Shauger]

Pineapple:

What are the Pesticide Laws in your state? Do your guys have to be licensed to do this? DO you have to post flags when doing it?

Is moss on the label for roundup?
I know it has a pretty big label on it!

FYI, Quicksilver now has Moss on the label!

[OptaGreen]

Jomax runs about 18.00 a gallon which is a little steep but it's highly concentrated. If you let it sit a while just the pressure of a waterhose will take it off. You can spray or spot-treat.