Cedar Roof Repairs and Moss

We got a call once from a home owner with a house on a gorgeous country estate in need of cedar roof repairs. The house is over 100 years old – one of those beautiful historic buildings that takes you back in time.   The property the house sits on could be any more spectacular, surrounded by an ancient pine forest and landscaped with carefully tended flower gardens. The 2-story house is quite charming, almost resembling an English county cottage. The house has been well-maintained, although not many state-of-the-art conveniences have been added.   Most of the roof is covered with cedar shakes installed about fifty years ago. It’s not unusual for good quality cedar roofing materials to last this long. The oils in the cedar wood act as a natural water repellent. In the case of this roof, the family that had owned the house for several generations needed roof repairs on a far less than regular basis.   One of the problems that can happen with a cedar roof is the growth of moss. Moss is not good for asphalt shingles, but when it takes a hold on a cedar roof, a buildup of soil and moisture occurs. The cedar shakes start to rot and split, allowing water to seep through the roof. The pine trees surrounding the house had grown very tall, creating the perfect shade on the roof for the moss to thrive. Often cedar roof repairs involve power washing away the moss and organic debris. Once this was done, we only had to replace a small section of the shakes