Marin County Eichler Roof Wins National Award

Marin County Eichler HVAC Roof Installation Wins National Spray Foam Roofing Award

An HVAC integrated roof installation on a Marin County Eichler mid-century modern home has garnered Wedge Roofing their sixth consecutive Best Spray Foam Roof Nationwide Award from the Spray Foam Roofing Alliance.

Wedge received the 2020 Spray Foam Roofing Award for devising an innovative method to conceal a low profile mini duct rooftop HVAC system within the spray foam roof, preserving the Eichlerโ€™s mid-century modern flat roofline while improving the homeโ€™s energy efficiency. This is Wedge Roofingโ€™s second Marin County Eichler roof installation to win spray foam roofingโ€™s premiere award.

Problem: How can you hide the unsightly visual impact of a rooftop HVAC system on an Eichler flat roof?

That was the question posed by a Marin County Eichler homeowner who, without air conditioning and a failed radiant heating system, desperately needed an energy-efficient upgrade. As Eichler roofing experts, our answer was simple; โ€œbury it beneath the new roof.”

Eichler Flat Roofs and HVAC

Designed for California, emphasizing indoor/outdoor living, one-story Eichler homes are renowned for their mid-century design elements of exposed beams, floor-to-ceiling glass, and the calming horizontal lines of a flat or low-slope roof that accentuates unobstructed views of the Marin hills.

However, the expanse of single-pane windows, compounded with minimal roof insulation, does not provide adequate energy efficiency to mitigate the hot summer months and cold, wet winter season of Lucas Valley and San Rafael.

Yet, upgrading the home’s energy efficiency with unsightly rooftop HVAC units, trailed by hundreds of feet of ductwork, is detrimental to the aesthetic design values of the clean, flat roofline.

Solution

As an Eichler roofing expert since 1976, Wedge Roofingโ€™s design team worked closely with the homeowner and the Eichler Design Review Committee to devise a plan to improve the homeโ€™s energy efficiency while also preserving the architectural integrity of the original Eichler design. 

Utilizing Wedgeโ€™s vast experience of incorporating high velocity, small diameter AC ducting into spray foam roofs, we suggested that by encasing the HVAC unit into the new roof, both the functional and design objectives would be achieved. Resulting in a uniform flat roof maintaining the same roof line aesthetics as the original design.

Process

With great attention to detail, Wedge Roofingโ€™s finish carpenter hand-carved and shaped rigid insulation boards to enclose the HVAC unit before a final cover board was installed. Next, our award-winning spray foam-certified roofers installed 1 ยฝ inch of spray foam covered with a gray silicone roof coating.The result is a highly insulating, uniform flat roof that fully conceals the HVAC unit, preserving the original Eichler-designed roof line and dramatically improving the energy efficiency of the home.

Award-Winning Results

The result is a highly insulating, uniform flat roof that fully conceals the HVAC unit, preserving the original Eichler-designed roofline and dramatically improving the energy efficiency of the home.

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