Lagoon Towers Condos

Metal roof panels give condos new protection in wake of historic hurricane

Forecasters initially thought Hurricane Michael would hit Florida’s panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, as a Category 2 storm – certainly a threat, but nothing the Gulf Coast resort area hadn’t seen before. Within just a few hours, however, Michael intensified into a Category 5 event. It made landfall at Mexico Beach, Fla., with 155 mph winds that devastated much in their path. More than 480 buildings on Tyndall Air Force Base, 12 miles east of Panama City, were destroyed, along with much of Mexico Beach and a good deal of Panama City, itself.

While Panama City Beach, located on a barrier beach across from Panama City, avoided the worst of the storm, many of that community’s resorts took significant hits, including the Lagoon Towers condominium project. That development’s homeowners association soon began a rebuilding effort that lasted 10 months.

Along with façade repairs and dealing with individual units, the association recognized the need for a complete roof replacement across the seven connected buildings that comprise the complex. While challenges were difficult, the choice of roof material was not: because of the area’s exposure to both severe weather and salt spray, aluminum roof panels were the obvious option. The installer, Larry J. Myers Roofing, opted for Snap-Clad panels from Petersen’s PAC-CLAD lineup for the job.

In all, roughly 15,000 sq. ft. of the panels in .032-gauge aluminum were used in the reroofing effort, finished in Interstate Blue, a signature color that closely matched what had previously been in place. Snap-Clad panels feature a continuous interlock for added strength, along with a 30-year, non-prorated finish warranty, which will help ensure that vibrant blue will maintain its good looks over decades – and storms – to come.