Building back better

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how a local contractor did more than just repair the damage caused by an EF3-rated tornado. 

In March 2021, a massive storm made its way through fifteen states, traveling from the Great Lakes region to the Deep South. With winds peaking around 165 miles per hour, Little Rock, Arkansas experienced a series of tornadoes. This caused a lot of damage to buildings and structures in the area, including the Bale Chevrolet.  

The three metal buildings that make up the dealership, the showroom and service center, the body shop and the commercial sales center were hit pretty hard. Doors and fixtures were damaged, flying debris broke windows and damaged cars on the lot. But, probably most overwhelming, was the damage to the roof. HVAC units were moved, the dealership's sign was torn off its pole and the roof itself was badly damaged. Riley Hays of Riley Hays Roofing and Construction described the aftermath to Roofing Magazine, saying, “Several panels were peeled back like the pop tops on Coke cans. Coping caps were peeled off. Debris thrown by the wind had cut the roof. There were large voids throughout.” 

The locally owned dealership contacted their insurance provider for advice, which got them started with a temporary fix using products like the Seal-Fast Repair Hero fiber-reinforced sealant from Mule-Hide Products Co. This allowed the business to keep running temporarily, but they knew that just repairing the roof was not enough. That’s where Riley Hays Roofing and Construction came in. The local company was able to recover the roofs by using a new single-ply system, also from Mule-Hide. This solution was more affordable than replacing the entire roof, but still came with new warranties. Further, it could be done with minimal disruption to the buildings’ operations and offered better insulation, lowering overall costs for heating and cooling the buildings! 

Riley’s team was able to get out there four months after the tornado and complete the project in only six weeks. Riley shared, “It was a great project for us, everyone ended up happy... They’re a fourth-generation business that has been around since 1912. They showed loyalty to someone local who also is a customer of theirs. They trusted me with a lot of money and a lot of issues.” And he and his team delivered!  

Learn more about the project and the powerful benefits of Mule-Hide's 60-mil Standard TPO that was used on it here!