Damage from Hurricane Irma forces Florida condo to replace entire roof

Marco Island, off the southwest coast of Florida, offers plenty of sandy beaches to attract both vacationers and year-round residents. It’s also somewhat sheltered by the curving arm of the Florida Keys to its south, so it rarely takes a hit from the Gulf Coast’s frequent hurricanes. This wasn’t the case in September 2017, though, when Hurricane Irma blew through. Irma made direct landfall over the island as a Category 3 storm, with 130 mph winds that severely damaged a number of structures, including Habitat at Hideaway Beach, a luxury condominium project, which required a complete roof replacement.

The project posed challenges for the roofing pros at West Coast Florida Enterprises, based in Fort Myers, Fla. Not only did the existing roof need replacement, so did the decking. And the roofs on the development’s multiple buildings all include multiple connecting gables, so flashing and other details were critical to protecting structures and residents for decades to come.

West Coast Florida Enterprises, along with the local general contracting firm RR Restoration, opted for Snap-Clad roofing panels from Petersen’s line of PAC-CLAD products for both their appearance and the company’s warranty. In all, 120,000 sq. ft. of the .032-gauge aluminum panels were ordered in a Bone White finish – steel is also an option, but aluminum is the preferred choice in a saltwater environment.

Snap-Clad standing-seam panels offer a number of advantages for projects like the Habitat condominiums. They incorporate architectural aesthetics that such high-end developments require, along with structural performance – their continuous interlock creates the wind resistance that’s so important along Florida’s hurricane-prone Gulf Coast. Plus, the products’ concealed-fastener clip system allows for thermal expansion and contraction – an important factor in sunny Florida – while also providing extraordinary hold-down strength.