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Time To Paint Cape Lookout National Seashore Lighthouse

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A fresh coating of paint is coming to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse/NPS

Three hurricanes, bright sunshine, and damp salty air can do a number on exterior paint. And seeing as it's been 11 years since the lighthouse at Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina has been painted, the decision to repaint it in the coming weeks shouldn't be surprising.

Cape Lookout Superintendent Pat Kenney says the exterior brick masonry of the lighthouse tower was last painted in 2004. 

"The existing exterior paint is at the end of its life cycle due to the harsh weather environment and followed by three recent hurricanes, Irene, Sandy and Arthur, has furthered caused the paint to fail, exposing the brick to moisture and deterioration," a seashore release said. "After Hurricane Sandy (in 2012), the park submitted and received the funds to repaint the lighthouse." 

Working closely with the National Park Service Historic Preservation Center in Maryland, Amidon Contracting Solutions from Wake Forest, North Carolina, was selected as the project prime contractor.  H.I.S. Painting from Titusville, Florida, is the sub-contractor performing the painting work.  H.I.S Painting has extensive high elevation painting experience, having worked with Cape Hatteras National Seashore and NASA to paint a variety of tower structures in Florida. 

The painting crew is made-up of two painters and two ground tenders. The project scheduled to be completed by the end of April, weather permitting.

The park will remain open during the project; however, the immediate area of the lighthouse will be closed to the public as all existing loose, peeling, and flaking paint is being removed to a smooth and paintable surface. A new paint coating, an exact match to the existing black-and-white diamond pattern visible on the lighthouse'™s exterior, will be applied. 

At this time the lighthouse is still planning to open to the public on May 12th for scheduled climbs. 

 

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