New Roof for Frank Lloyd Wright-Inspired Home

By Lauren White, RCS Reporter.

Updated roof membrane makes home more sustainable and yields energy rebate and insurance premium savings.

When faced with retirement, 39% of retirees head south to Florida.  This was true for Canadian real estate developer Paul Weiner.  He had one request for his new waterfront home when he settled in Hollywood, Florida, which was for his home to resemble the one he left in Canada.  This was no ordinary home, this home was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.  The homeowner was pleased with the final product, and a new roof membrane from IB Roof Systems, provided the residence with a quality, sustainable, and energy-efficient roof replacement.

The original Weiner home was designed by James W. Strutt and built in 1958 in Ottawa, Canada.  Known to be the only Canadian who was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, James was an influential architect who worked on residential and institutional designs for 55 years.  “David Jay Feinberg was commissioned by the Weiner family to memorialize their Canadian home in Florida,” Paul Nutcher wrote in his article for Building Enclosure. 

The Florida home is situated along the banks of a manmade lake with access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Intercoastal Waterway.  The original home, built in 1979, had two small bedrooms and a master bedroom.  Since then, two additions have been completed.  “There is now 7,000 square feet under air-conditioned space, with a total of five bedrooms, six bathrooms and two half bathrooms,” according to the article.  Currently, the roof is 10,000 square feet, which is “a much larger footprint than Wright was known for but typical of a luxury American home today,” according to the article..  In 1990, the Dorsey family moved into the home.

Marilyn Dorsey shared in her interview with Building Enclosure, “There are many features of the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture that we love…The home is a great home for entertaining.  We have held many political fundraisers as well as school and organization functions with up to 250 to 300 people in attendance.”

Throughout the years the home has required upkeep and maintenance, which included a new roof from IB Roof Systems. A 60-mil membrane from IB Roof replaced the existing roof, which was a modified cap sheet.  The smooth finish of the membrane was a welcomed change because it meant that “...granules from the former asphalt system would no longer fall onto the finished patio around the pool where constant cleaning was necessary,” according to Paul Nutcher.

The Dorsey’s chose the roofing company Southern Coast Enterprises to install the PVC membrane roofing.  The new PVC membrane is energy-efficient, mechanically attached, and highly reflective.  They selected the Cool Sand color since it has almost the same reflectivity as a white membrane, but without the glare that could blind house guests and boaters on the lake. 

Located in Broward County, Florida, the home needed to meet strict building codes that were enacted after Hurricane Andrew.  Therefore, the IB Roof Systems membrane was installed over a ¼-inch thick fire barrier board to be compliant with the building codes.  “As the re-roof was underway, the roof-to-wall connection was enhanced to a double-strapped assembly to not only protect the property but to qualify for the highest windstorm discounts that are available,” the article reports.  Along with these upgrades came considerable insurance premium savings.

IB Roof provided technical information to Southern Coast during the installation of the membrane to ensure it met the manufacturer’s specifications.  Jason Stanley, the CEO of IB Roof Systems explained, “That’s what we do— provide a supporting role.”  When roofers call IB Roof Systems, they talk to an actual person who can help with flashing details or writing a proposal. 

The newly installed membrane on the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home will stay cleaner longer with its acrylic top coatings.  “It comes with an anti-wicking polyester scrim for added strength and tear resistance that minimizes moisture intrusion between the sheet’s top film and bottom film layers,” reported Building Enclosure.  “The membrane comes with a Lifetime Residential Limited Material Warranty and is listed with various component assemblies at UL and Factory Mutual (FM Global) for fire, wind uplift, impact and chemical resistance.  The Standard White and the Cool Sand Colors exceed the ENERGY STAR™ and California Title 24 requirements for reflective roofing materials.”

The home is located on the water in a coastal area where “homeowners are at the highest risk for wind damage during a hurricane,” Building Enclosure noted.  Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is the only insurance option for many property owners in this coastal area.  The Dorsey’s qualified for insurance premium discounts through Citizens with the wind mitigation upgrades that were implemented.

Because of the membrane’s high reflectivity, the Dorsey’s qualified for a, “...50 cents per square foot rebate check (about $3,500) for areas of the roof that are over air-conditioned space from Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) Roofing Savings Program due to its Cool Roof Rating Council label,” according to Paul Nutcher’s reporting.  In addition to their rebate, the reflective roof will allow the Dorsey family to have long-term energy savings.  They reported a decrease of 36% ($200) in their monthly electric bills, which is higher than the FPL estimated savings of 20-30%. 

Additional home improvements included new paint and landscaping, and re-stuccoing the exterior beams.  There were multiple energy performance and hurricane resistance improvements made as well.  Four air-conditioning units were installed, windows that were less-airtight were replaced with impact-resistant ENERGY STAR windows.  Like the roof assembly, windows were reinforced with storm shutters to help them withstand hurricanes.  And to diminish storm damage and meet hurricane insurance requirements, the doors and garage were replaced.

The membrane that replaced the modified cap sheet made the home more sustainable and will warrant significant short-term and long-term energy savings for the current homeowners.  This Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home has seen new ownership, add-ons, and renovations throughout the years.  It continues to entertain guests and draw attention from onlookers. 

Learn more about IB Roof Systems and their product offerings.