Marco Tower is the only hurricane shelter on Isle of Capri, Florida. Among their many requirements, including superior watertight protection from severe weather, the condominium association wanted a highly-reflective "green" roof system to help reduce energy costs.
The existing roof was a concrete surface, which was re-covered annually with elastomeric coatings. This was very dangerous due to the slope of the roof, and costly. The surface needed to be recoated because concrete is porous, and after years of absorbing rainwater, it deteriorates. Also, thermal expansion and contraction can create cracks that compromise the roof’s ability to shed water. In the case of Marco Tower, these thermal forces plus A/C discharge also negatively affected the integrity of the elastomeric coating.
The building was having constant roof leaks and the yearly budget to maintain the roof amounted to 20% of the cost of a new system. Also, insurance companies were planning to drop coverage for residents if a waterproof solution could not be achieved.
Typical pitched roof solutions were not viable for this project because of the concrete deck, which rules out the ability to fasten traditional shingle, tile, and metal roofing products. These are designed to be installed over a wood substrate. Also, the roof has pyramid geometric shapes and pitch variations that most roof systems cannot easily accommodate.
The mechanically-fastened Duro-Last single-ply thermoplastic roofing system, installed by Kelly Roofing of Naples, Florida, can be effectively attached to concrete roof decks with appropriate fasteners that are specifically made for such projects, providing high wind resistance. The Marco Tower installation meets the Miami-Dade building code, the most stringent in the United States with respect to wind resistance. In addition, the white roofing membrane is highly-reflective, and will provide energy savings and other "green" benefits. For example, the roofing system was manufactured in Duro-Last's Jackson, Mississippi plant to fit the building specifications precisely, which eliminated jobsite waste during the installation.
In addition to providing a long-term fix to this building’s leak problems and reducing energy costs, the roofing system installed by Kelly Roofing delivered other benefits to Marco Tower. It eliminated problems that occurred when A/C discharge would eat through and destroy the old elastomeric roof coating. The new vinyl roof membrane is impervious to A/C discharge. In addition, Kelly Roofing installed new A/C units on hurricane stands to prevent blow-off and improve wind resistance.
For safety, Kelly Roofing installed anchor points for access to all peaks so anyone needing access to any part of the roof could be fitted with a full body arrest system in case of fall. Kelly also provided a personal harness for the on-site manager for his personal protection.
Kelly Roofing had preformed a roof replacement on a neighboring building in 2005 – La Peninsula – after hurricane Wilma tore off its tile roof system. For this installation, Kelly installed a Duro-Last system because of its high wind resistance. Representatives from Marco Towers watched the process and contacted Kelly about roofing solutions for their own building.
In preparation for their initial meeting with Marco Tower's condo board and property manager, Kelly Roofing worked with the Duro-Last engineering services department to create a fully designed and engineered roof system drawing with full specifications. This helped show the anchor points, wind uplift values, and system integration, demonstrating how the Duro-Last system would be the best solution for this application.
Because 85% of the Duro-Last roof system is manufactured in ideal factory conditions and not assembled on the rooftop by the contractor, the on-site installation process took only two weeks, rather than four to six weeks, which is typical for traditional roofs of this size and complexity. The building manager is particularly satisfied with this installation because he no longer has to brave the old, slick, coated concrete roof to look for leaks after it rains.
Since its completion, the Marco Tower roofing project has been featured in Florida Forum magazine, a roofing publication for the state of Florida, and Kelly Roofing has received a number of other jobs because of the building's high profile throughout Isle of Capri and Marco Island.
