Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-27
WH|TEWASH IS BEST
OF CHEAPER PAINTS
Better Than More Expensive
Coatings for Many
Purposes.

Whitewash Is the cheapest of all paints
and for certain purposes it is best, ac-
cording to a bulletin issued by the De-
partment of Agriculture. Lime, which
is the basis of whitewash, makes a sani-
tary coating, and is probably to be
preferred for poultry houses, interior of
stables and other outbuildings. Ordinary
whitewash is made by shaking about ten
pounds of quicklime with two gallons of
water. The lime is placed in a pail and
the water poured over it. after which
the pail is covered with an old piece of
carpet or cloth and allowed to stand for
about an hour With an, insufficient
amount of water the lime is 'scorched'
and not all converted into hydrate: on
the shaking by lowering the heat.
''Scorched' lime is generally lumpy and
transparent. hence the use of the proper
amount of water for shaking and an
after addition of water to bring it to a
brush consistency. Factory whitewash
for walls. ceilings and posts should be
made as follows:
l. Sixty-two pounds Zone busheD quick
lime slake with fifteen gallons water
to rise. Stir occasionally to prevent
scorching.
9 Two and one-half pounds rye -four.
beat up in one-half gallon of cold water,
then add two gallons of boiling water.
g. Two and one-half pounds common
rock salt, dissolve in two and half
gallons of hot water.
Mix and g. then pour into ! and stir
until all is well mixed.
This Is the whitewash used in the
large implement factories. and recon-
mended by the insurance companies. The
above formula gives product of per-
feet brush consistency. Weatherproof
whitewash (exterior) for buildings and
fences should be made as follows:
/. Sixty-two pounds q busheD quick
lime. slake with p gallons of hot water.
2. Two pounds common table salt. l
pound sulphate of zinc dissolved in gal
Ions of boiling water.
3. Two gallons of SKINNED milk. Pour
thoroughly. Lighthouse whitewash, /,
sixty-two pounds Il busheD quicklime,
slake with 70 gallons of hot water.
.. Twelve pounds rock salt, dissolve in
gallons of boiling water.
3. Six pounds Portland cement. Pour
2 into l and then add g.
Alum added to lime whitewash prevents
its rubbing off. An ounce to the gallon
is sufficient. Flour paste answers the
same purpose, but needs zinc sulphate as
a preservative. Molasses renders the lime
more soluble and causes 1t to penetrate
the wood or plaster surface: a pint of
molasses to ) gallons of whitewash Is
sufficient. Silicate of soda solution tabout
% degrees Baume) in the proportion of
to 10 Of whitewash produces fireproof
cement. A pound of cheap bar soap dis
solved in a gallon of boiling water and
added to about 3 gallons of thick white
wash will give it a gloss like oil paint.
An old receipt for whitewash. issued by
the lighthouse board of the Treasury De-
partment. said to be very good for out
door exposure, is as follows: Stake a
bushel of unslaked lime with boiling
water. keeping it covered during the
process. Strain it and add a peck of
salt dissolved in warm water. 3 pounds
of ground rice put in boiling water and
boiled to thin paste. half a pound of
powdered Spanish whiting and a pound
of clear glue dissolved in warm water:
mix these well together and let the mix
ture stand for several days. Keep the
wash thus prepared in a kettle or port
able furnace. and when used put 1t on as
hot as possible with painters or white
wash brushes.
The washes which contain milk. flour
or glue are not to be advised for use In
damp interior places owing to danger OF
decomposition Of the organic matter. For
such locations 1t Is better to use one of
the formulas containing none of these
ingredients. Whitewash Is applied with
a broad whitewash brush and is spread
lightly over the surface, no attempt being
made to brush 1t in, as is the case with
an oil paint