Lake Sheen Estate

Located in the Doctor Phillips area of Central Florida, the showcase home lies just minutes from the Disney theme parks and is situated along the banks of the Butler chain of lakes. The Lake Sheen Showcase Home incorporates design and construction elements reminiscent of Florida's picturesque waterways. A pool on the second floor cascades over a first-floor living room in a beautiful 13-foot-tall waterfall. Expansive 12-foot-wide windows look out over the nearby lake and onto giant mango trees.

The interior of the home, designed by Rob Turner of CRT Studio, carries these ideas forward in a clean, focused execution of coastal and contemporary styles. High ceilings and large windows with clear sight lines throughout the house emphasize that the contemporary house is at home in its natural setting. The residence is expected to be one of the most advanced, energy efficient, healthy and sustainable homes in Orlando.

The challenge

Hardwick General Contracting built the three-story, 7,461-square-foot home to Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) standards. FGBC's mission is ""to lead and promote sustainability with environmental, economic, and social benefits through regional education and certification programs."" Two of the FGBC requirements are directly related to the roofing system, including the energy efficiency of the home and the ability to mitigate damage from natural disasters.

FGBC Standards

Energy performance – Exceeding code requirements and reducing energy costs to almost zero.

Water conservation – Reducing water usage both inside and outside the home.

Site conditions – Minimal site disturbance during construction and Florida friendly landscape design.

Healthier home – Designed to maximize interior air quality and products that support a healthier interior home environment.

Materials – Use of locally produced, resource-efficient materials and recycled content.

Disaster mitigation – Maximizing durability and the ability to withstand natural disasters.

The solution

Florida is just one area of the country now seeing more new homes with flat roofs, according to Greg Hardwick, owner of Hardwick General Contracting. ""We first saw them gaining popularity in the mid-2000s, and we needed to find a product that was different from the standard tile or shingles that we were used to seeing here,"" explains Hardwick. ""So, we had to come up with something that wasn't widely used for residential construction for these modern homes, and the answer to that question is TPO.""

Hardwick notes that the GAF EverGuard^® 60-mil TPO was a good fit for the home's roof because of its durability and reflectivity. ""When you look at other roofing products that are out there, where you're trying to get a high solar reflective value, TPO is a great option,"" says Hardwick.

Hardwick goes on to say that GAF TPO has years of proven performance in the commercial sector, so it made sense to bring it over into the residential side of the industry. ""We've now been using TPO since about 2008 on residential flat roofs to provide protection from weather elements, but you also benefit because the product can help meet reflectivity requirements of green certified construction."

Installation process

The GAF EverGuard^® 60-mil TPO roofing system was installed by GAF Master Select Contractor, Collis Roofing, over a roof deck made up of spray foam insulation that was topped with an engineered wood panel that included a factory weather resistive barrier (WRB) and integrated seam tape system to provide additional protection. The roofing crew installed a layer of six-ounce Polymat over the OSB sheathing before mechanically fastening the 60-mil TPO membrane to the roof. GAF TPO accessories including vent boots, T-joint patches, corners, and more were installed as well.