Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-04-05
Paint on Buildings.

Formerly it was considered that the only
really reliable paint was lead and oil, as that
had the requisite body. But every year sees
the increased consumption of ready made
paints; that is. paints that are already mixed
and can be bought by the gallon all ready
for application to the buildings. Where the
paint is not so mixed before purchasing, it
takes an experienced painter to mix and ap-
ply them. This is more particularly the case
where any other color than white is employed.
But as they are now prepared. the farmer
himself or any of his inexperienced hands
can apply the paint during seasons of slack
work on the farm. Mapv worthless articles
are made and sold to the public as first class
paint, but the purchaser can inform himself
as to the durability of the different brands.
and by using care in selecting them he will
be no more liable to be cheated than he will
in the purchase of white lead. Nothing can
be poorer than poor article of white lead,
rs it will soon ''chak" off, and the entire
cost Of material. as well as the labor of put
ting it on to the buildings, will all be lost.
1t has been demonstrated that for durability
the iron paint, when ground in a good quality
of linseed oil, will outwear all others. The
manufacturers claim that they arc compelled
to put in some turpentlne with this paint or
it would never crv, but the more they put in
the cheaper the paint is and the quicker it
will wear off. There are some very reliable
manufacturers of prepared paints, whose
goods will outwear lead and oil, and look
much better while they are on. These are fur
nished in all the known coiors and shades. and
make pretty appearance by using n body Of
color one sha1e and painting the cornices. cor
ners, window frames and door-casings with a
darker shade of the same paint. All who have
tried mixing paint f. r themselves have found
how difficult IT is to mix two lots of paint
and get the desired shade the owner wishes.
BY buying prepared paints the exact shade
wanted is selected at first, and any quantity
of it can be purchased and have it correspond
with the rest of the building. In having an
inexperienced hand paint a building, care
must be used in starting him right, or he will
leaves his work looking streaked; that is,
where he stops his brush at the end of his
stroke. if he leaves it to get dry there and
commences afterward and laps on to this
finished part, it will have an unusual thick
ness of paint and will show different from
the main body of the paint. To avoid this
have him paint the boards until there is a
break in them by a window frame or door
easing; or if he is painting up.and-down
boards, let him paint three or four from top
to bottom before he commences on another
section IT the painting is not done satisfac-
torily, nothing is easier than to put on
another coat of paint; and this will he profit
able in the END, as the third coat will add
much to the durability of the first tro and
will take very much less paint than the first
one and considerably less than the second
coat, and from the surface being compare
lively smooth, can be put on very quickly.
The nail holes should be putted up after the
first coat of paint has been applied.