Painting Bournemouth Pier is akin to painting the Firth Bridge – a massive and seemingly endless task, but for the Seafront Services team at Bournemouth Borough Council, help is at hand in the form of Zinssers paints.
Bulls Eye® 1-2-3 Primer from Zinsser has been specified for application on the vast expanses of galvanised metal railings that run along the length and breadth of the pier, which has a history dating back to the 19th century.
The original pier was designed by famous architect, George Rennie but vicious storms destroyed this structure. In 1880, a new pier was set up and since then, has managed to survive two world wars and the vagaries of numerous sea storms!
In 1979, a £1.7m restoration programme was initiated which saw the pier rejuvenated and extended, with a two storey leisure complex added. “The railings had not been repainted for many years, and were in bad condition,”comments Carl Falla, Decorating Supervisor at Bournemouth Borough Council. “The decision was made to wash down and clear the existing flaking paint and recoat the railings using Bulls Eye® 1-2-3 Primer before applying two layers of top coat. This involves 370 segments of railing, which is a challenging and lengthy task and the idea behind using Zinsser Bulls Eye® 1-2-3 Primer is to extend the period between the next maintenance.”
Zinsser Bulls Eye® 1-2-3 is a fast-drying white pigmented acrylic latex primer undercoat formulated for use on all types of exterior and interior surfaces either previously painted or new work.
The value of the paint is that it seals all porous surfaces and acts as a stain blocker. It has the ability to seal porous surfaces, providing a full and uniform finish for top coats. “We chose the product for its proven performance ability and the fact that it has a flexible formulation that allows the top coat to adhere more firmly,” continues Carl. “It makes us confident that by applying the Zinsser product, we gain long lasting durability and once the task is completed, we have a much longer period of time before it needs further attention.
