Commercial Case Study

WBIR Commercial Painting Project

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Atop Sharp’s Ridge in Knoxville, TN, sits the original transmitter for WBIR-TV. Built in 1941 and still in use today, this transmitter along with their TV station, built in 1957, are responsible for reaching hundreds of thousands of homes on any given day. As the most watched local TV broadcaster in the area, WBIR is a household name throughout East Tennessee.

CertaPro Painters of East Tennessee was tasked with bringing both buildings back into good condition as well as to update the color scheme from tan to a more modern grey. The TV station project consisted of block, EIFS, and metal elements. The transmitter is made of block, wood, and metal elements. Condition was poor, as neither had been painted in over 15 years.

Painting commenced at WBIR-TV on April 23, 2018 and was wrapped up on May 9, 2018, for a production time of two and a half weeks. During this process, our crews had to maintain access to WBIR’s satellite trucks around the clock, as the TV station never sleeps. The Sharps Ridge Transmitter building did not have adequate water pressure due to the elevation, so a water tank was rented to pressure wash. Additionally, there was a large amount of high work on the property with a great deal of slope. We utilized a lift where it was feasible.

Once the project was completed, Chief Engineer, Brian Newman, was asked to review his experience with CertaPro Painters. He gave the following synopsis: “From the sales process, to the crews being here, and finally the cleanup process CertaPro was a top-notch professional outfit. The crews were patient and worked around our unique needs being a 24-hour Broadcast Facility. I look forward to the next job done here by CertaPro!”