Replacement roof gives new life to resort in the wake of Hurricane Sally

September 2020’s Hurricane Sally hit Alabama’s Gulf Coast as a Category 2 event – significantly stronger than the tropical storm it was expected to be – dumping up to 20 in. of rain and wreaking significant damage in its path. Though it packed wind speeds of 105-plus mph, the storm, itself, moved through the region at a snail-like 3- to 4-mph pace, giving it plenty of time to send boats well onto shore and shear off roofs from beachfront resorts.

The SeaChase Condominiums was among a number of properties that had to close its doors to guests for months in the storm’s wake, so property managers could get repairs made efficiently without having to worry about working around vacationers. The roofs on the three high-rise towers making up the resort were particularly badly hit. However, in May 2021 the resort was ready to open its doors to tourists and by September the roofs were completely restored, featuring angled parapets clad in standing-seam metal roof panels in a copper finish that create a signature flourish along Orange Beach’s sandy coast.

The roof-replacement team, including architects from the Maitland, Fla., firm of Charlan Brock Associates and installation pros from Houston-based Sendero Commercial Roofing, turned to Petersen for the standing-seam metal panels. Specifiers opted for Petersen’s PAC-CLAD Tite-Loc Plus panels – a total of 22,033 sq. ft. of them in a copper penny finish. Tite-Loc Plus panels combine structural performance with architectural appeal and are field-seamed to a 180° lock for added protection in high-wind settings. Specifiers also opted for .040-gauge aluminum to better stand up to the salt spray the roof is exposed to on a daily basis.