San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-07
PAINT 'kEEPs
! HOME BRIGHT
INSIDE OUT
Fresh Coat Works Like
Magic; Is Not an
Expense.
ARRIVING AT COST
Must Be Remembered That
\ Cheap Paints Costiliest
in End.
AT COST

g~>
IF there is any one element more
ncressary than pairt-both inside
and outside-in the process Of max
III a house into home, 1t has not
VET been discovered.
All about us there are the ugly
aucklings," which might be trans
&rmed into beautiful homes and
attractive rooms merely by the APP
plication of the proper paint. A
fresh coat of paint works magic, ana
there is always the. reflection that
while the artistic sense is being graft
fled in the process, even more than
beauty, there is the utility TO be con-
sidered. Painting is not an expense
ID is an investment which gives a def
mite tangible return in dollars and
cents. Wooden surfaces, left bare
and exposed deteriorate through the
action Of the atmosphere, and the wood
is subjected within short time TO crack
ing and warping. Moisture seepss
into the pores of the wood, and
shortly il begins TO rot. When proper
" protected, wood can be made to
last almost indefinitely, as may be
seen from the Mount Vernon home OF
George Washington. Built nearly 100
Years ago, the timbers in it are still
sound because of the periodical appli-
ration of paint.
The function Of paint is to close
the pores of the wood, and TO inter-
pose a nonabsorbative layer OF ma
terial between the wood and the at
mosphere. For the reason, aside
from the color of the pigment, which
is.a matter of choice, good paints us
ually have as a base thick liquid
known as linseed oil, a product of flax
seed. This oil has the property OF
combining with oxygen and when dry
forming a waterproof, gnmlike sub
stance, hard and impervious to mois-
ture.
Paints Ready Mixed.
Before the day of extensively man
ufactured paints the amateur painter
was often forced to mix his own
paints. This involved considerable
skin, sometimes more than he pos
sessed, but at the present time, there
is no reason why any of the reputable
paint-makers should not be patronized.
Cheap paints are more expensive
intthe long run. for they do not last,
and after a short time they chalk,
crack or peel. Good paint will last
for years, and it will be a wise econo-
my that dictates the purchase Of good
paint from a reliable firm. A gallon
Of paint, when properly applied will
cover about $50 square feet Of sur
face, two coats. A method of compu-
tation which will easily enable any
one 10 estimate the amount of paint re-
quired is as follows:
Measure the width of the front Of
me building, and the width Of the
rear; the length of one side and then
the length of the other. Add these
figures, and then multiply the total
by the number of feet in the height
of the building. The result will be the
number Of square feet of sur,
face. For two coats of paint, divide
this number by $50. and the answer
win be the number of gallons required
If only one coat is desired. divide by
600 instead of $50. Paint for trim.
ming purposes and cornices will re-
quire about one-sixth of the amount
necessary for the body of the house.
b. Brush Off Woodwork.
\ II the wood to be painted is new
It 10 essential that the printing, OIL
first coat of paint, should be ap
piled without delay after the lum
Der has been exposed to the air. Al
woodwork should be brushed off will
a dustbrush or cloth TO remove thu
fine dust which may adhere. All res
inous, sappy spots in the lumber, par
ticularly the knots. should be gon
over with a coat of shellac varnish
obtainable at any store carryin
paints. The orange or white tint j
the best. The application of thi
printing coat, which is to be Of lir
seed oil. with a little tinting of som
color added so that the progress G
the painting may more easily be d.
termined, does not require so muc
skill as il does ."elbow grease" Bea,
ing in mind the fact that the oil is I
serve as the base for the succeedin
coats-that it is to Sill the por,
of the wood-it is apparent why Il
printing coat should be well brushC
into the wood.
The printing should be allowed
dry perfectly before another coat
applied. This means more than TIL
the paint should feel dry to the hand
What actually happens during Il
drying process of paint is that b
very little of the oil is evaporate
Instead, the oil dries by absorb,
oxygen from the atmosphere, Ii
process resulting in a new comnoul
hard and waterproof. but still ha
ing a measure of elasticity. After {
first coat has dried for nine or I
days. II is then time to look 70 t
cracks, holes and open joints. Putt
which can be cheaply purchased.
used for this purpose. and a mutt
knife, or a similar implement, is u
lied TO smooth off the surface. T
wood Is now in condition 70 recei
the second coat of paint. This ca
should coCer the printing solidly n
should be fairly well brushed out.
Another period of ten days shoy
ensue before the final coat is g
piled.
Wood Finishes On Metal