As an ancient plant that has endured through millenia, moss still makes an appearance in most gardens and on properties - including bricks. Moss on bricks can spoil the aesthetics of a property and could potentially cause a slip hazard on bricks that make up pavements and pathways.
Although it does have an important ecological role, which involves absorbing rainfall which helps maintain soil erosion, moss can be a hindrance for dedicated gardners and homeowners.
It can appear in many places throughout your garden and property - including on bricks. Bricks can provide the ideal habitat for moss to flourish, as they easily retain moisture. But does this mean moss will cause damage to the bricks? And is there a way of getting rid of moss or prevent it from even growing on bricks in the first place? .
What will moss do to bricks?
Moss is resilient. After all, it wouldn’t have survived for millions of years if it wasn’t. This means it can become an unwelcome guest, especially on bricks in your garden or the side of your house.
When moss grows on bricks, it can cause a safety hazard by making the bricks slippery, as moss retains water. It can also mark the brick and leave a permanent unsightly stain. It can cost a lot of money and effort to create an aesthetically pleasing garden, so you naturally don’t want an intrusion of moss to ruin that.
The good news is it’s quite simple to remove moss if you start to notice it growing on your bricks.
Bricks can provide the ideal habitat for moss to flourish
What will moss do to bricks?
Moss is resilient. After all, it wouldn’t have survived for millions of years if it wasn’t. This means it can become an unwelcome guest, especially on bricks in your garden or the side of your house.
When moss grows on bricks, it can cause a safety hazard by making the bricks slippery, as moss retains water. It can also mark the brick and leave a permanent unsightly stain. It can cost a lot of money and effort to create an aesthetically pleasing garden, so you naturally don’t want an intrusion of moss to ruin that.
The good news is it’s quite simple to remove moss if you start to notice it growing on your bricks.
How to remove moss from bricks
Spraying moss with water is one simple way of removing it. Don’t use a high power pressure washer, though, as this may cause more damage to the bricks than good. Wash away the moss in two simple steps:
- Lightly spray the bricks with water to loosen the moss
- Gently scrub it away from the surface using a non-metallic spatula or soft bristle brush. Hard bristle brushes or metallic scrapers may leave permanent scratches on the bricks.
If the moss has stained the bricks, you can mix bleach with water (I’d recommend a cup of bleach to a gallon of water) and rub it on the brick surface to remove the stain. Always make sure you wear rubber gloves and protective glasses or goggles when carrying out this task, as you don’t want any toxic substances going in your eyes or on your skin.
How to prevent moss on bricks
You’ve learned by now that moss loves nothing more than a moist and shaded environment. So by reducing these factors at play, you can reduce the chances of moss forming on your bricks. Things you can do reduce moss forming include:
Soil irrigation - excess moisture in the soil surrounding the bricks will encourage moss to grow and cling to them. So changing the way you irrigate the soil (perhaps you’re over watering it) will help keep the soil dry.
Encourage more sunlight - while not always physically possible, it’s good to remove obstacles that may be shading bricks in your garden and therefore creating ideal shady conditions for moss to grow. Trim back trees or shrubs that cause this, and adjust gazebos, pergolas or umbrellas where possible that cast shade over your bricks.
As you might have gathered by reading this blog; I like to take a ‘prevention is better than cure’ approach where possible. Why? Simply because it can save a lot of time and effort, and helps ensure your garden or property looks aesthetically pleasing all year round.
