Silver Legacy Dome Restoration

From sun-faded to storm-ready. A complete dome restoration and repaint delivered entirely on rope, 180 feet above active hotel towers.

Rope-Access Repaint of a Reno Landmark

When the iconic Silver Legacy Dome started to fade, traditional contractors backed out. The structure is 180 feet across, sits above multiple hotel towers, and can’t be reached by lifts or scaffold. BASE Painters did what others wouldn’t: engineered a full rope-access repaint while the casino stayed open below.

The project covered more than 76,000 sq ft of curved fiberglass panels, restored gloss and protection in full sunlight exposure, and earned national recognition from CoatingsPro Magazine for technical achievement.

Project Overview:

Client: Silver Legacy Resort Casino

Location: Reno, Nevada

Structure Type: Composite Dome

Diameter: 180 ft

Scope: Full exterior restoration — wash, prep, primer, topcoat

System: Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond Primer + Sher-Loxane 800

Access Method: Rope Access

Duration: 3 Months

Crew Size: 4–8 Painters

Dome Restoration Painting Challenges

Repainting the Silver Legacy Dome meant solving access, exposure, and operational constraints all at once. The structure’s 2,133 fiberglass panels had faded unevenly under years of Nevada sun, creating a massive prep and coating challenge across a curved surface with no flat footing. No aerial lift or scaffold system could safely reach the highest elevations, and wind patterns over the casino towers made conventional staging impossible. All work had to happen while three hotels and a full casino remained open below, requiring controlled rigging, zero debris release, and complete discretion. Adding to the complexity, the project took place under COVID-19 precautions, forcing detailed planning around crew size, sequencing, and daily onsite safety compliance.

Surface prep at full exposure. Rope access keeps us locked in and working where equipment can’t go.

Execution: Precision at Every Height

BASE began by pressure-washing and mapping all 2,133 fiberglass panels using drone footage and onsite inspection to identify UV damage, seam transitions, and areas requiring extra prep. With no way to stage lifts or scaffolding, the crew engineered a full rope-access system anchored to structurally verified points, allowing painters to traverse the dome in controlled descent while maintaining 100% tie-off. Once cleaned and profiled, each section received Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond Primer followed by two coats of Sher-Loxane 800, a hybrid polysiloxane chosen for gloss retention and thermal durability on curved composite surfaces. Spray lines and gear were rope-managed to keep all equipment off the roof, and every coating zone was tracked for mil thickness, cure windows, and weather conditions before advancing. Rigging was inspected twice daily, work continued under COVID-restricted crew rotations, and casino operations remained fully open the entire three-month project. The result: a complete dome restoration executed entirely on rope, with no scaffolding, no heavy equipment, and no disruption to guests below.

Results

The finished dome now carries a uniform, high-gloss silver finish designed to withstand the next decade of UV exposure and thermal cycling. More than 76,000 square feet of aging fiberglass was washed, primed, and coated without a single safety incident or guest disruption — a testament to disciplined rope-access planning and coatings execution. Drone inspection confirmed full coverage and consistent mil thickness across all elevations, including the upper crown where no lift could reach. The restoration earned national recognition from CoatingsPro Magazine for technical achievement, positioning the project as a benchmark in high-access architectural coating. For the client, the results go beyond appearance: the dome is now fully protected, visually renewed, and still operationally invisible — exactly how specialty coatings work should be delivered.

Industrial coating where access is the real challenge solved with rope and the right system.

In the Spotlight

Featured in CoatingsPro Magazine: "Under the Reno Sun: Coating the Silver Legacy Dome.”

National recognition for rope-access innovation and coating craftsmanship.

Talk to BASE Painters

When your venue requires Stadium Painting or high-access coating completed safely, efficiently, and with precision, you need a contractor trusted by some of America’s most iconic structures.

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