U.S. Coast Guard LORAN Tower Restoration

Tower painting at this scale takes rope access, corrosion control, and the ability to work where equipment can’t.

A Rope-Access Tower Restoration Program Across Five States

During World War II, the United States built one of the most important navigation networks in aviation history: LORAN. The system depended on massive 700-foot steel towers to broadcast long-range radio signals that guided aircraft and ships across entire oceans. Today, several of those structures still stand — historically significant, structurally sound, but far beyond their original coating life. Their fading high-visibility colors, lead-based paint, and decades of environmental exposure made full restoration essential.

The U.S. Coast Guard initiated a multi-state restoration program and required a contractor experienced in true high-elevation Tower Painting, not just conventional telecom or utility work. BASE Painters was selected to complete the rope-access coating scope on five historic LORAN towers across New Jersey, Wyoming, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. Each structure needed complete surface remediation and a full aviation-grade coating system applied at height, with no scaffolding and no lift access.

Project Overview:

Client: U.S. Coast Guard

Location: Multi-state program (NJ, WY, OK, NC, DC)

Structure Type: LORAN radio and navigation towers

Diameter: 700 ft (213 m) each

Scope: Corrosion removal, repainting, color restoration to FAA standards

System: PPG Keeler & Long Zinc Primer, PPG PSX 700, PPG Pit Tech Plus Gloss

Access Method: Rope Access & Tower Climbing

Duration: 6 Months

Crew Size: 4 Person Teams

Tower Painting Challenges

Every aspect of this Tower Painting program was defined by extreme height, legacy coatings, and strict federal oversight. Each tower stood approximately 700 feet tall—more than twice the height of a typical broadcast structure—and reaching the work zone demanded a 45-minute climb with up to forty pounds of paint, tools, and PPE. Environmental conditions varied dramatically from one site to another, ranging from coastal humidity and salt exposure to high-wind inland plains. Because these towers were aviation structures, every finished surface had to meet FAA orange-and-white color requirements within defined tolerance charts, meaning the final appearance was not subjective—it had to be measurably compliant for long-range aircraft visibility.

In addition to height and regulatory precision, BASE had to manage the safety risks of removing lead-based coatings originally applied between the 1940s and 1970s. Containment, HEPA filtration, and safe capture of all removal debris were mandatory. No modern tower painting contractor can take shortcuts on structures this old, and every step of the work demanded disciplined rope access, environmental control, and daily hazard assessment.

This is tower painting the way it actually looks: three painters, full tie-off, and no machinery in sight.

Execution: Precision at Every Height

BASE Painters approached the work from the steel outward, beginning with full-surface cleaning using bristle blasters and power-tool prep to remove rust, chalking, and coating failure without damaging the underlying tower structure. HEPA-filtered vacuum systems captured loose lead material at the point of removal. Once substrate conditions met spec, the crew applied a zinc-rich primer to rebuild corrosion protection, followed by an intermediate barrier coat and a high-gloss polysiloxane topcoat engineered for long-term UV retention and weathering.

Because no lift platform could operate safely at these heights, every phase of coating was performed on rope or in direct tower-climbing configuration. Painters alternated between SPRAT-certified rope access and traditional broadcast tower climbing depending on the geometry of each section. All coating was applied by hand—primarily four-inch rollers and bristle brushes—to achieve the specified six-mil film thickness without overspray, drift, or waste. Rope systems were inspected every day before climbing, and every technician maintained 100% tie-off for the duration of the program. This tower painting approach provided total control over film build, safety, and surface coverage—something impossible with spray rigs on a structure this size.

Results

Five historic LORAN towers were fully restored to FAA color and safety standards, preserving both their functionality and their WWII heritage. Each structure now carries compliant aviation-visibility bands recognizable from long range, and every inch of steel is protected under a modern coating system designed to withstand decades of exposure. Despite the height, environmental complexity, and lead-based surface conditions, BASE completed the entire multi-site tower painting program without a single lost-time safety incident.

The project earned national attention in JPCL Magazine for its combination of preservation, rope access, and precision coating execution—a rare blend of history and high-elevation industrial work. Today, these towers remain structurally sound, visually compliant, and protected for the future—proof that rope-access tower painting can preserve legacy infrastructure where traditional methods simply cannot reach.

You don’t reach this with a boom lift. This is tower painting by rope, 700 feet above a marsh with nowhere to stage.

In the Spotlight

Featured in JPCL Magazine – Spring 2019 “Repainting of WWII-Era Radio Towers” showcased BASE Painters’ unique expertise in restoring historical U.S. Coast Guard structures built during World War II — a blend of rope-access precision and preservation 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.

Contact BASE Painters For A Quote