A roof moss crew based in Nanaimo

Nanaimo Moss Removal is a small, locally owned crew that does one thing: gets moss off roofs, and off the concrete, pavers and window frames underneath them.

We have been doing it since 2021, on ladders and roof edges around this part of the Island, and on the driveways, paths and window frames below them.

We are insured and WCB-registered. If a slope we cleared is not right, we come back and make it right. That is our guarantee.

Why moss does so well here

Most of the coast from Chemainus to Qualicum Beach is in the Coastal Douglas-fir zone. The summers are dry, but from about October to March the rain hardly stops, and moss grows through all of it.

It does best wherever a roof stays damp. That means north-facing slopes, valleys where two slopes meet, and any shingles under Douglas fir, western red cedar or bigleaf maple. Needles and leaves settle into the courses and hold moisture, and spores take hold in the grit.

A house on Mount Benson’s lower slopes, a bungalow under old cedars in Cedar and a rancher in open country near Errington can all grow moss at very different rates. Before we quote, we look at what shades the roof.

How we work on a roof

Moss comes off by hand. We use plastic scrapers and soft brushes, working down the slope with the shingles so the tabs and the granules stay where they are. Washing is a skill too: ours is a low-pressure soft wash by default, and higher pressure comes out only where the job needs it, such as a concrete driveway or walkway. We never put high pressure on asphalt shingles or cedar shakes.

• Tarps go over beds, shrubs and ponds before anyone climbs.
• Thick moss is scraped off, and the courses and valleys are brushed clear.
• If you want it, a treatment goes on the root traces that are left.
• Moss is bagged and leaves in our truck, and the paths and decks are swept.

While we are up there, we also see things you cannot see from the lawn: a cracked shake, a lifted tab, a flashing pulled away from a chimney. We tell you what we saw and where. What to do about it is your decision.

What goes into the quote

We do not have one flat rate. A low-pitch rancher in Parksville and a steep three-storey house under firs near Westwood Lake are very different jobs.

The price depends on:

• The size of the roof and how many storeys it is
• The pitch, and how easy each slope is to reach
• The roofing material: asphalt, cedar shake, tile or metal
• How thick the moss is, and how long it has been there
• Whether you want treatment, or the driveway and paths done too

Send us the address and a phone photo of the worst slope if you can. The quote is free, and you get the number before we start.

Moss grows back

We won’t pretend otherwise. A shaded roof on the mid-Island coast will grow moss again. Treatment, zinc strips and trimming back overhanging branches all slow it down, and a roof that gets regular attention rarely builds up the thick mats that damage shingles. We can tell you how often your roof is likely to need a visit, based on what we see on it.