Greener Roofs: Innovative Roof Repair Products From Recycled Materials
Polymer Recycling, LLC
Enviro Roof Repair, Inc.
4600-D Ruff Road
North Charleston, SC 29418
Telephone: (843) 767-7877
http://www.enviroroofrepair.com
Environmental Problem
Green building includes creating structures and
using processes that are environmentally responsible
and resource-efficient throughout a building's life
cycle. The rapidly growing field is driven by con-
cerns about climate change, cost and availability of
energy resources, and the impacts of buildings on
human health and the environment. Green building
must be sustainable for the long-term and effectively
address environmental and human health issues,
such as materials and energy usage. The Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program
encourages building owners and operators to
increase profitability while reducing the negative
environmental impacts of buildings and improving
occupant health and well-being.
For existing commercial roofs with compromised
integrity, replacement is an expensive operation that
involves tearing off the existing roof and replacing
defective deck sheathing, insulation, and other
materials, thereby exposing the inside structure to
climatic elements and increasing vulnerability to
water damage. The old materials often are discarded
in landfills, contributing to a larger land-use concern.
Roofs that require partial repair often are treated
with products that contain cold tar derivatives,
which are known to contain carcinogenic polynu-
clear aromatic compounds (PNAs). A number of
roof-repair products adopt an environmentally
friendly approach by incorporating large amounts of
paint sludge as a polymeric compound, but the
inconsistency of the sludge yields variability in the
roofing products, which presents challenges. In
addition, discarded paint and paint sludge from
home, automotive, and other industries are major
contaminants in landfills.
SBIR Technology Solution
With support from EPA's Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) Program, Aster, Inc. developed the
original recycling technology. Polymer Recycling,
LLC, with the application company, Enviro Roof
Repair Inc., ultimately commercialized the technol-
ogy to reuse paint polymer byproducts from the
automobile industry as well as household paint
waste in roof repair products. The roof is restored
with far less virgin material than a replacement with
tear-off requires, and the normal price of about
$5/square foot is priced far below the typical $10
or more/square foot for traditional roof replace-
ment. An optional light-colored elastomeric roof
coating has reflective quality to reflect ultraviolet,
visible, and near-infrared radiation light, providing
up to 15% savings in cooling costs. The formulation
has approximately 50% solids content.
Polymer Recycling, LLC's approach is based on
combining emulsified oil-based paint, water-based
paint, a virgin latex polymer, a plasticizer, while dis-
placing mineral fillers. To produce a very low (0.1%
or less) volatile organic compound (VOC) content,
the oil-based paint is subjected to agitation under a
vacuum, and the solvent is distilled to form a paint
residue that is emulsified through the inclusion of
non-ionic surfactants. The water-based paint is
either incorporated wholesale or screened to
ensure the absence of particles and foreign matter.
The addition of water-based paint improves the
flow properties of the elastomeric coating and
allows air and water to escape more readily during
film foundation. The composite roof system is more
than 10-times thicker than most saturant roof-repair
material, providing greater energy efficiency as well.
The process is nonhazardous, and the result is a
seamless, water-tight composite overlay.
Commercialization Information
For more than 20 years since the award of this SBIR
contract, Polymer Recycling LLC, has developed
and commercialized four products made with
recycled paint for various flat roof types, including:
SBIR Success Stories

-------
gravel covered and smooth built-ups; rubber and
other membrane; and metal roofs. Enviro Roof
Repair's Roof Healer® products include: a primer;
an elastomeric sealer; a bedding cement; and
trowel-grade sealer. The company has been awarded
three patents for recycled paint methodology, a
patent for the roof sealer, and has two patents
pending. The environmentally friendly roof restora-
tion process helps clients gain LEED sustainability
points for certification in recycled content, tear-off
avoidance, solar reflectance, and local manufacture
criteria. LEED is an internationally recognized
green building certification system.
The company has restored more than 1,000,000
sq. ft. of commercial, industrial, and government
roofs in the Charleston, South Carolina area,
including office buildings, hotels, condominiums,
restaurants, grocery stores, shopping centers, and
churches. Expansion plans include finding an
established commercial roofing partner that can
exploit the successful market niche that has been
developed during its first phase of commercializa-
tion by Enviro Roof Repair, Inc.
Company History
Polymer Recycling, LLC is based in North
Charleston, South Carolina, and resulted from the
efforts of two research and development compa-
nies: Aster, Inc. and Aster Roof Cover, Inc. Aster,
Inc. was a general materials research company that
developed the original recycling technology, which
was commercialized by its affiliated companies. In
2009, sales increased to nearly $600,000, despite
the national economic downturn. Polymer
Recycling, LLC and its affiliated companies have
been recognized with a number of awards,
including: State of Ohio "Award for Excellence in
Energy Efficiency"; Dayton, Ohio Chamber of
Commerce's "Enterprise Spirit Award"; Phase I and
Phase II Small Business Innovation Research
contracts; U.S. Small Business Administration
Tibbetts Award; and nominee for Charleston
Regional Business Journal "Innovator of the
Year Award" for 2007.
SBIR Impact
Polymer Recycling LLC's patent pending technology revolves around
the recycling of paint wastes to extend the life of existing commercial roofs
through water-based, non-hazardous, low VOC roof coatings.
Enviro Roof Repair's business model focuses on all stages of the process,
from manufacturing the products to installing the roofing system to
maintaining the restored roofs.
This method of commercial, seamless roof repair offers
environmentally friendly products at about one-half the cost of tradi-
tional roof replacement.
| This roof restoration process helps
buildings achieve LEED certification for
green buildings through recycled content,
tear-off avoidance, solar reflectance,
and local manufacture criteria.
SBIR Success Stories

-------