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March 27, 2010…Update # 2 -
Phase II Restoration of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, an $83,000 project being
funded and managed by the nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation and ALF
chapter, Friends of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
Restoration Continues at Pemaquid Point Light Despite Stormy Weather
By Bob Trapani,
Jr.
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Pemaquid Point
Lighthouse sends out its guiding light each night regardless of the
weather conditions. Similar to the reliability of the lighthouse, so too
has been the case with the interior restoration efforts at the site.
The week of
March 22, 2010 featured a roller coaster ride in weather that included
everything from sunshine and seasonable temperatures |
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Pemaquid Point Light's Fresnel lens
shines
out to sea during the March 24,
2010 gale
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to a northeast
gale that dropped up to three inches of rain along Midcoast Maine on March
24th.
By Friday, March
26th, the elements had run the gamut of weather conditions by
bringing a blast of arctic air and a coating of snow to the region, which
served as a chilly reminder that spring has yet to fully settle in.
Through it all,
the crews of J.B. Leslie Company, Inc. continued with their interior
restoration work of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse as the project reached its
second week of activity.
During the
northeast gale, crews spent their day completing cutting out the mortar
joints along the tower’s interior brickwork as driving rain and |
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Dave Eastman of J.B. Leslie Co. uses a
chipping gun to cut out the brickwork's mortar joints
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howling winds
raged on outside the lighthouse.
The crews were
not able to step outside the tower without being soaked head to toe
within seconds, nor was there any way to avoid the inescapable feeling
of dampness thereafter once wet.
As it was, the
storm’s wind-driven rain did not |
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only fall outside
the tower, for the nuisance-proving droplets also found their way inside the
lighthouse via the lantern’s deteriorated ironwork.
Rainwater fell in
steady drip-like fashion down through the shaft of the
tower during the
course of the day, landing upon the masons and their tools, and mixing
unpleasantly with mortar dust inside the structure, which compounded the
work associated with daily cleanup.
Ironically, Phase
II restoration is designed to address the water leakage problem inside the
tower, but on this day, the northeast gale and its |
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penetrating
rain inflicted another round of unwanted moisture inside the lighthouse.
Thankfully, restoration measures will remedy this situation as the
project progresses, so the days of this longstanding problem are
numbered.
Once crews
completed cutting out the joints of the brickwork, they moved on to
removing traces of plaster, paint and dust from the bricks and joints.
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Jim Leslie removes an interior parapet
panel
to investigate water intrusion in the
lantern
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On Friday, March
26th, J.B. Leslie Company began the initial tuck-pointing efforts
with natural cement as part of the extensive repointing process.
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse on the morning
of March 26, 2010
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In addition, the crews disassembled
wooden panels along the lantern’s interior parapet to assess where
hidden water penetration was occurring and to examine the condition of
the woodwork - much of which is suffering from excessive moisture,
cracking and rot.
Tuck pointing
efforts will continue next week as the project enters its third week of
activity.
Fourteen days
into the project, the temperatures in March have reached into the 60s
and dropped to a low of 14 degrees, with brilliant sunshine, heavy rain,
wind and even snow all playing a part in the interesting weather mix.
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Through it all,
J.B. Leslie Company, Inc. hasn’t missed a beat, and in fact, unlike the
weather of late, the crews’ efforts are “heating up” as history continues to
unfold at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.
Read
ALF begins Phase II “Wellness Program” at
Pemaquid Point Light
to learn more about the first week of restoration activity.
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Jake Johnson
uses a chipping gun to cut out the brickwork's mortar joints
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Al Spier uses an air hose to remove
mortar dust from the brickwork before tuck pointing
work begins
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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A close-up view of a hole in the ESE
parapet panel that is permitting water into the lantern
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
An overview of ESE cast-iron
parapet panel without its
finished woodwork
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
A close-up view of the wood
deterioration along the WNW parapet panel
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A close-up view of the wood deterioration
along the ESE parapet panel
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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A view of hidden wood deterioration along
the WNW parapet panel
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A close-up view of the cleaned wood-frame
in
the inner north window
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
An overview of the cleaned wood-frame in
the inner west window
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Jim Leslie works on cleaning the brass
vents from the parapet panels
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Jake Johnson vacuums up the
entry area as part of the day's
daily clean-up efforts
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Al Spier vacuums residual mortar dust
from the brickwork before
tuck pointing begins
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Dave Eastman cleans
the face of the
brickwork before tuck pointing begins
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Al Spier uses an
electric grout gun to
add natural cement mortar along the
brickwork during the initial phase of
tuck pointing
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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A close-up view of the electric grout gun
adding natural cement mortar along the brickwork
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Dave Eastman is shown tuck pointing by
hand
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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A close-up view of tuck pointing by hand
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(L to R) J.B. Leslie Company's Pemaquid
Point crew...Al Spier, Jake Johnson, Jim Leslie & Dave Eastman on
Friday, March 26, 2010
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Posted:
3/27/2010
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