Moss in the Gutters: Where It Comes From
Moss in a gutter has fallen off the roof above it. It grows on damp, shaded tiles, comes loose in heavy rain and rolls down into the gutter, where it holds water and packs the outlets. Cork city gets 1,109 mm of rain a year, so roofs here stay damp enough for moss most of the winter. Clearing the gutter fixes the blockage. Only treating the roof stops the supply.
What fills Cork gutters, how moss is cleared, and when the roof needs doing too.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
- 1,109 mmof rain a year in Cork city
- North-facingthe slope that sheds the most
- €120 to €280clean and flush, semi
What fills a gutter, and when
| What | Where it's worst | When |
|---|---|---|
| Moss | North and east-facing slopes, shaded roofs, under trees | All year, worst after heavy winter rain |
| Leaves | Houses beside mature trees and hedgerows | October and November |
| Seeds and blossom | Sycamore, ash and cherry nearby | April to June |
| Grit off the tiles | Older concrete tiles shedding their surface | All year, slowly |
| Nests | Outlets and hoppers | March to July |
Why moss blocks worse than leaves
A dry leaf blows out or washes through. Moss is a sponge: it holds water, grows in the gutter and binds grit into a mat that sits over the outlet. A gutter with moss in it stays wet all year, which is what rots a timber fascia behind it and makes a plastic joint weep.
Clearing it
- The moss is lifted out by hand or taken by vacuum.
- The outlets are cleared and each downpipe checked with water.
- Loose moss sitting on the bottom row of tiles is brushed off, so it doesn't fall straight back in.
A clean with the downpipes flushed is €120 to €280 on a 3-bed semi.
When the roof needs treating
If the gutters are full of moss again within a year, the roof is feeding them. A roof clean with a biocide treatment kills what's there and slows the regrowth. Our sister site covers soft wash roof cleaning. Do the roof first, then the gutters, in the same visit.
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More on Cork gutters
Costs, moss, overflows and timing.
What it costs in CorkEvery house type. €60 to €180 for a bungalow.
Cleaned from the groundA vacuum on a pole, a camera on top, nobody on a ladder.
Why gutters overflowFive causes, and which ones a clean fixes.
The Cork gutter year124 mm falls on the city in December. Clean before it.
Sheds, shops and blocksLong runs, valley gutters and yearly contracts.Gutter cleaning across Cork
- Cork city1,109 mm of rain a year
- Carrigaline1,178 mm of rain a year
- Cobh1,087 mm of rain a year
- Midleton1,108 mm of rain a year
- Mallow1,072 mm of rain a year
- Youghal1,033 mm of rain a year
- Bandon1,331 mm of rain a year
- Fermoy1,093 mm of rain a year
- Kinsale1,160 mm of rain a year
- Clonakilty1,366 mm of rain a year
- Macroom1,379 mm of rain a year
- Skibbereen1,403 mm of rain a year
- Passage West1,103 mm of rain a year
- Carrigtwohill1,112 mm of rain a year
- Blarney1,142 mm of rain a year
- Crosshaven1,101 mm of rain a year
- Bantry1,611 mm of rain a year
- Charleville996 mm of rain a year
- Mitchelstown1,145 mm of rain a year
- Kanturk1,148 mm of rain a year
- Dunmanway1,763 mm of rain a year
- Millstreet1,500 mm of rain a year
Plan your gutter cleaning
Four taps: the building, what's in the gutters, the trees and how often. You see our price and when to book it. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want one gutter cleaning company that covers your part of Cork to ring you.
Questions people ask
Is moss in the gutter a sign of a roof problem?
Not a fault, but a sign the roof is shaded and damp. A lot of moss means the gutters will need cleaning every year.
Will gutter guards keep moss out?
They keep clumps out of the gutter, but moss sits on top of the guard and still needs brushing off.
Can I pour moss killer in the gutter?
No. It runs to the drain and does nothing for the roof. Clear the gutter and treat the tiles.
Get your gutters cleaned before the December rain
One local gutter cleaning company. Free, no obligation. Nothing is booked until you say yes.