Reclaiming the Beauty of the Keeper’s Wood Floors

The wood floors inside Rockland Breakwater Light Station will soon look beautiful again (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)

The Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse have spent the last decade working hard on the restoration of the 1902 sentinel, tackling everything from the interior walls and ceilings to the exterior cedar shakes and ironwork. Even the granite pier that supports the lighthouse has received some much-needed TLC.

The one historical component that the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse (FRBL) strategically placed on the ‘back burner’ during this time was the wood floors in the keeper’s house. The long-range preservation plan called for the floors to absorb the heavy treading that each phase of restoration would inflict upon the wood before working to reclaim their stunning beauty once the ‘heavy lifting’ was done.

Well that time has arrived!

On September 26, 2011 the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, kicked-off this long-awaited project with the humming sound of sanders echoing throughout the keeper’s dwelling. FRBL has contracted with Don Dickel Wood Floors of Winterport, Maine, to apply their professional expertise in restoring the vitality of the Douglas fir wood floors after consultation with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

Don Dickel Wood Floors began reclaiming the luster of the wood floors on 9/26/11 (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)

The five-man crew of Don Dickel Wood Floors spent the first day of the project carefully sanding decades of old, damaged finishes and grime from atop the floors in the kitchen, living room, bedrooms and the staircase leading to the second level.

Following sanding efforts, which will create a smooth, clean surface, crews will transition to the finish process later this week. The finish work will yield a high visual impact as the luster of the beautiful wood floors is reclaimed for the first time since the lighthouse was automated in 1965.

“The excitement for this project is quite high,” said Eric Davis, FRBL chairman. “Once the floors are restored, the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse can then focus on outfitting each room inside the keeper’s house to the 1950s time period, which will really elevate the interpretive value each visitors obtains when visiting the lighthouse.”

A view of the living room with the sanding process in progress (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)

Don Dickel, owner of Don Dickel Wood Floors, works on the sanding process in the living room (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)

Close-up view of the sanding process (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)

Nick Marshall works to remove the old finish from the staircase (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)

Close-up view of the staircase during the prep process (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)

A close-up of the living room floor during the prep process with the old finish in the center of the image (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)