- Moss and mold are different types of fungal growths. Moss is usually green with a soft, springy appearance. Mold comes in many colors, including green, brown and black. Both thrive in moist climates, especially in areas that experience lots of cloud cover. Moss and mold spores are blown by the wind onto bricks and grow on dirt and other organic material caught in the crannies and crevices on the brick's surface.
- Mold and moss won't harm bricks on their own. If they grow on a brick patio, they can be a slip hazard for anyone walking across the patio. Both become slick when rained on because they absorb the water and retain it. Moss can damage bricks indirectly by harboring seeds from other plants. As the seeds grow, they send out roots looking for soil. Over time, these roots can damage a wall or patio by shifting bricks.
- Removing moss and mold from bricks when they are growing in just small patches is easiest. Use a broom to scrape either of them away. If you are dealing with a larger patch, purchase removal products at home improvement stores or nurseries. If you choose copper sulfate, mix 1/2 oz. with 10 gallons of water. Spray the mixture onto the mold or moss, and let it sit for 20 minutes; then spray the fungus away with your garden hose. To use zinc chloride, combine one part zinc chloride with nine parts water, and apply it like the copper sulfate.
- If you don't change anything about your home, the mold or moss will return. You can stay vigilant and brush the fungus away as soon as it returns, or you can take steps to prevent it from growing in the first place. Expose the bricks to more sunlight, which inhibits fungal growth. Removing overhanging branches will help as will taking an umbrella off a patio. Install copper or zinc strips on a copper roof. When exposed to water, ions leach out of the strips and form a protective coating on the bricks that prevents mold and moss from growing.
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