The Magdalena Grand Beach Resort is nestled in the tropical Tobago Plantations Estate, a 750-acre gated community of luxury Tobago suites, villas, condos and bungalows around the 18-hole Tobago Plantations PGA-designed Championship Tobago golf course in Lowlands, Tobago, West Indies. The property offers 178 deluxe oceanfront king and double-double rooms plus 22 one- and two-bedroom suites with personal Jacuzzis. Situated along 2 1/2 miles of beach and coastline, the grounds offer nature trails and canopy walks through a virgin mangrove forest at one of the finest Tobago resorts.
The resort is a traditional colonial style building on a dramatic outcrop of coral looking south and east to the Atlantic and Scarborough, the capital town of the island. The W-shaped hotel mimics the wings of the Frigate Bird that flies over this area of coastline, and the design allows each of the 200 hotel rooms to enjoy a view of the sea.
Saltwater Corrosion Shuts Resort
The beach and coastline, while a major part of the resort’s attraction, is also one of its worse enemies. Saltwater corrosion had taken its toll on this resort on the Caribbean Sea, forcing the complex to shut down for repairs two years ago. Private owners had walked away from the project, unable to shoulder the responsibility for restoration. The government of Trinidad and Tobago, through its industry ministry, had taken over the property when it was finally shuttered.
Under the direction of E TecK, an arm of the Ministry of Trade of Trinidad and Tobago, the government undertook the complete repair, renovation and refurbishment of the hotel. First phase was replacing a saltwater-corroded existing 160,000-square-foot, 24-gauge painted Galvalume roof, which was installed only five years before. Mechanical systems had suffered too.
Different Materials Considered
E tecK took over the property and started to plan renovations for the roof and other infrastructure components of the property. Initially, officials issued specifications for 160,000 square feet of copper roof, but was shelved when it was learned what the cost would be. The government also considered and ruled out a coated steel roof-the same material that had succumbed to the salt air and water. Finally, working with consultants and a local roofing contractor, Robert Costelloe of Arima-based Lifetime Solutions, the government agreed to a Kynar-coated 0.04-aluminum standing seam roof,
“Starting with the material itself, we needed a robust system that would stand up to the elements,” says Costelloe. “Not only to the salt air and water but to high winds as well.” Costelloe notes the project went smoothly, coming in on time and budget in 145 days.
Aluminum the Choice
Officials chose Perth Amboy, N.J.-based Englert‘s Series 2000 1 3/4-inch snap lock standing seam system made from 0.040-aluminum with a 70 percent Kynar 500 costing in Englert Slate Blue, specifically to stand up to salt corrosion. The aluminum itself was only part of the solution to prevent future corrosion and any damage from wind uplift. The installer conducted a site specific engineering analysis to determine clip spacing at a specified number of feet throughout the roof area and especially around the eaves and ridge areas that were most susceptible to high wind.
Fascias were wrapped with peel and stick all the way up to the ridge. The resort also chose the Englert Series 2000 profile because of its Miami-Dade and Florida Building Code ratings to withstand Category Five hurricane wind uplift conditions. Clips profile were installed 6-inch on-center for the first 2 feet and 8-inch on-center for the balance. The entire roof structure was removed and new material installed in small segments to avoid exposure to rain and ocean saltwater. A self-adhering ice-and-water shield underlayment was applied to a new 3/4-inch-thick marine-pressure plywood deck.
Panels Made On-site
The new panels were manufactured on-site on rollforming equipment housed in a temporary factory. Grade 316 stainless steel UL 90 clips with Grade 316 stainless steel fasteners were used for the panel installation. To avoid any future issues with the harsh marine climate and to avoid any issues with galvanic corrosion, the project management team required that stainless steel cleats nuts and bolts be soaked in acetone to guard against ferrous contaminants from weld cutting used in making custom cleats.
In addition to the main resort complex, 15 smaller buildings including a security station, restaurant and dive shop were also renovated using the new Englert standing seam system. Much of the work on these separate buildings required custom cutting and forming of very intricate, metal gingerbread designs. The roofing company also took on several other contracting assignments including the rebuilding of the resort’s porte-cochere and its roof, a bridge over an outdoor pool and other general restorations.
In the nearly two years since the project was completed Costelloe reports the roofs are in excellent condition. “Magdalena Resort really looks great and today is the most popular tourist destination on the island,” he reports. Meanwhile, Lifetime Roofing’s submittal of the Magdalena Resort project was a finalist in the category for innovative solutions in reroofing in the National Roofing Contractors Gold Circle Awards.
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Tony Delfino has more than 25 years of experience in the metal roofing industry and currently serves as Englert’s senior representative in Florida and the Caribbean. To learn more, visit www.englertinc.com.