Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-10-04
A DANGEROUS PRACTICE.
Burning ON Paint Makes Insurance
Void.

OA0s
It seems that considerable danger
to property exists In the practice Of
burning off old paint before re-paint-
ing. The question has long been a
subject of debate in the technical
journals, and now house-holders and
the newspapers have begun to discuss
it. Those OF us who, with trembling.
have watched the painters blow a
fiery blast from their lamps against
oar houses, and have looked sadly at
the size OF our painting bill because
of the time wasted on this prelimin-
airy work. are Interested in the In
vestigation by the Greenfield (Mass.)
Gazette and Courier, which gives
considerable space to the reasons for
the practice, questions its necessity
and suggests ways to prevent the risk
of burning down ones house in order
to get the old paint off. It says:
There Is a good deal Of discussion
among house-holders as to the desir-
ability in painting houses, OF burning
Off the old paint, a practice that has
grown very common Of late in
Greenfield and elsewhere. Insurance
men are strongly opposed to this
method. It makes void insurance
policies for fires caused in this man
ner. Several houses in Greenfield
have gotten afire as the result Of this
method, and in some places houses
have burned as a result.
1T is undoubtedly true that when
a house has been painted over and
over again there comes to be an ac-
emulation of paint in punches. II
new paint is put on top OF these &C.
cumulations it is almost sure to bis
ter. To burn it Off is the quickest
and cheapest and perhaps the surest
method OF getting rid Of this old
paint"
The Gazette and Courier quotes
certain old patrons to the effect that
accumulations OF paint are unneces-
sary. These old-timers lay the blame
partly on the painter who fails to
brush his paint in we'll, partly on the
custom OF painting in damp weather
or not allowing sufficient time for
drying between coats. and partly to
the use of adulterated paints instead
Of old-fashioned linseed Oil and pure
white lead. The paper says:
MANY Of the older householder
say that 1t care is taken at all these
points, it is absolutely unnecessar,
to have paint burned off. They ad.
wise that people who have houses
painted should buy their own materi
ais. and to have them put on by the
day, so as to be sure to get good leat
and oil. OF course the burning of
OF paint 81 atty increases the cos
of the job"
The trouble house-holders every
where have with paint is pretty vel
summed up by our contemporary, AM
the causes are about the same every
where. BY far the most freuuen
OF the necessity for the danger
u practice Of burning old paint i
the use OF poor material. The OF
should be IRE linseed and the whit
lead should . real white lead. TIL
latter is moe often tempered wit
than the oil. Ea~thy substances, an
pulverized rock and quartz, are FIRE
quently used as cheapeners, to tn
great detriment of the paint.
Painters rarely adulterate whit
lead themselves and they very seldo1
use ready prepared paints-the mos
frequent causes of paint trouble. Blu
they do often buy adulterated whit
lead because the property owner IL
sists on a low price and the painte
has to economic somewhere. Th
suggestion is therefore a good on
that the property owner ~inpestigat
the subject q little, find odt the nan
OF some reliable brand Of white lea,
and ses that the keg is marked wit
that brand.
The linseed oil is more difficult
be sure Of, as it is usually sold
bulk when the quantity is small; b,
reliable makers of linseed oil ian |
learned on inquiry and, il your deal,
Is reliable, you will get what yc
want.
Pure white lead and linsead oil a,
SO necessary to good paint that IL
little trouble necessary to get the
we'll repays the house owner in dc
Nh and cents saved.