Copper strip on the ridges

HotRodDub

Has anyone heard of this before - its a new one to me. We're in the middle of building, and someone recommended putting a copper strip of wire along the ridges so that when it rains on the copper the resulting water flowing down the roof will kill/prevent moss from growing on the slate.

Anyone have any thoughts on this or anyone know the 'science' behind this - if there is any that is??

Cheers!

muffler

Never heard of it but I would be concerned about staining from the copper itself.

HotRodDub

muffler wrote: »

Never heard of it but I would be concerned about staining from the copper itself.

Thats something I was concerned about to, we've a nice natural slate on there and wouldn't want it ruined.

Slates

HotRodDub wrote: »

Has anyone heard of this before - its a new one to me. We're in the middle of building, and someone recommended putting a copper strip of wire along the ridges so that when it rains on the copper the resulting water flowing down the roof will kill/prevent moss from growing on the slate.

Anyone have any thoughts on this or anyone know the 'science' behind this - if there is any that is??

Cheers!

Spot on, The chemicals released by the copper when rain falls on it prevents moss and the like from growing on the roof surface

HotRodDub

Slates wrote: »

Spot on, The chemicals released by the copper when rain falls on it prevents moss and the like from growing on the roof surface

Thanks and is there no risk of staining or the like to the slate?

Mellor

I imagine the coper wil oxidize over time, could create staining. I have seen stains on stone churches from copper lightening rods

CJhaughey

It is common to do this, there is a company called copper ridge or gutter or something like that specializing in supplying these.
Copper will leach small amounts of copper sulphate which is toxic to algae/moss etc and will kill the growth.
It is only really on the north side that you get significant growth of these anyway.
You can also get copper gutters which are very nice to look at and last forever but are expensive.
If you have a problem with moss growth maybe fit a strip along the ridge above the problem area.
Staining is not usually a problem because the amount of copper across the whole roof is very small, a lightening rod is putting all the runoff down one spot.

Mellor

Thats a good point regard the run-off on a lightening rod. I didn't think of that and was accepting it on houses more on the basis that the lifespan of a stone church is much longer, longer affected period

ircoha

CJhaughey wrote: »

It is common to do this, there is a company called copper ridge or gutter or something like that specializing in supplying these.
Copper will leach small amounts of copper sulphate which is toxic to algae/moss etc and will kill the growth.
It is only really on the north side that you get significant growth of these anyway.
You can also get copper gutters which are very nice to look at and last forever but are expensive.
If you have a problem with moss growth maybe fit a strip along the ridge above the problem area.
Staining is not usually a problem because the amount of copper across the whole roof is very small, a lightening rod is putting all the runoff down one spot.

.It is only really on the north side...

Thats a new one: no moss in D4: Must ask Ross O'K-C about it.

slate Roofer

I have used the Copper ridge on a number of jobs Looks well, cost about 30 per meter all fixings with it.
*******************

cork2

yes it works a treat! ive also seen a five inch copper strip bedded into the ridge line and the hips. it is left hanging out over slates and prevents moss growing on the hips and ridges.

soldsold

Ive just been to look at a roof done 2-3 years ago with a copper ridge (the whole thing, not a copper strip under the ridge tile). Neighbours house has moss, this house has none. No staining, tiniest green patch near the eaves I assume where the copper didnt flow down evenly, house owner said it worked great. Looked neat too, just like a smooth ridge tile.

S

gman2k

I presume if you use all copper fixings on your slates, this will have a similar effect?

Lightning McQue

Folks

The brother put natural slates on his house last year and there is a green stain on the back of the house from algae etc.

He was told he should have put the copper strip on the side of the roof nearest the ditch. hes extremely p....off about it. he would have paid the extra money for the strip but the builder didnt know about this etc.

Lightning

slate Roofer

I saw the complete Copper Ridge at a show in Mill street years ago it was a northern company.Next time I saw it the customer had sourced it himself from the north. I had used the strip in the past but fixing it was a problem and 5" copper on either side plus the ridge was double the price than the complete ridge,they do valleys and chim kits aswell,

Joey the lips

Just on that note. I imagine into the future all flashing and ridges will be again made of copper as we will be reusing the water from them.. Think of the amount of water an adverage roof catches per year.

slate Roofer

Copper is used mostly in every other European country Lead cant cope with the thermal stressing The weather we have had over the winter it was -12 in Kildare:eek: Lead breaks down with high temp changes.With water charges we will all reuse our rain water soon enough!

awnow

Can anyone forward me details by PM of a supplier for this copper ridge strip? Thanks.

moan 77

COULD I BE PM'D TOO AS I'M GOING TO BUY RIDGES NEXT WEEK.

POCKET.ROCKET.

Parents built a new house last year, roofers installed this copper strip just below the ridge tiles. From what I remember, the copper strip is the same width as a roll of kitchen paper, corregated, with a felt/membrane underside.

Looked fantastic when the sun caught it - but it has now blended in with the roofing slates and you wouldn't even know it was on the roof.

No moss or staining.

sas

For those of you asking about suppliers of the copper ridge strip, the main roofing suppliers supply it.

It's not exactly rare basically.

However, I bought my slates recently from one of the biggest suppliers and asked the rep about it. He was of the opinion that he was more than happy to sell it to me but that it would really only keep about 5 feet of the roof from the ridge going down the slope clean. There simply wouldn't be enough copper oxidising to keep the entire roof clean. I decided I wouldn't bother.

He did say that if I was very concerned that I could go for an all copper ridge. Price wasn't too bad as I recall. However, I don't like the verdigris green appearance of aged copper and I wasn't prepared to have that on my home.

windyboy

Hi Guys,

Building a 2 storey with natural slate (Capco Nova Black) roof 2km from coast, after seeing another new house less than 2 years old nearby with mould growing on the slates I went looking for copper strip options. The advice I got was the strip doesn't have a sufficient surface area to produce enough copper sulphate to kill the moss, you have much more surface area with a complete Copper Ridge. At the time I did it last year it works out around €30/m + VAT not much more than the Brzillian slate ridge I had been looking at.

The only concern I had was that the copper sulphate coming down the roof would attack my zinc gutters! however the fitter checked with the gutter supplier who advised that it would be diluted sufficiently by the time it got to the gutters that there would be no issue. The shiny copper ridge oxidises very fast to a brown colour. The supplier said that the length of time it takes to turn green depends on the surrounding environmental conditions, it could be 50 years, I won't care if I make it to then SAS!

My carpenter fitted the slates and the ridge. Personally I like the clean look it gives, you wouldn't know it is on the roof now. See photo attached.

If you want contact details for the copper ridge supplier PM me.

Cheers,

Windyboy

sas

windyboy wrote: »

The supplier said that the length of time it takes to turn green depends on the surrounding environmental conditions, it could be 50 years, I won't care if I make it to then SAS!

If it took 50 years neither would I. I was lead to believe it would be more like 10 -15.

Really nice finish on your home incidently. It's very similar to the direction my own is heading.

Poor Uncle Tom

sas wrote: »

If it took 50 years neither would I. I was lead to believe it would be more like 10 -15.

About 10 years is my experience also, less in a town/city environment.

kboc

i got this done. well worth the money, does not stain slates.

The system i have is like a water proof/breathable cloth approx 12 inches wide in a roll approx 5 metres long.

The copper is not the full 12 inches wide. It is 2 strips approx 3/4 inches wide which are stuck on to the cloth/membrane. These two strips are on the two outside edges of the roll.

the roll is placed on the ridge after all slating and before the ridge tile. There is no fixings. The ridge tile is place on top of the roll and fix as per normal. The copper can be seen between the highest row of slate and the actual ridge.

Straight away the copper begins to weather and after the first winter it is hardly noticeable. It turns a dark colour.

No staining, no moss, no greening, very subtle in appearance, good value for money (approx £30/5m roll, i think), if you are paying for natural slate then you can surely after another couple of pounds for this.

good luck

slate Roofer

The complete ridge in copper is only about €34 per meter including all the fixings why buy a strip and a standard ridge that costs more per meter with less copper.

tedimc

Sorry for bringing up an old thread (and cross posting), but would something like this item (http://www.ebay.com/itm/50mm-X-30M-Conductive-Copper-Foil-Tape-Adhesive-Slug-Snail-Barrier-Fender-Wall-/221343891936?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33891fc1e0) do the trick to prevent moss and algae on a natural slate roof.

Price wise it would not be bad and would be easy to put on.

BryanF

tedimc you should know better, dont grave dig threads or post the same question in multiple forums. thanks