{"id":2936,"date":"2013-11-13T15:24:16","date_gmt":"2013-11-13T20:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/?p=2936"},"modified":"2024-05-23T07:03:19","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T13:03:19","slug":"can-an-insurance-company-make-me-remove-roof-moss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/can-an-insurance-company-make-me-remove-roof-moss\/","title":{"rendered":"Can an Insurance Company Make Me Remove Roof Moss?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It is quite common for Maine homeowners and landlords to receive a recommendation from their insurance company to remove moss growth from the roof of their building. Usually, this occurs following an inspection by the insurance company. Here&#8217;s some background on the issue, and what options you may have in dealing with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-09cc5e38d47d4794aa426b3dc222604a\" style=\"color:#0f3f81\">Does Moss Damage Roofs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While there has not been much scientific study on the subject, most roofing professionals believe that moss is harmful to roof surfaces. Since most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/maine-home-insurance.html\" title=\"Maine homeowners insurance\">Maine homeowners insurance<\/a>\u00a0and landlord insurance pay for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/how-to-remove-ice-dams-from-your-roof\/\" title=\"How to Remove Ice Dams from Your Roof | Noyes Hall &amp; Allen Insurance | South Portland Maine\">water damage and ice dams<\/a>, insurance companies are understandably concerned with the subject. You may think they&#8217;re being picky, but insurance companies are in the business of reducing risk &#8211; theirs, as well as yours.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-2938\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/mossy-roof.gif\" alt=\"http:\/\/bryophytes.science.oregonstate.edu\/\" class=\"wp-image-2938\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">http:\/\/bryophytes.science.oregonstate.edu\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>According to <a title=\"Should Mosses be Removed from Rooftops | Oregon State University\" href=\"http:\/\/bryophytes.science.oregonstate.edu\/page14.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oregon State University<\/a>, roofing professionals say that the root-like structures of moss grow into cracks into roofing material, accelerating degradation and causing leaks. Moss can also hold moisture on your roof, allowing mold and rot to take hold. Finally, moss can grow under the edges of your roof shingles, loosening them and allowing water to enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:41px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-247011ec947b19b75c37ee1ae829c16b\" style=\"color:#0f3f81\">How to Remove Moss from Your Roof<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The University of Minnesota Extension shares that you should scrape away as much moss as possible. A power washer may work. Be careful not to damage your roof in the process. If you&#8217;re unsure, hire a professional to remove the moss. You can also use a commercial moss removal product. Most contain zinc sulfate, and are most effective when the moss is actively growing. Be careful: zinc can corrode some metals, including copper. Minnesota Extension cautions you to NEVER use table salt on your roof: it is corrosive to metal, and not effective at controlling moss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9b71f62c213782b520d4464c531ca624\" style=\"color:#0f3f81\">&nbsp;How to Keep Moss from Growing on Your Roof<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keep leaves, branches and other debris off your roof.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remove overhanging branches (or hire an arborist to do it). Moss thrives in a dark, damp environment. Direct sunlight and good aeration prevent moss growth. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f4191630356f1b68c81d2b91502c3a1d\" style=\"color:#0f3f81\">If Your Insurance Company Requires Removing Moss from Your Roof<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Insurance companies can be like spouses. A &#8220;recommendation&#8221; means &#8220;do it, if you know what&#8217;s good for you&#8221;. An insurance company can (and often will) cancel your insurance for failure to respond to reasonable loss control recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you receive ANY recommendation from an insurance company &#8211; about any situation &#8211; talk to your agent (you DID buy your insurance from a local agent, right?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ask them for their advice.&nbsp;They can tell you how urgent the situation is, and whether this is something that all insurers would require.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They may be able to recommend a local contractor or resource to help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They can communicate with the insurance company on your behalf.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you need more time than the insurance company has allowed, your agent may be able to negotiate that for you (depending upon the severity of the situation).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you&#8217;re unable or unwilling to complete the recommendation, your agent can discuss your insurance options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b2f95dd67e5324292bedcff87cdff315\" style=\"color:#0f3f81\">The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When all is said and done, you don&#8217;t HAVE to make the repairs or changes that your insurance company tells you to. But, they don&#8217;t HAVE to insure you if you don&#8217;t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/contact-your-carrier.html\" title=\"preferred insurance companies in Maine\">preferred insurance companies in Maine<\/a> have similar underwriting requirements, but some underwriters are pickier than others. Also, depending upon your circumstance, you may be willing to \u00a0have less coverage, a higher deductible, or pay a higher rate to keep your property &#8220;as is&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have questions about <a title=\"Noyes Hall &amp; Allen Insurance | South Portland Maine\" href=\"http:\/\/www. noyeshallallen.com\">Portland Maine area insurance<\/a>, contact Noyes Hall &amp; Allen Insurance. We have represented many insurance companies, and served the community for more than 80 years. We have the experience to help you make an informed decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is quite common for Maine homeowners and landlords to receive a recommendation from their insurance company to remove moss growth from the roof of their building. Usually, this occurs following an inspection by the insurance company. Here&#8217;s some background on the issue, and what options you may have in dealing with it. Does Moss [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,13],"tags":[41,27,43],"class_list":["post-2936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-property-insurance-business-insurance","category-homeowners-insurance","tag-claims","tag-rental-property","tag-water-damage"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2936"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6729,"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2936\/revisions\/6729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noyeshallallen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}