This week: Why are many barns painted red?

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This week: Why are many barns painted red?

http://www.wisinfo.com/newsherald/mnhlocal/288567866194267.shtml

Answer: Turns out the answer is a simple one - it was cheaper, said

Jerry Apps, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-

Madison and author of numerous articles and columns in state and

national publications.

Ferric oxide, a primary component of red paint, is inexpensive and

this appealed to the thrifty farmers, according to an article

written by Leik, editor of The Barn Journal.

" Barn red " is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see

today, but more of a burnt-orange red, according to

howstuffworks.com. As to how the oil mixture became traditionally

red, there are two predominant theories:

• Wealthy farmers added blood from a recent slaughter to the oil

mixture. As the paint dried, it turned from a bright red to a

darker, burnt red.

• Farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil

mixture. Rust was plentiful on farms and is a poison to many fungi,

including mold and moss, which were known to grow on barns. These

fungi would trap moisture in the wood, increasing decay.