One problem that many homeowners experience with their asphalt surfaces is the moss that grows. Moss can cause the asphalt to become very slippery and ugly and eventually cause it to crack and break down. Here, you'll learn how to get rid of the moss growing on your asphalt surfaces and what you can do to prevent it from returning in the near future. 

Contact Asphalt Paving Specialists

Before you spend a lot of your time trying different things to get rid of the moss, contact your asphalt specialist for assistance. The problem could be caused by instabilities in the surface—meaning there could be cracks from underneath that are giving the moss the moisture it needs to grow. Unless you know the signs of damage to look for, you won't be able to determine what's going on underneath the asphalt. Let the pros take a look and offer suggestions for resolving the situation for good.

Remove the Moss

Get yourself a flat spade. Use it to scrape as far under the moss as possible. If you can, you want to get all of the soil and debris that the moss has rooted in off of the surface. It may take a few scrapes with the shovel, but eventually, the dirt will come free.

After you've cleared as much of the dirt away as possible, get your garden hose and spray the surface clean. Get a gallon of bleach and mix it 1:1 with water. Use a deck brush to scrub the surface clean. Rinse it well and let it dry.

Now, you'll apply a herbicide product to the surface. Look for a product that is safe to use on pavement and kills moss spores. Apply the solution to the surface as directed. This will kill the moss that was previously growing on your asphalt driveway, so now you just need to prevent future growth.

Prevent Future Growth

Once you've eliminated the moss, you'll have the hard work done—you'll just need to keep up with sweeping the surface every now and then to remove the dirt that the moss needs to root in.

Another option to put a permanent stop to the moss is to talk with your asphalt contractor about improvements that can be made to prevent dirt from running onto the surface when it rains. This is something that you don't necessarily have to deal with. If you take care of the problem right the first time, it shouldn't be back for quite a while.

For more information, reach out to asphalt paving specialists, like those at Circle Asphalt Paving.