Pinehurst resident George Berg spearheads a rain, sleet, snow, and refreshingly virus and recession-proof service-driven industry in Moore County.

A chemical engineer by trade, Berg spent the last few years designing pharmaceutical plants in the Research Triangle. He turned his eye towards domestic technology when he bought the regional Roof Maxx franchise in December of 2019.

With all the friendly ease of a grade school science teacher, Berg breaks down the new product he champions.

“Your roof tiles are made up of three layers: fiberglass, asphalt, and grout. Grout, the most visible layer, is customizable and comes in several different grains and colors, but its purpose isn’t strictly aesthetic — these tiny particles of sand and grit offer protection of the building to which they belong by buffering wind and rain. The grout adheres to the asphalt — or, more specifically, the oils present in the asphalt. These oils evaporate over time, which causes the grout to fall away, and ultimately compromises your roof.

“However, due to EPA restrictions, the oil content in the asphalt has been reduced, making the tiles significantly less ‘sticky.’ They literally don’t make them like they used to.”

Then Roof Maxx put forth a doubly-sustainable solution: soybean oil.

“Rather than replacing the roof completely — meaning, tiles and all — we replace the evaporated oil with a diffused soybean oil.”

The bio-oils used in the service were extensively and thoroughly researched by the Ohio State University Agricultural Research and Development Center, which is part of the university’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

Ultimately, Berg believes that the Roof Maxx product builds bridges between buyers, sellers, evaluators, and real estate agents.

As someone who flips houses in his spare time, he has an intimate understanding and appreciation of the complexity of these relationships, with particular interest paid to the unique homeowning demographics of Moore County.

“No one really looks forward to replacing a roof. Least of all, retirees their next-of-kin,” says Berg. The implication being that the cost-effectiveness of Roof Maxx services makes it more attractive to those who have recently inherited a home and are seeking to put it on the market — or those who don’t want to make such a large investment in a roof that will long outlive them.

“At the end of the day, people would rather pay 15% than 100%, and for a service that lasts almost half as long. I suppose if I were in their shoes, I’d rather spend the difference on some overseas vacation — or golfing!”

Roof Maxx is located in West End and serves Moore, Hoke, Lee, Scotland, and Richmond counties.

For more information on Roof Maxx, please click link: https://roofmaxx.com/.

Feature photo: Roof Maxx owner George Berg and his wife, Anita, and son, Bailey. Contributed photo.

Written by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Shelby Herbert.

 

 

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