Over 150 years ago, the United States Capitol Dome was constructed of cast iron by the Architect of the Capitol. Recently, a full restoration of the historic structure was completed—marking the first comprehensive overhaul since 1960.
Why did this symbol of American freedom need to be restored? For one, water seeped through tiny pinholes in the Statue of Freedom as well as through open joints and cracks in the exterior shell—which consists of the base of the cupola, the tholos balustrade, and the boilerplate balcony level. These leaks led to rusting ironwork and weakened paint coatings over time. Additionally, several unique decorative elements had rusted and fallen from the structure, making it clear that a major restoration was overdue.
There were more than 1,000 cracks needing repair to ensure the Dome was fully watertight. This process entailed the replacement and restoration of ornamental cast iron. After removing decades of old exterior paint, new protective layers were applied to shield the Dome from corrosion and the elements. Scaffolding was erected around the entire exterior and inside the Rotunda—the grand central chamber on the building’s second floor.
Back in 1960, the paint on the Dome was stripped to allow the ironwork to be repaired and primed with a rust inhibitor. Upon review in 2010, issues first identified in 2001 showed significant further deterioration, signaling that it was time to intervene to protect the structure and its millions of visitors. The restoration contract was awarded, work commenced, and the multi-year project was successfully completed ahead of the Presidential Inauguration. This restoration is designed to protect the landmark for another 50 years. We’ll take it!
To put the size of this project into perspective, the Dome weighs 8,909,200 lbs. The restoration required repairing 12,800 inches of cracked cast iron, applying 1,215 gallons of paint, erecting 52 miles of scaffold pipe, installing 14,700 sq. ft. of Rotunda safety netting, and laying 2 miles of wood decking. That’s an incredible amount of material!
While Pro Painters, your Houston painting company, hasn’t worked on national monuments quite like the Capitol Dome, we have handled many large-scale commercial and landmark projects across the area, including NRG Center and Minute Maid Park. We specialize in Houston exterior painting and are the reliable, experienced team you need to get any job done right!
