In more than 15 years as a commercial property manager, Mike Nath had no experience with roof coatings, but after being introduced to NRG from EPOX-Z Corp. he believes he may have discovered the ideal roofing solution for cooperative housing properties. Nath is an account executive for New York commercial real estate management giant Prudential Douglas Elliman who was introduced to NRG by EPOX-Z New York co-op representive Paul Schwartz earlier this year. Nath's primary property is a six-building co-op on Long Island called Birchwood Court that had been plagued by leaky roofs for years, and roof replacement estimates exceeded $2 million to replace all six roofs. Through discussions with Schwartz and doing his own research, Nath found that using EPOX-Z NRG would enable Birchwood Court to extend the life of its roofs and provide substantial energy savings for the co-op's hundreds of residents for a fraction of the cost of roof replacement. Nath also found that the application of the coating could be completed in a matter of weeks by certified EPOX-Z applicator Barco Building Industries of Farmingdale, with no harsh chemical odors or inconvenience to Birchwood Court's residents. EPOX-Z NRG is a solventless and odorless two-part, 100% solids cool roof coating engineered to provide superior performance over all elastomeric coatings. It is the only cool roof coating proven to mitigate the damaging effects of ponding water and eliminate leaks on flat roof surfaces. "There has been an ongoing leak problem with these buildings that has been a big problem for a number of years, and no matter how much patching or repair work we did it was still a problem," said Nath, who said he and the Birchwood Court board of directors did extensive research and testing before deciding to use NRG. "When you get honest feedback from people who have used the product, it's pretty impressive. And when we considered the time factor, the cost factor and the performance factor, it became clear that NRG is the best choice. In this economy, cost savings for any building is a factor and using NRG puts this property on the leading edge in terms of energy efficiency and improves it value." Nath listed several compelling reasons that he believes NRG could become the standard roofing solution for co-ops throughout New York and the rest of the country that are facing the expensive proposition of roof replacement. By choosing NRG, Birchwood Court is eliminating its roof problems and extending the life of its roof membrane for a fraction of the cost of roof replacement with a product that is warranteed for 10 years. The technologically advanced cool roof coating will reduce energy costs by substantially reducing the effects of thermal shock to the roof. cooling the roof's temperatures during hot summer months and protect the surface of Birchwood's roofs from suffering additional degradation from solar radiation. A cooler roof means less expansion and contraction of the roof surface during peak temperature in the summer months, and the reflective properties of the NRG creates a barrier against harmful ultraviolet radiation that degrades a roofs surface over time. "Like many multifamily structures, co-ops face maintenance issues every day, and roofing is one the most expensive potential issues," said Schwartz, who accompanied Nath and Birchwood Court board of directors on their field trips to observe other properties that had been coated with NRG. "In addition to eliminating the leaks which were the primary problems for Birchwood Court's buildings, the NRG coating is a solution to the age-old problem of solar radiation degrading the exposed surface of a roof." The energy-saving benefits of cool roof coatings is well documented, and Nath said New York's recent emphasis on energy conservation for commercial properties reinforced the choice to use NRG. EPOX-Z NRG distinguishes itself by enabling substantial energy savings and also protecting roof surfaces from leaks and the effects of ponding water, and Nath said the product provides the perfect roof preparation if Birchwood Court elects to install solar panels in the future. "I conducted my own series of tests to evaluate the flexibility, permeability, anti-chalking and reflective characteristics of the NRG coating, and in every instance the product passed with flying colors," Nath said. "What is great for our residents is our hallways will be cooler in the summer, and the individual apartments will be cooler so they will see significant savings in their electric bills. EPOX-Z NRG is a cost effective, long term solution to our roofing issues and a way to shrink our carbon footprint at the same time, and I would recommend that any co-op facing the kinds of roof challenges Birchwood Court faced would be wise to take a walk on our roofs and consider using EPOX-Z NRG." Please call (781) 561-7227 or visit www.EPOX-Z.com for more information on the benefits that can be gained by choosing EPOX-Z NRG. ABOUT EPOX-Z EPOX-Z Corp.n is a manufacturer of epoxy-based coatings that are used for surface protection in a range of markets including roof restoration, marine, power generation, gas transmission, and wastewater treatment facilities. Driven by the need to protect industrial and commercial structures as well as the environment, EPOX-Z has introduced superior solutions that offer exceptional performance without any environmental hazards. EPOX-Z's 100 percent solids, solvent-free coatings have exceptional surface tolerance and provide a high level of resistance to chemicals and moisture.