If moss has infiltrated your driveway, there is no need to worry. The process of getting rid of it is not hard and most people will be able to do it themselves. In addition, it does not cost a lot of money and it will not hurt your driveway.
A tarmac surface is quite impressive looking and it serves its purpose well. However, it also attracts things like algae, lichen and moss. Because there is a lot of moisture retention, the lichen and moss are able to grow at a quick rate. This is only compounded by the fact that the surface is rough; the rough service gives the moss protection from the elements, which also encourages its growth.
You probably don’t want moss to grow on your driveway because it is unsightly. Luckily, there are several ways that you can get rid of it, and most of them will not take a lot of effort on your part. You simply have to get the right products and be patient while they do what they need to do.
Getting ready
Before you do anything else, you need to prepare the surface to get it ready for treatment. First, brush away any dirt and any moss that you can. A wire broom is often the best at handling this task. There are also brushes available that work well on tarmac surfaces. If you notice weeds, either pull them or use a weed killer to get rid of them.
Treatments
Asphalt company Calvac Paving offered us advice and said that that once you have cleaned off the tarmac as best you can, apply a surface cleaner. Allow the surface cleaner to sit for about a half an hour before you rinse it off. When it’s time, take either a pressure washer or a good quality hosepipe and wet the area. You need to get rid of the surface cleaner, and you also need to get rid of the moss, which has died because of the product that you applied. One of the best times to apply the treatment is in the winter, because the surface cleaner is able to go deep to make sure the algae and the moss is affected. One benefit of going through this process, in addition to killing the moss, is that your driveway’s color will look almost new again.
After you have taken these steps, and the surface is dry, you should apply a moss and algae killer to the area. If there are any spores that were not affected during the first treatment, this product should take care of them. Make sure to read the directions before putting on the product; some moss and algae killers need to remain on the surface, so you don’t want to rinse the product off.
An alternate method
You can also skip the application of the surface cleaner if you would like and go straight to the moss and algae killer. It will affect the moss and the spores and it typically should be left on the driveway so that it can keep the moss from going back. In addition, it usually needs to be sprayed on a surface that is not wet.
See also: The best driveway alarm reviews.
Going forward
Keep your driveway clear of debris. You also want to make sure that the driveway is exposed to the sun. Finally, taking a brush to the tarmac on a regular basis is a good idea and it is not too hard to do.
Once a year or so, go through the process of brushing the driveway and then putting down a moss and algae killer. However, make sure the driveway is not wet before you do so. If you want to take a more hands off approach, you can also just wait until you see moss coming back.
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