This article appeared in Architectural West January/February 2018
Timeless Beauty
Clay Tile Roof Saves Time & Money in Huntington Beach, California
by Ali Turner, editorial assistant
With ten miles of uninterrupted beaches, it’s no wonder that Huntington Beach, California, is known as Surf City USA® . Vacationers and surfing enthusiasts flock to the ocean-side destination for its relaxed feel, modern style, and beautiful scenery. Huntington Beach has the best to offer of Southern California by mixing the exciting pulse of the city center with the natural beauty of the coastline. The climate is generally sunny and dry, but an occasional fusion of cool ocean air and warm land air creates an alluringly beautiful fog over the beach town.
Coupled with the natural beauty of the coast, Huntington Beach’s architecture stands alone as a prominent fixture of elegance. There’s a mixture of Mediterranean, Spanish, and contemporary architecture that draws upon the varied influences and heritages of the area throughout history. An aerial view of the Southern California destination shows a mix of beaches and marinas, as well as homes and businesses displaying beautiful clay tile roofs, a popular pick for coastal locations. Within the roofing and architectural industries, clay tile is known for its elegance, efficiency, and durability. Clay tile carries an extensive history, dating back many thousands of years. The roofing material has basically been around as long as people have been putting structures together for shelter. Innovations and improvements to clay tile over time have allowed the material to continue to be a homeowner and designer favorite.
The Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort stands out among the Huntington Beach coastline as a premier accommodation for those seeking luxurious comfort as well as the many diverse activities the Southern California destination has to offer. Recently, however, the upscale hotel was in need of an updated roof that would be able to withstand the harsh salt intrusion that typically comes along with a coveted seaside location. When it came time to discuss roofing options, clay tile was the clear winner. For a town as beautiful as seaside Huntington Beach, other roofing options were not going to be able to provide as stunning of an option as clay tile.
MCA® Clay Roof Tile, Corona, California, is a leader in the clay roof tile production industry. They are known for their high quality products, which are made to stand up against the harshest elements, as well as providing end results that are cost effective without sacrificing functionality and beauty. When it came to providing the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort with a stylish, affordable, and high-quality roof, MCA Clay Tile was the only manufacturer that had products that could rise to the challenge. Courtney Roofing, Inc., Irvine, California, was the roofing contractor on the project while Davis Reed Construction, San Diego, California, served as the accompanying construction team. WATG, Irvine, California, an architectural firm that specializes in integrated and luxury projects, worked closely with MCA, Courtney Roofing, and Davis Reed Construction to complete the upscale resort’s final look.
The resort had a few pieces of important criteria that needed to be met with the roofing project. First, the installation method needed to be efficient and reduce the cost of labor. Second, the hotel’s location meant that the roofing product needed to be able to withstand occasional seismic activity as well as salt intrusion. Third, the resort roof had a non-nailable deck, which limited the type of installation to either a twisted wire-tie system or an adhesive system. With a twisted wire-tie system, each tile is individually twisted on a wire, which ends up being a time-consuming process that can quickly raise labor costs. With an adhesive system, foam is easily sprayed directly on the deck and/or on the tile, ultimately cutting labor time and costs.
Thankfully, MCA’s clay roofing products, as well as their chosen adhesive material, was able to provide the Hilton WaterfrontBeach Resort with the peace of mind needed for this challenging location. Their One Piece “S” Mission clay tile combines cost savings with a fantastic array of colors, allowing customers to truly get the final product they desire. By combining the two piece system into a single piece, design professionals that use MCA’s single-piece system are able to beautifully cover an entire roof using fewer tiles, which effectively saves money and installation time. MCA’s One Piece “S” Mission clay tile is also well known in the area among other commercial and residential locations. “While being the standard clay roof tile of choice for many high-profile property owners in the Southern California area, it remains very competitively priced,” said Lonnie Page, estimator, Courtney Roofing, Inc.
Another notable piece of information about the project was the use of ICP’s Polyset® AH-160 2 Component Roof Tile Adhesive. This polyurethane adhesive adheres each individual tile in place and is a complete solution for concrete or clay roof tile attachment. It can be used without mechanical fasteners, so it won’t puncture the waterproofing membrane or roof deck. When compared to nails, screws, mortar, and wiretie systems, Polyset AH-160 2-Component Roof Tile Adhesive has superior holding power. As an added value, Courtney Roofing’s professional installers benefited from the adhesive system’s ability to increase walkability by 80%. “We used the adhered assembly on this project, but we had to overcome some hurdles in securing approval from the design team using this relatively new assembly,” explained Page. “MCA was very generous and accommodating in offering assistance for onsite mock ups to allow the design team a hands-on inspection of the tile in an adhered application.”
“Often, design and budget are seen as competing values in projects, and you have to choose between them. We help solve that problem by providing solutions, such as our One Piece “S” tile and two-piece eave line options. It’s fantastic that products such as AH-160 exist to help with labor costs in a big way, too,” said Dustin Chin, district sales manager, MCA Clay Roof Tile. By pairing MCA Clay Roof Tile’s One Piece “S” Mission clay tile with ICP’s Polyset AH-160 2-Component Roof Tile Adhesive, the Hilton Waterfront Resort’s new roof has proven highly effective against the harsh ocean-side climate and will continue to add to the beauty of Surf City USA.