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ROTban Works During Rainfall, Scientists Agree

21 December 2020 by ROTban Services Corp.
rotban works in rain min

I’d like to explain how the science behind ROTban proves that lots of rain produces good results with our unique product and system.  Once ROTban is on the roof, it bonds there.  Rain cannot wash it off, even if it happens before the ROTban dries.  Once bonded, it creates an anti-moss environment for four years or more.  However, it needs the moisture of rain to do its job.  Quite the opposite to the natural way of thinking.  Most bottled products and services that treat roofs say that the application should be applied during a period of rain-free days.  Those products are not ROTban.  The formula and science behind ROTban are very different.

I learned a lot about this science from Professor Mark E Eberhart, who received his doctorate in materials science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is currently a professor of chemistry and geochemistry at the Colorado School of Mines. He is the author of Why Things Break: Understanding the World by the Way It Comes Apart (Moss causes destructive rot.)

Moss thrives in a low PH, acid environment. It feeds using an acid extrusion process.  The moss extrudes acid, then brings nutrients back into itself, which have been dissolved in the acid. It needs moisture to do this. When there is no moisture, moss is dormant.  When there is moisture, moss is feeding.  When it tries to feed, the extruded acid meets ROTban’s alkali solution, which has bonded to the roofing, and is cancelled.  The moss cannot live without feeding.  This also applies to fungus, mold, mildew and algae, most of which cause stains.

To put it another way, ROTban turns every square inch of the roofing into a high PH, alkaline environment for years. When there is moisture, the PH of the rainwater is alkaline.  That cancels the moss’s feeding process, requiring acid.  The moss cannot feed.  It must die and biodegrade.  When ROTban is applied to the roofing, it bonds there immediately.  Whenever it rains, the wetness becomes alkaline.  Rain does not “wear it out”, so to speak, – that takes more than four years.

ROTban™ is dormant in the dry weather as well.  Neither the moss nor the ROTban is doing anything in the dry weather.  When it is wet, all the valuable action is happening.  So, doing the treatment during the Summer means a slower effect, but whatever season ROTban™ is applied, it kills moss within 6 months as per our Warranty.

The quickest moss removal action happens in the Fall.  This is when the heaviest rainfall happens, so moss dies faster. We have proven this during decades of very successful moss removal treatment since 1998, without scraping it off the rather delicate material.

Here are more blog articles from our website that explain more:

https://www.rotban.ca/blog/what-does-bonding-have-to-do-with-it/

https://www.rotban.ca/blog/the-chemistry-behind-rotban-and-why-its-better/

https://www.rotban.ca/our-process/

Since 1998, ROTbanTM Ultra Cleaning Corp has been removing moss, algae, and stains from roofs, building exteriors, and landscape structures for commercial and residential customers. ROTban™ operates throughout the Lower Mainland from West Vancouver to Hope.

If you have any questions about this article or would to schedule an appointment with us, please call (604) 761-5640 or email us at info@rotban.ca.