Zinsser shines a light on Smeaton's Tower

As any developer knows, buildings on the coast can present a number of challenges, with saltwater, sand, wind and rain leaving new paintwork looking worn and tired after just a few years. Smeaton’s Tower, an 87ft Grade I listed lighthouse on the coast of Devon is one of the South West’s most well-known landmarks and was in desperate need of a facelift.

What was needed

BLKC Contractors arranged a site visit from Zinsser’s Business Development & Specification Manager, Daren Rothwell, who recommended Zinsser AllWeather Exterior Masonry Paint, a product that does exactly as its title suggests: it works in all weather conditions by outperforming regular paint in rain and very cold weather.

Why BLKC Contractors chose Zinsser

Zinsser AllWeather is an innovative exterior masonry system that keeps buildings looking bright and beautiful for up to 15 years. This clever paint is easy to apply and can be used all year around. It’s self-priming, shower-proof in 20 minutes and dries in temperatures as low as -5°C, saving customers both time and money.

What we did

Prep

Before beginning the redecoration, all surfaces needed to be clean, dry and free from anything that would interfere with paint adhesion. All bare and filled areas that have had the existing coating removed was patch primed with a coat of Zinsser Peel Stop®, a clear, flexible bridging sealer, perfect for surfaces where peeling, flaking, dusting or chalking is a problem.

Prime

• Peel Stop® tightly bonds to old paint and problem areas forming a sound surface for new paint. Peel Stop® forms a tough acrylic film that stays flexible and helps prevent peeling by letting moisture escape. Peel Stop® will also withstand high alkaline substrates, so can be applied directly onto potential lime driven substrates.
• Any remaining stains were also spot primed with two full coats of Zinsser Cover Stain®, an interior and exterior primer, sealer, stain sealer and bond coat that dries for recoat in only two hours. Stains of all kinds are permanently sealed so topcoats are blemish free.

Decorate

Once all prep was complete, Smeaton’s Tower was painted in bold red and white stripes with Zinsser AllWeather paint, which can be matched to any RAL / BS or NCS colour reference.

The interiors

Inside the tower received the Zinsser treatment too, with a fresh coat of Zinsser Grade 1, which is specifically formulated to tackle problems associated with traditional and historic buildings, including high pH levels, staining, chalky surfaces, and issues like distemper and lime plaster, whilst being moisture permeable preventing the finish from flaking or cracking.

Grade 1 is great for surfaces that conventional paints won’t adhere to, and it is washable making it very hard wearing. It has all the benefits of a modern coating and with the flat matt finish of a traditional chalk-based paint, which is in keeping with a building of this type.

The results

The colours are guaranteed to look impressive for years to come thanks to the product’s excellent colour retention and ability to resist moisture and alkali attack. It also contains a biocide to protect against mould and mildew.