By Dan Lemke
Roof replacement can be one of the most expensive repairs homeowners face. According to Forbes, the average cost for asphalt shingles on a 2,000-square-foot roof can be over $15,000. Costs can run much higher for larger roofs or for projects using more expensive shingles.
About seven percent of roofs are replaced each year in the United States. Not only are those roof replacements costly, according to the Northeast Recycling Council, but they also generate more than 11 million tons of asphalt shingle waste each year, and that waste is bound for landfills.
Soy-based roof rejuvenating products are designed to extend the life of aging roofs in a more environmentally friendly way while adding value to one of Minnesota’s primary crops—soybeans.
Soy roof rejuvenates, which contain soy methyl ester emulsion (SMEE), moisturize brittle asphalt shingles to extend their life which keeps them out of landfills.
“I like the analogy that soy roof rejuvenates are like applying a lotion to your shingles to keep them moist and rejuvenate the oil that’s in them, so the granules are preserved,” says AURI Project Manager Becky Philipp.
Once sprayed on a roof, the product soaks into the asphalt layer of the shingles and restores the petrochemical oils that have evaporated over time.
“Soy methyl esters act as a delivery mechanism for whatever proprietary products these companies have to offer,” says Mike Youngerberg, senior director of product development and commercialization for the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC). “Companies are using soy methyl ester as the carrier for products, but it also puts back lost oil that’s oxidized out of roofs. It’s the same concept as what we do with the asphalt preservatives for roads.”
The roof protection products penetrate the asphalt roof to restore the shingle’s flexibility, keep the grit in place, and make the shingles more pliable. Maintaining the roof’s flexibility and integrity can both increase its life and save money
Seeing is Believing
Several companies, including Roof Maxx®, RoofRestor™, and Peak 301®, offer biobased roof protection products. This summer, AURI and MSR&PC held demonstrations of the roof preservation products on Minnesota homes in Thief River Falls and Sherburn.
“Our goal in this project was to create awareness around some of the biobased products that are already available to consumers,” Philipp says. “If we can get more use for these biobased products through awareness and education, it can increase the market demand for them and that’s good for this emerging industry and its good for agricultural producers. It’s creating that demand for our ag commodities, but also providing a renewable product that’s more environmentally friendly and of value to consumers.”
Companies producing these products state that rejuvenates can extend the life of shingles by about 10 to 15 years with multiple treatments, depending on their age and application timelines. They also note that the products increase shingle flexibility by 50 percent and all have a minimum five-year warranty.
The window of opportunity for application is when the shingles are five to 20 years old. If the edges of the shingles are curled or there are many cracked shingles, they may not qualify for the spray-on application. Typically, granular loss on the shingles cannot exceed 30 percent.
AURI Business and Industry Development Director Harold Stanislawski says manufacturers estimate that applications will last five to seven years. However, depending on the roof’s integrity and weather conditions, applications can last longer, delaying the expenditure of an expensive roof replacement.
“You can apply this product many, many times before you’d equal the cost of a total roof replacement,” Stanislawski notes.
The cost of a roof rejuvenate application is approximately 15 to 20 percent of the cost of a new roof. Costs vary depending on the roof pitch and treatment difficulty and typically range from about $1.00 to $1.45 per square foot. The process is simple and begins with a complimentary roof assessment done by a certified applicator. If eligible, the time required for a roof treatment is one to two hours.
Multiple Benefits
“What we’ve learned through the work that RoofRestor™, Roof Maxx®, Peak 301®, and the United Soybean Board have done is that these products can make shingles last longer on people’s homes, and that’s a noble achievement,” Stanislawski says. “With today’s high costs, keeping shingles on the roof longer, keeping them out of landfill, or going through an expensive recycling process is just a good idea. The research is out there. It looks like these products work and can be a useful option for consumers.”
Beyond cost-saving, soy-based products have environmental benefits. The United States Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred program certifies that Peak 301® is 95% biobased, RoofRestor™ is 90% biobased, and Roof Maxx® is 86% biobased.
According to research from The Ohio State University, if one percent of single-family homes applied a roof preservation product annually instead of doing a roof replacement, 5.6 billion pounds of asphalt shingle waste bound for landfills could be avoided each year through the use of SMEE preservation products. The study adds that about 1.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided if just one percent of single-family homes applied a soy methyl ester asphalt shingle preservation product. The roof rejuvenates also offer an opportunity for expanded soybean use.
As we look at the increase in soybean crush developing across the country, we’ve had expansions in numerous places,” Youngerberg says. “Soybean oil continues to be in demand for renewable fuels, but it’s smart to be looking at those new markets that are less sensitive, including road and roof preservatives and concrete restoration.”
Stanislawski says there may be an opportunity to collaborate with the insurance industry to investigate ways roof rejuvenates can be an asset to policyholders. He expects conversations to take place in the future to better understand what information is needed to establish protocols that might benefit both the consumer and the insurance industry.
Regardless of potential insurance benefits, roof rejuvenates appear to be a worthwhile investment for homeowners.
“People understand the value of painting their home,” Stanislawski explains. “After a while, you have to freshen it up and put a new coat of paint on it. We do that to maintain the integrity of the siding. It’s the same thing for roofs. We haven’t applied the same principle to maintaining roofs, because products weren’t really available before. Now they are. I’m glad that farmers and the soybeans they grow can be part of a solution for a better future.”
“It’s a win all the way around,” Youngerberg says. “These products offer another market for soybean farmers, they keep shingles on your roof longer, and they keep them out of the landfill.”
