Sandtex Gets Happisburgh Lighthouse Ship-shape for Summer

More than 150 litres of Sandtex Trade’s X-Treme X-Posure® Smooth Masonry Paint have been used to repaint the striking red and white bands of East Anglia’s iconic Happisburgh Lighthouse, in time for the busy summer holiday season. 

The landmark opened in 1791 and is today run by The Happisburgh Lighthouse Trust, having been saved by the local community from the threat of closure in 1990, and it remains the only independently run, fully operational lighthouse in Great Britain. Happisburgh Lighthouse, with its distinctive red and white bands, is only one of ten per cent of lighthouses in the UK with horizontal bands as opposed to being plain. 

Situated on the East Anglian coast, the 85 foot high lighthouse bears the brunt of extreme weather from wind driven rain to coastal tides, so painting the exterior is a vital way to ensure this landmark is protected from the harsh weather it is exposed to all year round. Sandtex Trade’s water-based X-Treme X-Posure paint, which has been specifically formulated for use in even the harshest of weather conditions to provide protection from the elements for up to 20 years, was the perfect choice for Happisburgh Lighthouse.  

The team of four decorators from P H Hairsine & Sons repainted the entire lighthouse exterior, using Sandtex X-Treme X-Posure Smooth Masonry paint in white and a specially tinted red, over the course of two weeks.  

The specialist painters painstakingly prepared the surfaces, by filling in small cracks and washing the whole building down ready for application of the first coat of paint to ensure a high quality, long-lasting finish. The team used a hoist to reach the top of the lighthouse, repainting each band as they worked their way back down. 

Because the refurbishment was such a huge job, working quickly and accurately to ensure the job was finished on schedule was key. X-Treme X-Posure is touch dry in 30 minutes and ready to re-coat within two to four hours, meaning the team could efficiently paint the exterior, making the most of the fine weather at the same time. Furthermore, X-Treme X-Posure has excellent adhesion properties so can easily be applied to most exterior masonry services, regardless of whether it is new or previously painted, while its flexible formulation helps to disguise hairline cracks in exterior surfaces and stop them from reappearing. 

Peter Hairsine, of P H Hairsine & Sons, said: “We use Sandtex X-Treme X-Posure for its durability as it lasts longer in extreme conditions, which is needed for the lighthouse as it is exposed to a lot of salt, as well severe weather. For us, this is also the best product because it dries quickly, which has been particularly important throughout this refurbishment as we needed each band to be dry before we moved down to the next one.” 

Sandtex X-Treme X-Posure has been subject to extensive testing in accelerated and real time weathering conditions and is proven to offer exceptional long-term protection and an enduring high-quality finish. Whatever the weather, Sandtex X-Treme X-Posure is guaranteed to provide excellent dirt-resistance and colour retention to ensure the iconic lighthouse will retain its fresh ‘just decorated’ look for many years to come. 

Stephen Burke, vice chairman of the Friends of Happisburgh Lighthouse, said: “The lighthouse is an iconic landmark on the north-east Norfolk coastline and has become a popular family day out with more than 4,500 people visiting last year. As a working lighthouse it’s much more than a tourist attraction so it’s vital that it continues to stand out to mariners. It’s fantastic to see the lighthouse looking so bright and vibrant following the redecoration and we’re looking forward to welcoming even more visitors to our open days this year.”