If you are the owner of some type of communications tower, it can be expected that you will have to work with a tower painting service to paint the tower at some point. Painting protects the tower from the elements, enhances its appearance, and ensures the structure lasts for a long time to come. However, some towers are more expensive to paint than others. Here are a few reasons why your tower may be more expensive to paint. 

The height of the tower is taller than usual. 

If you have a taller tower, the cost of getting it painted is going to be higher. Some telecommunications towers are pretty tall; even as much as a thousand feet or more. Taller towers require more time and safety measures, but taller towers may also be more likely to be under governance from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) when it comes to how they should be painted for the safety of air traffic. 

The tower is near a coastline or large body of saltwater. 

Towers that are close to the coastline have to be handled in a highly specific way when it comes to painting them. The naturally salty air in these areas can cause the paint to break down a lot faster, and even the underlying metal that the tower is made out of can be prone to corrosion. Therefore, most coastal towers have to be painted with a two-part process that involves using an epoxy-resin material to deliver an adequate amount of protection. This two-part process is more time-consuming and requires more material, which can naturally mean the tower-painting project will be more expensive. 

The tower has been previously coated with a lead-based paint. 

It is not at all uncommon for some older towers to have been previously been painted with a lead-based paint. While this is a commonality among older towers, the old paint is an environmental concern. Therefore, when the tower is being prepared for a new coat of paint, the tower painting service will have to take special precautions to protect the surrounding environment from lead contamination. For example, the base of the tower may have to be covered with a drape that is specifically designed to capture paint particles and hold them in place. Naturally, these extra efforts are going to mean that the project to get your tower painted is going to be just a bit more expensive than usual. 

To learn more, contact a company that offers tower painting services.