3 Nick's Tap Room, Southgate, Mich., is one of three 3 Nick's Bar locations in the Detroit area, including 3 Nick's Bar & Grill, Detroit, and 3 Nick's Scoreboard, Allen Park, Mich. 3 Nick's Tap Room is a popular establishment, featuring large plasma televisions, daily drink and food specials, and various special events.

3 Nick's Tap Room's existing roof system before Wm. Molnar Roofing replaced it

In fall of 2007, Philip Brigandi, 3 Nick's Tap Room's manager, decided he wanted the bar to become more eco-friendly. To fulfill his goal, Brigandi installed light-emitting diode light bulbs, which use 25 percent less electricity than traditional light bulbs and give off no heat. In addition, he installed a Grease Guard® rooftop grease-containment system that absorbs and traps grease and oil emitted from kitchen exhaust fans to prevent the grease and oil from running off the roof, polluting the environment and damaging the roof membrane. However, the most significant change Brigandi implemented was installing a new solar reflective roof system with a solar panel

A recommendation

Brigandi approached Kulick Enterprises Inc., Wyandotte, Mich., and asked the solar energy contractor to install a 6-kilowatt solar system on 3 Nick's Tap Room's existing built-up roof (BUR) system. Kulick Enterprises then entered into a subcontract with Wm. Molnar Roofing Inc., Riverview, Mich., to install the solar equipment on the roof system.

"Initially, we were asked to flash the penetrations for the solar equipment and use our crane to hoist the solar panels to the roof," says Robert Molnar, Wm. Molnar Roofing's estimator and project manager.

However, upon inspecting the existing roof system, Wm. Molnar Roofing noticed some problems.

"The existing roof deck was a Type B steel deck," Molnar says. "About one-third of the 3,000-square-foot roof had deteriorated deck materials that needed to be replaced. On top of the steel deck were two roof systems: a 1 1/2-inch-thick insulated BUR system and a re-cover system consisting of half an inch of insulation and a torch-applied polymer-modified bitumen membrane.

"We estimated the existing roof systems had been in place for much longer than 20 years," Molnar continues. "The existing wood nailers were rotted and needed to be replaced, and some structural rooftop unit supports were deteriorated and needed to be replaced."

Wm. Molnar Roofing told Kulick Enterprises the roof's condition was unsuitable for adding penetrations and flashings, and Kulick Enterprises put the company in contact with Brigandi. Wm. Molnar Roofing recommended Brigandi install a new fully adhered roof system—one that would help achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and ENERGY STAR® criteria—before installing the solar equipment.

A new system

Wm. Molnar Roofing began work on 3 Nick's Tap Room Sept. 17, 2007. The crew's first task was to tear off the existing roof systems.

"We cut the existing roofing materials into 2- by 2-foot squares and set them in our rooftop dump box, which was loaded into our dump truck via crane," Molnar says. "To remove and replace the structurally deficient deck, our workers were tied-off and used gas saws to cut the deck out, and we fastened a new primed steel deck to the existing steel joints with Tec-5 steel deck screws."

Wm. Molnar Roofing then installed a Carlisle SynTec Inc. fully adhered TPO roof system. Two layers of 1 1/2-inch-thick polyisocyanurate insulation with coated screws and galvanized insulation plates were installed, followed by a white 0.045-reinforced TPO membrane in Aqua Base™ 120 Bonding Adhesive.

"We were able to provide Brigandi cost savings on the Aqua Base 120 Bonding Adhesive because we had some left over from a previous project we recently had completed," Molnar says.

Wm. Molnar Roofing also installed shop-fabricated copings for the parapet walls and a gutter and downspouts at the building's north end for drainage.

As part of the roof system installation, Wm. Molnar Roofing installed solar panel supports directly to the roof joists and flashed the penetrations with pipe seals. Kulick Enterprises' solar panels then were hoisted and installed on the supports.

"The solar panel supports are small—only about 3/4 of an inch in diameter," Molnar says. "The pipe seals are available in standard 1- to 6-inch-diameter sizes, so we had Carlisle SynTec specially make us 3/4-inch-diameter pipe seals to fit the panel supports." During the project, all workers were tied-off with safety harnesses and retractable cable systems. A safety monitor was on-site every day, as well. And because of the building's function, Wm. Molnar Roofing only was able to work during certain hours.

Exposed wires in the ceiling

"Because the bar is a popular place and we told Brigandi we would not interfere with his customers and parking lot, we performed the roofing work on a Monday and Tuesday morning," Molnar says. "And we installed the solar panels on a Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to noon. Brigandi was appreciative that his business did not need to close at all during construction."

Cutting edge

3 Nick's Tap Room's new roof system already is proving to be a good investment.

Structural solar panel supports were installed directly to the roof joists, and penetrations were flashed with Carlisle SynTec's custom-made 3/4-inch-diameter pipe seals.

"3 Nick's Tap Room will receive a 30 percent tax credit, which will be between $25,000 and $28,000," says Robert Kulick, Kulick Enterprises' owner. "The solar system has an estimated payback of five years with an estimated savings of at least $10,000 per year." Additionally, Brigandi says many new customers have come to the establishment after hearing about its environmentally conscious efforts. And the bar is being considered by Guinness World Records for inclusion in its next edition as the world's first solar bar. The project proved to be a great experience for Molnar Roofing, as well.

"It was rewarding that we accomplished this through our business connections and marketing campaigns as this was a privately negotiated project," Molnar says. "And the most rewarding aspect of this job was being on the cutting edge of technology."