Beyond the Contractor

Salt air, humidity, rain, UV, dust—different climates attack building surfaces in different ways, but the costly pattern is the same: repeated cleaning, repeated coatings, and surfaces that never seem to stay “done.” In this episode, Malcolm shares field stories from projects treated with NexaNano—what they saw, what changed, and what still held up months (and even years) later. From black organic growth on roofs in Puerto Rico to staining and grime on light-colored stone in London, these examples highlight what surface protection can look like when it’s built to keep water and contaminants from penetrating—without changing the look of the material.

WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE

• What the team saw after treating a Puerto Rico home roof and returning at 3 and 6 months—specifically, the lack of regrowth after cleaning and coating in a high-humidity, salt-air environment.
• Why color preservation matters on surfaces like terracotta/clay tile—and what “water beading” and self-cleaning behavior looked like in the Palmas del Mar project.
• How exterior protection on a multi-story London building helped reduce penetration from water and common street-level staining—while keeping a light stone appearance.
• What a contractor in Arizona noticed after trying the nano product in a hot, dry climate—especially around performance over time and not changing shingle color.
• How a cabin owner (Carl) used the product alongside stain to help maintain wood color and reduce the need for frequent touch-ups in a four-season environment.

If you’re a contractor or service business looking to add advanced surface protection as an upsell—without building an entirely new operation—NexaNano’s dealer network is designed to help you create an additional revenue stream while you’re already on the job. Learn more about becoming a dealer in your service area at nexanano.com.

Is nanotechnology in sealants just marketing—or is it a real, measurable difference in how a surface is protected? And if water beads up after treatment, does that mean you’ve trapped moisture inside by “sealing the pores”? In this episode, Malcolm (founder of NexaNano) answers the core questions contractors and homeowners ask most: what nanotechnology is, how SiO2-based products penetrate and bond with existing silicas/silicates, what “breathable” actually means, and why moisture control matters for long-term durability on concrete, roofs, wood, and more.

WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE

• What “nanotechnology” means in surface sealants—and how microscopic particle size relates to penetration and performance.
• Why water can stay on top of a treated surface (and what that visual difference is really telling you).
• How breathability works with this type of treatment—and why pore closure can create problems that this approach aims to avoid.
• What Malcolm says about algae/moss/mold: what they need to thrive and why proper cleaning/prep is still part of the equation.
• How to frame surface protection as a cost-saving option for homeowners who don’t truly need a re-roof yet, but want to buy time and protect what they have.

🎧 If you’ve ever wondered what “nano” really means, this episode takes you beneath the surface.

Interested in adding surface protection as a high-margin service line? NexaNano works with contractors through its dealer network so you can offer nanotechnology-based protection to the customers you already serve. Learn more at nexanano.com.

Protectants and sealers haven’t evolved nearly as fast as the surfaces they’re meant to defend—and that gap shows up in real ways: premature wear, ugly growth like algae and mold, and homeowners facing surprise replacement costs they weren’t planning for. In this kickoff episode, NexaNano co-founders Hilary and Malcolm explain why they went back to fundamentals—SiO2-based nanotechnology designed to penetrate and bind—rather than relying on the same “topcoat” approaches the industry keeps recycling. You’ll also hear what changed in the last few years that pushed NexaNano from commercial applications into a growing residential dealer network.

WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE

• Why NexaNano built its formulations around SiO2 (silica dioxide) and how the team thinks about penetration and bonding vs. purely topical coatings.
• What the R&D focus has been since 2015—improving formulations, dilution ratios, breathability (vapor transmission), and areas like mold mitigation.
• Why the company expanded into residential over the last few years—and how affordability and the homeowner experience factored into that decision.
• How surface protection services can fit the current economy: helping homeowners maintain and protect what they already have instead of jumping straight to major replacements.
• Where Malcolm sees the category heading: growth in maintenance and protection, and why “nanotech” marketing claims may not match what’s actually in a product’s documentation.

🎧 Tune in and start thinking Beyond the Contractor

Ready to add high-margin surface protection to your existing services? If you run or manage a home service company and want a simple add-on that supports stronger margins and a better homeowner experience, learn more about becoming a NexaNano dealer at nexanano.com.