MIAMI, Fla. , March 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From a disaster, an important innovation in protecting storm-damaged homes was developed. After Hurricane Irma struck the Miami area in 2017, it was declared the most powerful hurricane to hit the continental United States since Katrina and left behind about $65 billion in damage. Friends Larry Bond, Spiro Naos and Christopher Mouriz were riding together in a truck after the storm when they saw a boat on a trailer traveling at about 70 mph. The boat was protected with a layer of shrink wrap.
This moment hatched the concept for WrapRoof.
The men have a combined 50 years of experience in construction and general contracting, and they immediately understood how a shrink-wrap method could protect buildings better than the current standard of blue tarps.
“I had family members who had their homes damaged,” Bond said. “One of them paid $700 for tarps, and their house was still leaking. It frustrated me, and I thought, ‘This could be the solution.’”
Through the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA provides temporary coverage to damaged buildings with blue tarps. Known as Operation Blue Roof, the tarps are meant to provide temporary protection until permanent repairs can be made. Installing tarps requires nails and screws, and the method comes with the risk of mold development. Even worse, blue tarp roofing is effective for only 30 days.
Bond, Naos and Mouriz thought they could shrink-wrap damaged roofs to better protect buildings against leaks, mold and further damage. They tested how to heat-shrink a drum-tight layer of durable plastic on a roof, experimenting first on a dog house, then on a backyard shed, and finally on their own homes. The method was perfected, and they lost no time in establishing their new business, WrapRoof. The men wanted to help Floridians protect their belongings, homes and businesses.
Insurance adjusters love WrapRoof, and immediately the new company was busy shrink-wrapping mansions, ranch homes and everything between. Since that fateful day in 2017, WrapRoof has protected hundreds of residential and commercial buildings, from Key West to the Florida Panhandle.
Benefits of the WrapRoof system include:
- A 1-year warranty
- Ties into existing ventilation systems
- Covers an entire roof and floats above the surface it protects
- Can withstand winds up to 55 mph
- Does not require sandbags, nails, screws or other intrusive methods on top of your roof for installation
- Uses semi-translucent plastic, which allows light in and prevents mold from growing
WrapRoof operates throughout the entire state of Florida and is registered in the System of Award Management (SAM). With US Federal Contractor Registration's educational resources, they are learning the processes of federal contracting. Bond, Naos and Mouriz seek to help FEMA improve their disaster relief efforts and provide the roofing industry with a better temporary solution that protects properties from further damage.