For
those who enjoy a desert lifestyle, Lake Las Vegas is the
picture-perfect community offering stunning new homes, breathtaking
views of the desert landscape, modern amenities, and the kind of
serenity that can only be delivered by a tranquil freshwater lake.
Within this captivating setting, which sits about 20 miles from the city
lights and glamour of the Las Vegas strip, is a collection of luxury
communities by Blue Heron Nexus. 

Celebrating its 20th anniversary
this year, Blue Heron is a top luxury design and build firm in Las
Vegas known for its innovative modern designs and high-quality
construction.

“Blue Heron is famous for its custom homes,” said
Chris Beucler, president of Blue Heron Nexus. “That DNA and attention to
detail and quality is scrupulously brought into our Nexus communities
through our onsite architecture, construction, and interior design
teams.” 

Blue Heron’s Nexus division has six communities in Lake
Las Vegas, four of which are in development: Velaris at The Island;
Arvada at The Island; Shoreline; and Strata. Among the countless
attributes of these Blue Heron Nexus communities is that each home is
topped off with high-performance spray foam. 

Blue Heron brought
MAC Roofing Services on board to install spray polyurethane foam (SPF)
roofing on its homes at Lake Las Vegas. A leading spray foam roofing
contractor, MAC Roofing has served the region for decades and has roofed
some of its most high-profile homes and projects with SPF.

“Our
Nexus communities and homes stand out for their architectural
significance, adding lasting value and influence to Lake Las Vegas,”
added Beucler. “We’ve incorporated flat roofs with parapets on our homes
at Lake Las Vegas for important reasons. It allows us to extend higher
with our ceilings and the flat roofs leave the incredible 360-degree
views unobstructed to our residents with Skydeck lounge areas.”

Rare but Practical Use

With
many roofing options to consider, Chuck Kruse, owner of MAC Roofing
Services, emphasized the benefits of spray foam roofing while assessing
the project.

“It is rare to see spray foam roofing used to this
scale on so many homes within large communities here in Vegas,” Kruse
said. “However, it shouldn’t be. Spray foam simply outperforms other
options. It is also low maintenance and is the most sustainable roofing
option available, period.”

Kruse initially linked up with Blue
Heron in 2007, when the two companies began working together on The New
American Home, which, after completion, was featured during the 2009
International Builders Show. Blue Heron had been looking for an
insulating, earth-friendly, low-waste, and cost-effective roofing
material that would differentiate the Blue Heron product from the
competition using cutting-edge design and materials. The two companies
have been working together ever since. 

From the outset, Blue
Heron and MAC Roofing have always sourced their spray foam from
manufacturer Huntsman Building Solutions (HBS) and its legacy line of
companies. 

“The consistency, spray-ability, quality, and
performance of their product [are] undeniable,” said Kruse. “I also
deeply appreciate the company’s ability to deliver product on time every
time, even during periods when unforeseen issues like COVID-19 and the
recent supply chain crisis were wreaking havoc on so many.” 

Blue
Heron’s Lake Las Vegas homes are being delivered in phases. MAC Roofing
began roofing the homes in 2018 and will continue to work on them. The
contractor operates five spray foam crews, one or two of which are
dedicated to the Blue Heron homes on any given week.

“Our buyers
are very happy,” Beucler said. “Our homes are obviously more comfortable
and reduce our residents’ energy bills. On top of that, we never get
callbacks from our buyers for roof repairs. As an unvented roof
assembly, our buyers can add solar arrays with less interference from
rooftop obstructions. There are no leaks and no issues. It’s fantastic.”

New Innovations

This
year, Huntsman Building Solutions introduced Ultralok 2.8, a
new-generation roofing spray foam with exceptional performance and
critical industry certifications. Like its Foam-Lok predecessor (which
it will eventually replace), it dramatically reduced environmental
impacts.  

“We are using HBS Foam Lok 2800 HFO spray foam roofing
on these homes,” added Kruse. “We have been using this particular foam
regularly for the past several years. The cell structure is exceptional,
yield is good, and the skin is smooth and non-friable. Additionally,
all of our clients appreciate that it’s certified for low global warming
potential and is a zero-ozone depleting system.”

As is true of all spray foam roofing systems, coatings are essential for added protection and performance.

“ThermoFlex
1500 HT is our chosen coating for these projects because, as can be
said of Blue Heron’s homes, it stands in a league all its own,” added
Kruse. “White is typically the most popular color with SPF due to its
reflectivity, but in this case, we are using the Standard Huntsman Tan
color to comply with the Design Review Boards, which govern the
reflectivity of roofing. There’s also no other coating that can compare
to the way this one holds on and stays in place, especially on parapet
walls.”