Whether you’re considering buying a Westermann Moss Brush, or you’ve already made the investment and are wondering what are the best methods for moss removal to get the most out of your new machine, we’re here to help. Here are some of the best techniques, tips and tricks to make sure that you’re working smarter and not harder when clearing mossy driveways, paths and tennis courts with a Westermann WR870.
Setting the brush height
Use the jockey wheel to adjust the brush height and determine the amount of friction that will be used.
To avoid unnecessary brush wear, we recommend that you take a little time to set the brush height at the beginning of each use. Every job is different and the setting you used for the last area may not be the optimal setting now, especially as the brush wears down over time. You need just enough brush force to get the moss cleared, but not too much that it wears the brush down excessively.
The brush will wear quicker when friction is also applied from the sides, like when used up against a wall or kerb edge, so this is something else to consider when setting the brush.
To set the brush height correctly:
- Place the brush on the ground and push it forward by the handles. The brush should drop onto the ground with a click. Pushing the machine will then put it in ‘work mode’.
- Turn the jockey wheel screw anticlockwise until you free the jockey wheel off the ground (i.e. there’s no load on it and it’s not touching the ground)
- Set the wheel by turning it clockwise until you feel contact with the ground
- Use a half-turn (turn it 180 degrees) to set the default position
- Make small adjustments using quarter-turns until optimal friction is achieved - anticlockwise = more pressure, clockwise = less pressure.
The best method for using the Westermann Moss Brush
The best way to work with the Westermann Moss Brush is to be slow, thorough and to work in straight lines. Without proper technique, you lose efficiency, leave moss behind and make things harder for yourself in the long run. This might be common sense to most, but you’d be surprised at the amount of people that expect to be able to sling a piece of machinery like this around like they’re hoovering the house and still get the best results.
Each area needs to be brushed clockwise and anticlockwise. This is important as the moss sits in small valleys and grooves on tarmac and other paved areas, so passing over the area with the brush going in both directions ensures that you target the moss from all angles.
To complete a pass, first walk forwards in a straight line with the brush rotating one way. Then, once you reach the end of the desired area, walk backwards to trace over the area you just covered, keeping the brush rotating the same way. This equals one pass. After the first pass, change the direction of the brush (i.e. change from clockwise to anticlockwise) and then repeat the same process of walking forwards and backwards to complete your second pass.
The rotation of the brush also enables you to gather moss into lines/windrows for collection, so choose the order of the brush directions based on what will help you manage collecting the loose moss into lines most efficiently.
After clearing up the loose moss, areas can be cleared with a mild soap solution and rinsed, or, for particularly stubborn areas, you can add a mild soap solution and then give the area another pass with the machine before rinsing. The finish you’re left with will be equivalent to power washing, but using much less water and without the disadvantages of power washing on driveways, such as removing the sand between paving slabs and disturbing pointing.
Other tips for getting the most from your moss brush
- Always run the Westermann WR870 at maximum throttle.
- For particularly overgrown and mossy surfaces, repeat the process by working up and down, then left to right - think of the area like a compass and do two passes North to South, then two passes East to West.
- Working from side to side is best when tackling sloped driveways. This prevents the weight of the machine from working against you while you try to push it up or down the slope.
Top tips for different surfaces
- For resin driveways, do an initial clean with a soap solution as resin isn’t as hard as stone and creates less friction.
- For York paving, Indian paving and natural stone paving slabs, use a mild soap solution to help remove moss and algae debris that can linger and pose a slip hazard.
- For painted tennis courts, use a soapy solution from the get-go with the wire brush attachment. For regular maintenance, switch to the poly wire/mix brush attachment as it’s easier on the paint and will stop it from fading so quickly.
Did you know that all Westermann WR870 Moss Brush machines now come with a 3-year commercial warranty as standard? This means you can buy with confidence knowing that your machine is covered and your investment is protected.
Contact us
If you’d like to know more about using a Westermann for moss removal, please get in touch with us via the contact form on our website, or you can call us on +44 (0)114 2699 119 or email info@spapowermachinery.com.