Silverthorne Fire Station Set to Open with Comprehensive Snow Retention System for Metal Roof

When Summit Fire & EMS in Summit County, Colorado holds the grand opening of Station 10 in Silverthorne on June 4th, there likely won't be snow on the ground. However, the roof of the new structure is ready for when the seasons change and Summit County experiences its annual yearly average of 264 inches of snowfall.*

Installed by Harpel Builders out of Denver, the main roof system that holds dozens of long solar panels is a 16-inch wide New Tech Machinery SS 200 two-inch mechanical double lock medium bronze standing seam metal roof with some additional smaller Carlisle TPO roof sections. It's part of the building structure designed by Short Elliot Hendrickson, Inc. housing an ambulance, fire engine, and a new wildfire engine.

"The roof design we received simply called for 'a snow retention system' but didn't have a particular product specified," says Nicholas Scatuorchio, president of Harpel Builders. "In situations like this, we send the plans to Rocky Mountain Snow Guards to have their experts review them and make snow retention recommendations. We use this free service often and they always make the process trouble-free."

Fire Station Snow Retention System

For Station 10 in Silverthorne, the recommendation came back to install an S-5!® ColorGard Bar-Style Punched Clamp-to-Seam snow retention system. Attached to the metal standing seam panels with S-5!® V clamps, the system also used a Color Strip in medium bronze inserted into the front slot of the ColorGard crossmember to complement the color of the roof.

Silverthorne Fire - ColorGard Bar with V Clamps

To impede the migration of snow and ice beneath the crossmembers, the team at Harpel Builders installed more than 10 dozen S-5! ® SnoClip™ III's, an accessory component for the ColorGard bar snow retention system. "Installation went great for all the products," says Scatuorchio. "The SnoClips are installed at 16 inches on center, one per every panel. This ensures uniformity for the snow retention.

"Overall, Rocky Mountain Snow Guards' products are very easy to install and look great on the roof. Most importantly, I believe they will be very successful for this fire station structure in helping prevent snow avalanching from the roof."

In addition, heat tape in the gutter and up the seams assists in the removal of snow and ice buildup. And, for the protection of the roof, lightning wiring was installed along the roof's edge.

Located at 26300 Blue River Parkway, the new Silverthorne fire station will be the fifth Summit Fire & EMS Station. This new station will respond to events in Silverthorne, north of town and toward the Grand County line, including U.S. Forest Service lands.

*According to Summit County Snow Report in On the Snow.