Foam Goes Honky-Tonk

Spray Foam Magazine – Show Issue 2025 – If there’s one thing John Ewell of DFW Urethanes has learned, it’s that it takes a certain amount of ruggedness to make it anywhere in Texas. Ewell has worked in the SPF and roofing industry since 1981, yet he still finds himself impressed by spray foam’s toughness and ability to withstand the test of time. He and his team witnessed this firsthand when they recoated the 100,000-sq.-ft. roof deck at Billy Bob’s Texas and saw that the original SPF installed back in 1981 had lasted for 43 years without a single leak. They were impressed yet determined to beat that record with the newly installed roof system. Soon, the world’s largest honky-tonk would have a roof deck covered with Everest Systems’ 3lb High Density SPF combined with Everest Systems’ High Tensile (HT) acrylic elastomeric coating.

The year they opened was the same year Billy Bob’s commissioned Clayton Pool from Pool Insulation to replace their constantly leaking tar roof with an SPF system. Aside from a recoat in 2000, Pool’s initial SPF application was enough to protect the roof deck for nearly half a decade. Still, in 2023, the ever-proactive decision makers at Billy Bob’s knew they were due to reassess the roof. They contacted Pool, who referred them to DFW Urethane.

“Clayton called me up and asked if we could talk to the folks at Billy Bob’s, because they were thinking they might have to tear the roof off and completely replace it,” Ewell recalls.

Both men knew a full roof replacement shouldn’t be necessary, and that using SPF was the most economical option for a building that size. Billy Bob’s executives trusted Pools’ judgement after seeing how long the previous SPF roofing system he’d installed for them had held up, and they hired Ewell to lead the project. Pool is in his eighties now, but slowing down is not in his nature. He and his team joined Ewell at the honky-tonk to revamp the same roof he himself had sprayed all those years ago.

For Billy Bob’s, maintaining a well-sealed roof deck is vital not only to prevent leaks, but to give their squadron of HVAC units a leg up in the never-ending battle against the sweltering Texas temperatures. Given its sheer size, the venue must run its HVAC units 24/7 to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature for its 6,000-plus attendees. The SPF roof system insulates the structure, stopping conditioned air from escaping and preventing the HVAC units from overworking into oblivion.

In June 2023, Ewell and Pool assembled their respective teams and a caravan of rigs before heading down to Billy Bob’s Texas, where they’d spend the next three months installing Everest Systems closed-cell SPF and elastomeric coating to the top of its 400-foot long roof deck.

To begin, they first removed 25% of the old foam. Ewell went around with a moisture meter to get a sense of the old foam’s integrity. He found that most of the wooden roof deck underneath was in excellent condition, with only a few spots of minor damage where moisture had collected between the roof and the SPF layer. He and his team easily dried and repaired the damaged spots and made note to install vents to prevent this issue from recurring in the future. After ensuring the roof deck was dried, cleaned, and primed, they were ready to foam.

While wearing standard PPE like gloves, masks, and eye protection, the sprayers applied an inch-and-a-half layer of Everest 3lb High Density closed-cell foam combined with four applications of Everest Systems High Tensile (HT) acrylic elastomeric coating. They used a Gusmer H-20/35 proportioner and a Graco GX-7 gun for most of the work, switching over to a Graco Fusion gun to tackle any details that demanded a lighter touch. To accommodate the foot traffic going into the venue, they propped each 25-foot hose up on scaffolding to avoid blocking the sidewalk. Although they were working atop the roof, they were never in any danger of falling thanks to a parapet around the roof’s perimeter.

Recoating the roof was the primary objective, but Ewell saw other enhancements they could make to further extend its lifespan. For example, he had his team foam the roof’s 10-ft. tall mezzanine wall after noticing it was completely uninsulated. Chad Ewell worked alongside Dixon Engineering to determine the best area to install emergency overflow drains. To help with drainage, they sloped the SPF around all the drains, thus preventing water from pooling on the roof by diverting it away.

During the foaming process, Billy Bob’s executives decided to hire a contractor to re-route all the HVAC units’ condensation lines and asked the sprayers to foam around the pipes while they were at it. Covering the condensation pipes was a great idea, because it cuts down on moisture drips and rectifies a decades-old tripping hazard. DFW Urethane went a step further and installed a path of Yellow Spaghetti walk pads around the units.

“HVAC technicians are always up there fixing the units, and that heavy foot traffic causes a lot of wear and tear over time,” he explains. “The walk paths add an extra dimension of toughness.”

When it’s toughness you’re after, foam is the answer, and that’s why Spray Foam Magazine chose the Billy Bob’s Texas roof recoat as the Contractor of the Year Notable Project. John Ewell of DFW Urethane and Clayton Pool of Pool Insulation combined their decades of experience with SPF roofing systems to give Billy Bob’s Texas the roof makeover of a lifetime. No matter how much rocking and rolling happens on the dance floor below, the roof deck above can take the heat — and then some.