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Scrubbing moss off granite

Original Post
Louis Eubank · · Portland, ME · Joined Nov 2008 · Points: 181

Any suggestions on scrubbing moss off granite (in Mass, if it matters). It's a roughly 20' tall outcropping w/ in a forest, so rapping down the face and scrubbing is probably how I'll do it. It's north facing, so there's some decent moss buildup in some places. A buddy and I were thinking of using BBQ cleaners - steel bristles and strong enough that you can bear down on it. Anybody have other suggestions? Thanks

The Call Of K2 Lou · · Squamish, BC · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 20

That works for me. There are other shapes and sizes of wire brushes that may be helpful. Some retain their bristles better than others; I've done a bit of trial & error. Unfortunately, these things aren't exactly name-brand, so I can't recommend anything specific. They'll all get the job done though. Plenty of moss up here to scrape at! (every couple of months, it seems sometimes;)

Chris Small · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 143

The most effective tool for route development I have used is a Stihl BR 600 leaf Blower. It will literally blow sheets of moss and dirt off from about 5ft away, especially the thick green stuff we get in the PNW. Any remnants occurs after the first pass with the leaf blower I scrub with the special red handled brush. See this thread for more details

Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,203

If a bit here and there then brass brushes work great though I have used steel brushes.

That said depending on the land management and ownership wholesale scrubbing to clear a boulder may lead to access issues. So think very carefully before embarking on such projects as the backlash can lead to unintended consequences.

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115

Ask here: squamishclimbing.com

The Squaminards are the world's foremost experts in removing moss from granite.

jim.dangle · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 5,882

BBQ brushes aren't the best. Got to the hardware store and get a wirebrush more substantial-- better yet one big and one small (for cracks and edges). These work well:

Large Brush

Small Brush

It helps if you get the moss when it is dry particularly dry. It will clog the brush if it is thick but just whack the brush to loosen it. Wear work gloves or you will scrape the shit out of your knuckles. If the moss is really thick the roots tend to form an independent matrix over the surface of the moss, in this case it comes off pretty easily in nice clean sheets.

Rapping down is probably the best for cleaning, but for ease wire brush fixed to an extendable painter's pole (like the kind one uses for stick-clipping) is surprisingly effective and much easier to set up.

It also helps to have a broom or regular brush to clean the surface up after its been scrubbed.

Jim

Louis Eubank · · Portland, ME · Joined Nov 2008 · Points: 181

Thanks for the responses. I'm not too worried about backlash, as the face is about 90 degrees from the trail (I happened to glance over at the exact right location and saw the arete), plus there's two bolts in the top (you know, for all those times when slinging the healthy 24" white pine that's 15' back from the top is just too sketchy for the 20' climb)

Old Timer · · North Andover MA · Joined May 2010 · Points: 27,785

As Jim said, get an extendable 10 foot pole sold at Home Depot painting department and attach a wire brush to the end of it. Then screw in a scraper to the wire brush. Now you have a pole that can easily reach up 18-20 feet and you use the scraper and wire brush to get that boulder ready to go. I have been using this set-up for 15 years and it always does the job.

M Sprague · · New England · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 5,090

I think the recommendations for brass brushes is off. They leave brass residue on the rock, especially granite, though they may be OK for some soft sandstone around NV. I have never noticed a problem with rust stains from non-stainless steel ones here in NE. Stainless is nice, but expensive. These are excellent Wooster Brush 1821 Longneck Wire Brush with Scraper Saves the knuckles and you can grab it different ways, making it less tiring.

pooler · · Albany, NY · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 20

get some good work gloves as I can assure you you're knuckles will thank you, oh and maybe some of those surgical masks so you're not breathing all that shit in ( a bandana works too)

just my 2c

Morgan Patterson · · NH · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 8,945

3rd the Woosta brush... from a CT scrubber.

M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911

spray bleach

Hans Bauck · · Squamish, BC · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 2,099
Sam Spuds · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 65

Im the fan of using toliet brushes. you can gerneally find em for free or cheap and thier conical shape makes them perfect for cleaning out hand cracks

Rockbanned brett · · Plattsburgh, Ny · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 215

the past 2 yrs every summer we clean a new section of rock for development here. We tried bbq brushes, the wooden handle steel bristle and many other things. Moss comes off pretty easily, pretty much any stiff bristle brush works well for it. However, if it's Lichen your speaking about, thats the really dry stuff that sticks like it's almost embedded, the best thing we found is a welders steel wire brush. Bristles no more than like 1" long, and many of them. The wooden ones lose their bristles pretty quick, and the bbq brushes are lucky if they last a day of scrubbing. After scrubbing, a shop broom works pretty well to get rid of the dirt leftover untill you can get a big rain. We usually rap and hang on a prusik to do most of it... Good luck dude. Cleaning rock is always a fun project...

Louis Eubank · · Portland, ME · Joined Nov 2008 · Points: 181

I went with the Wooster. It's excellent. I may not be able to climb the problem, but I'll scrub the $#&^$ out of it

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Bouldering
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