Case Study: ColorGard® by S-5! – Latrobe Elementary School

ColorGard®, the ultimate snow guard solution for standing seam metal roofs is mounted on the eaves of more than 18,000 square feet of roof panels.

The project

Latrobe Elementary School is a state-of-the-art facility featuring two-story classroom wings, a cafeteria with a stage, full-prep kitchen, gymnasium, media center, science and technology classrooms, band/music rooms, a center for student creativity, administrative offices and support spaces designed to serve nearly 700 students. 

Located outside of Pittsburgh in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the school is within easy driving distances of several popular ski areas, and the building’s design, by Monroeville, Pennsylvania-based Axis Architecture, intentionally mirrors the feel of its surroundings with a Swiss chalet theme in its roofline. 

ColorGard® by S-5!, the ultimate snow guard solution for standing seam metal roofs is mounted on the eaves of more than 18,000 square feet of Petersen’s Tite-Loc Plus roof panels in a distinct, custom marquis orange finish, which emphasizes the angled gables. The 22-gauge panels, along with 3,800 square feet of .032 gauge PAC-750 soffit, complement the classic terra cotta-toned brick that clads the upper two-thirds of the school’s façade.

Roofing contractor, Pennsylvania Roofing Systems selected Petersen’s products because of their excellent local representation and field support, including S-5! distributor Brock Associates. Petersen, based in the Chicago area, has been a distributor of S-5! products for nearly 30 years; Brock Associates, based in Pittsburgh, is an authorized Petersen dealer and formed the metal roof panel profiles in their local shop.

The challenge

Pennsylvania Roofing Systems faced quite a challenge on this project as the acoustical deck for half the building was running in the wrong direction. This posed a problem, as attaching the clips for the metal panels would perforate the acoustical deck.

In addition, school administrators were concerned about mounting snow on the new metal roof and the safety of its school children down below.

The solution

PRS fabricated a 16-gauge hat channel installed over the acoustical decking to ensure the correct clip attachment. The roof panels were rolled on the site. Crews also installed 3,800 square feet of .032 gauge PAC-750 soffit.

Material supplier, Brock Associates suggested installing ColorGard snow retention by S-5!  Manufactured from high-tensile, certified aluminum and extensively tested for load-to-failure results, ColorGard controls roof snow migration and dramatically reduces the risks associated with rooftop avalanches.

PRS installed ColorGard on 10 sections of the metal roof. The non-penetrating system was easy to install and complemented the look of the school’s unique marquis orange roof, with a clean appearance and perfect color and finish-matching, all designed to last the life of the roof.

How did S-5! products help? 

• Provided safety measures to both school children and school property

• Eliminated the risk of a voided roof manufacturer warranty―no holes/no damage

• Reduced the amount of product and cost required due to S-5! engineered system capacity

• Provided the aesthetic solution the architect wanted

“We always recommend ColorGard by S-5! as the most reliable snow retention product of its kind on the market. With unsurpassed holding strength, S-5! ColorGard is a tested, trusted and engineered product that performs for the life of the roof.” – Lisa Olson, Metal Products Coordinator, Brock Associates.

Project information

Customer: Greater Latrobe School District 

Location: Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Industry: Education

Supplier: Petersen Aluminum Corporation & Brock Associates

Architect: Axis Architecture

Engineer: Pyramid Engineering

General Contractor: The Foreman Group

Roofing Contractor: Pennsylvania Roofing Systems

Roof Profile: 2” 180-degree mechanically seamed “Tite-Loc Plus” Pac-Clad (70% PVDF prefinished), panel width 16”

Project stats

• Number of roofs: 10 sections of roof

• Used S-5! ColorGard snow retention system

  • 800 linear feet unpunched ColorGard

• S-5-V Clamp (605)

• VersaClip (605)

• SnoClip II (605)

Learn more about S-5! in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory.