Milford chronicle., 1928-06-08
IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO PAINT
By Jane Stewart

Dy Jdu6 OJSWdII
There are facts about paints and
painting that can save every home
owner dollars. Too often painting
is something of a trial and error
process. 1t takes us once to learn
how, and experience is in this case
too costly teacher. Yet there are
other equally effective ways of
learning. Inform yourself of the
facts before you plunge ahead. In
cidentally, informing yourself of the
facts will not mean delay and pro-
longed deliberation, but on the con-
trary earlier painting than you had
probably planned. For if you will
investigate appraisal statistics you
will find an amazing difference be-
tween the relative values of regu-
larly painted and partially neglect
ed houses. Paint prevents weather.
ing of wood and corrosion of metal,
and in doing so maintains property
values. The economical time to re-
paint frame house, under average
weather conditions, is every three
to five years.
However, regular painting alone
does not mean the best that can be
had in economy. A good job is like
wise a requisite. The first requisite
for a good job is good paint. And
the second is good workmanship.
Inferior paint covers less surface
and for this reason alone equals or
even exceeds the cost of good paint |
that is, if you are considering cost |
per square foot rather than cost per
gallon. Inferior paint will prob
ably require renewal in two years
or even less, whereas four years
would otherwise have been the in
terval. When it is remembered
that the cost of application is usu-
ally at least three times the cost of
The paint itself, the Importance of
this factor may be thoroughly ap-
Dreciated. In addition to being of
good quality paint should be used
only for the purpose for which it
was intended-fOr exteriOrs, exter-
or paint only.
AS for workmanship, more is in
,luded than the application of the
)aint. Proper weather and surface (
conditions are equally vital in OBJ
aiming good results. Painting ]
hould be done only when the ther- {
registers 40 degrees or ]
.bove, and never when it is rainy =
II excessively damp. The surface, {
likewise, must be dry and the wood
easonably dry within. New lum- I
er requires special precautions in
he latter respect, whereas in the t
ase of repainting a day or two of {
ry weather will insure sufficient I
ryness of the wood. S
An old surface in good condition s
equires no preparation other than '
usting off, but a blistered or a 7
called surface must not be painted t
yer without preliminary prepara- I
ion. Distinction is to be made be- T
ween blistering, generally due to G
over damp wood, and a i
Onsequent formation of blisters in r
he paint film when the sun draws
ne moisture to the surface; and n
racking and scaling, due to neglect n
} repaint at the required interval, +
lferior paint, or some other dis 4
oSdAu VI eLCCGpJGu pdlulluS rules. O
blistered surface may be scraped u
18th wire brush or a putty knife =
nd repainted successfully, COM q
simple matter. But a :
racked or scaled film must be re-
loved. The most satisfactory meth .
d is to burn off the old coating :,
18th a blow torch (safe only in the y
ands of an expert painter) -,
Next comes the number of coats.
or new work three coats are es- ',
ential. For repainting, two. 1t is e
referable to apply two coats, say \ L
very four years, rather than one y
pat every two years; for in addi- II
on to the greater convenience L
nd no doubt smaller cost of sum- d
loning the painter once, the former "
lethod gives more effective surface
and better appearance. e
Paint is first of all a money-saver. q
or it is first of all a surface pro- D
,ctor. Assuming, then, that you
ave economy and the maintenance II
property value in mind when you a
epaint, make sure that you get the
lost for your money, which you
ill with a good product, well ap-
lied. :