Montrose, CO – The replacement of the roof to the historic Denver and Rio Grande Depot is scheduled to being early next year after councilors Tuesday awarded funds to the Peak View Roofing company to complete the work.
Councilors voted 5-0 to approve a $71,128 match to go along with a $200,000 grant from the History Colorado State Historical Fund to complete the roof rehabilitation. The city was awarded the grant in August.
The Peak View Roofing company of Colorado Springs is a full-service roofing company that provides services to both residential and commercial clients.
The Denver and Rio Grande Depot, located at 21 North Rio Grande Ave., in downtown was opened in 1912 and served a vital role in the growth of the railroad system in western Colorado and the development of Montrose as a mining community and agricultural transportation hub.
The depot is representative of Mission Style structures built in the United States during the early 20th Century with stucco exterior walls, a red-tiled roof, and open-arcaded corridors, among other features. The one-story building is of a "mission revival" design with its most noticeable feature; its unique tile roof.
The depot’s roof has been plagued with minor leaks for many years in various areas, but over the past five years, problem areas have become more widespread and difficult to address.
The city is seeking to preserve the building by replacing the roof underlayment to address leaking that has caused interior damage and poses a risk to the structural integrity of the building.
Historically, the city has been able to patch many of the more identifiable leaks; however, recently it has become a challenge to locate areas of infiltration. Identifying areas of infiltration can only be accomplished by removing all of the tiles and the original underlayment.
After removal and safe on-site storage of the original tiles and removal of the existing underlayment, the roof structure will be inspected for structural repair needs. Precautions will be taken to cover exposed roof areas with waterproof material while the roofing components are being removed and re-installed. The original undamaged roof tiles will be reinstalled over a modern 30-pound felt roll paper with a modern ice water shield perimeter membrane.
The new underlayment should prevent water infiltration for many years to come. Little roof maintenance is expected to follow the repairs.
The project was designed and went through the city’s competitive bidding process prior to grant application submittal.
During a work session on Sept. 4, Virgil Turner, the city's Director of Innovation and Citizen Engagement, said the Depot was one of the “most significant and important buildings in the history of Montrose.”
The Peak View Roofing company has experience with historic tile roofs, including the roof renovation of Canon National Bank, formerly Canon City’s historic depot that is very similar to the Denver and Rio Grande Depot in Montrose. The company has also completed new tile construction roofs, including a roof at the Broadmoor Hotel Resort in Colorado Springs.
The Denver & Rio Grande Depot in Montrose was completed in 1912 and served as an important transportation hub until the 1950s when passenger service ended. Cargo service ended in 1972 and the building was granted to the City of Montrose.
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