Waterproofing Membrane Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
- Filing has cooled since its 2019 peak. 48 families filed that year against 21 in 2017, with the 2022 midpoint back down to 18 — a flat-to-declining trend line, not a growth market.
- Roofing and laminate structures dominate the claim space. E04D and B32B subclasses cover 355 and 301 records respectively, out of 522 total families, meaning most filings stack membrane layers rather than reinvent chemistry.
- The most-cited prior art is decades old. US5496615A alone carries 206 citations, a sign that foundational membrane claims still anchor freedom-to-operate analysis today.
What this landscape covers
This dataset tracks 522 patent families published between 2015 and mid-2026 that combine waterproofing or roofing membrane claims with performance criteria such as elongation at break, root resistance, self-healing, seam bonding or weathering, filtered to IPC classes covering roof coverings, polymer coatings and layered laminates. It captures the mechanical and chemical engineering side of the field rather than installation methods or adhesive formulations filed outside those classes.
Filing activity is concentrated in roofing structures (E04D) and layered laminate constructions (B32B), with secondary weight in polymer compositions, additives, adhesives and coated fabrics. Publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so the 2025-2026 count in any trend view understates real filing activity for those years.
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Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 522-family dataset: how filing volume has moved year over year, and how that volume splits across the IPC subclasses that define the technical routes in this field.
A peak in 2019, then a decline
Filings rose from 21 in 2017 to a peak of 48 in 2019, then fell back to 18 by the 2022 midpoint. The partial 2026 figure reflects publication lag rather than a stop in filing.
Roofing and laminate claims lead by a wide margin
E04D (355 records) and B32B (301) between them touch the large majority of families in this set, with polymer composition (C08L, 92), additives (C08K, 85), adhesives (C09J, 68), building structures (E04B, 68), coated fabrics (D06N, 56) and coatings (C09D, 55) forming a long secondary tail.
Shares are the percentage of the 522 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Waterproofing Membranes and Systems with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about waterproofing membranes and systems and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe prior art anchoring this field
Non-black EPDM roof membranes with improved weathering (US9915069B1)
The filing describes an EPDM rubber roofing membrane using a non-black filler and a NOR-HALS class UV light stabilizer with a defined cure package, aimed at improving weathering resistance while allowing lighter membrane colours than traditional black EPDM.Filed by AMRIZE TECHNOLOGY SWITZERLAND LLC, published 2018-03-13.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US5496615A | Waterproofing membrane | 206 |
| 2 | US7678990B2 | Flexible integrated photovoltaic roofing membrane and related methods of manufacturing same | 159 |
| 3 | US20060046084A1 | Flexible polypropylene roofing membrane | 150 |
| 4 | US7678991B2 | Rigid integrated photovoltaic roofing membrane and related methods of manufacturing same | 131 |
| 5 | US20050178429A1 | Flexible integrated photovoltaic roofing membrane and related methods of manufacturing same | 119 |
| 6 | US5316848A | Waterproofing membrane | 118 |
| 7 | US6864195B2 | Heat weldable roofing membrane | 102 |
| 8 | US4636414A | Laminated bituminous roofing membrane | 102 |
| 9 | US4368228A | Bitumen, atactic polypropylene & propylene/ethylene copolymer compositions and waterproofing membranes using … | 97 |
| 10 | US5854327A | Mineral-filled roofing membrane compositions and uses therefor | 95 |
Citation counts favour older filings in any searched corpus; treat this table as a map of influential prior art, not of current commercial importance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Read together, the trend line and the IPC split point to a field with occupied claim space in structural membrane design and a comparatively thinner layer in the chemistry underneath it.
Volume has already passed its high point
The rise from 21 filings in 2017 to 48 in 2019 followed by a drop to 18 in 2022 marks this as a field past its filing peak rather than one still accelerating. New entrants filing broad structural claims now compete against a denser prior-art base than they would have in 2019.
Structure, not chemistry, holds the claim density
E04D and B32B together account for the bulk of the dataset, meaning most protected ground is in how membrane layers are arranged and bonded rather than in the underlying polymer or additive chemistry, where C08L and C08K counts are markedly lower.
Foundational claims still shape freedom-to-operate
A single 1990s-era membrane patent carries far more citations than any other record in the set, and several of the next most-cited filings concern integrated photovoltaic roofing membranes. Both threads are worth checking before filing anywhere near flexible membrane structure or membrane-integrated PV.
Filing is US-centred with a real European and Chinese presence
The United States receives more than a third of filings, with Europe, China, Canada and the WIPO route each carrying meaningful volume. A membrane cleared in one office should not be assumed clear in another given how filings spread across these five regions.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to waterproofing membranes and systems, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the claim space
Recent-year momentum across the named assignees in this dataset shows zero filings in the latest year for each of the tracked leaders, consistent with the broader decline from the 2019 peak rather than any single company stepping back.
Established assignees have gone quiet in the most recent year
Every named assignee in the recent-momentum data shows zero filings in the latest tracked year. Given the roughly 18-month publication lag, this likely reflects filings still in the pipeline rather than a genuine stop, but it also means the visible ranking table is built almost entirely on pre-2025 activity.
Collaboration is limited and mostly intra-group
Ten co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, the strongest linking a single corporate group's own subsidiaries rather than cross-company joint filings. This points to a field where companies protect membrane technology individually rather than through joint development filings.
The assignee ranking runs across the full dataset
All 522 published families are represented in the assignee ranking, giving a reasonably complete picture of concentration at the top against a long tail of single- or few-filing entrants typical of a mature construction-materials segment.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Sika Technology AG | 0 | — |
| Firestone Building Products Company | 0 | — |
| Johns Manville | 0 | — |
| W.R. Grace & Co. | 0 | — |
| Bridgestone Firestone | 0 | — |
| 3M Innovative Properties Company | 0 | — |
| Building Materials Investment Corporation | 0 | — |
| BFS Diversified Products, LLC | 0 | — |
Where to take this next
The trend and composition data point to specific next steps depending on whether the goal is freedom-to-operate, white-space filing, or competitive tracking.
Check freedom-to-operate against the most-cited records
Before filing on membrane structure or membrane-integrated PV, review the citation chains running from US5496615A and the two integrated photovoltaic roofing membrane families, since these anchor a large share of downstream claims.
Run a citation analysis in EurekaMap claims in the under-claimed chemistry branches
Root-resistant additives, self-healing coatings and seam-bonding adhesives sit well behind E04D and B32B in filing volume. A focused claim search in these subclasses is likely to surface real gaps rather than crowded prior art.
Search these subclasses in EurekaTrack the pipeline behind the zero-momentum leaders
Every tracked assignee shows zero filings in the latest year, which given publication lag may understate filings already in process. Monitoring newly published families from these assignees over the next 12-18 months will clarify whether the decline is real or a reporting artefact.
Set up assignee monitoring in EurekaCommon questions on waterproofing membrane patents
The dataset's assignee ranking is concentrated at the top among a small group of established building materials and adhesives manufacturers, with a long tail of single- or few-filing entrants behind them. Recent-year momentum data shows the tracked leading assignees all recorded zero filings in the most recent year, though publication lag of roughly 18 months means some of that pipeline has not yet surfaced. Anyone assessing competitive position should look at cumulative family counts rather than any single year's filings.
No, filing volume has declined from a peak of 48 families in 2019 to 18 at the 2022 midpoint, and the trend does not show renewed growth through the most recent complete years. This does not mean the underlying technology is stagnant, since flat filing can also reflect a field where the core structural claims are already well established. It does mean a new entrant should expect denser prior art than a fast-growing field would present.
US9915069B1 covers a non-black EPDM roofing membrane that combines a non-black filler with a NOR-HALS class UV light stabilizer and a specific cure package to improve weathering resistance. It does not block EPDM membranes generally, nor black EPDM formulations; its claims are specific to the non-black filler plus NOR-HALS stabilizer combination. A design using a different UV stabilizer chemistry or retaining black fillers would sit outside its literal claim scope, though a full freedom-to-operate check should confirm this against the specific claim language.
Based on IPC composition, structural membrane and laminate claims (E04D and B32B) dominate the dataset while root-resistant additive chemistry, self-healing coatings and seam-bonding adhesive formulations carry comparatively lower filing volume. These narrower chemistry-focused branches are worth a dedicated claim search before assuming they are crowded, since high filing density in the structural classes does not mean the chemistry underneath is equally well covered. Membrane-integrated photovoltaic interfaces also show meaningful citation activity relative to filing volume, suggesting concentrated but not exhaustive coverage.
The United States receives the largest share of filings in this dataset at 197 records, followed by the European Patent Office at 91, China at 56, Canada at 54, the WIPO PCT route at 47 and Australia at 23. This spread means a membrane technology cleared for the US market cannot be assumed clear in China or Europe, and a global filing strategy should budget for prosecution in at least the top three or four offices where competitors are already active.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.