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Adhesives, Paints, and Varnishes: Painting

Rules for House Painting. - The best time to paint houses, barns, and other surfaces exposed to the sun is in winter when the ground is frozen.

In summer the heat of the sun opens the pores of wood and other materials, which causes the oil to soak in, leaving the pigments exposed on the surface. This may be prevented by first going over the surface with raw oil; but paint applied when the surface is contracted by cold in winter dries slowly, forms a hard, tough coat like glass, and will last twice as long as if applied at any other time of the year.

Another advantage of painting in cold weather is the absence of flies and other insects, and also the fact that there is much less dust. Painting may, of course, be done indoors at any time of the year, but it must be understood that a hot surface will absorb more paint than a cold one and should be first primed with a coat of raw linseed oil.

Buy, if possible, the best white lead and other pigments and the best oil, and mix the paint yourself.

To paint new wood for the first time requires four or five operations -knotting, priming, and two or three coats of paint. Old woodwork previously painted requires washing to remove the grease, and may require burning or other process to remove the paint, as well as refinishing the surface before the priming and fresh coats of paint are laid on.

Or it may be sufficient to wash the surface to remove all grease spots, and to lay a fresh coat over the old paint.

Keep up the paint on all surfaces that require painting. It is much cheaper after the original foundation has been laid to go over the woodwork with a thin coat of paint quite frequently, than to wait until the paint is all worn off in spots and the woodwork underneath is affected with dry rot.

Recoat standing woodwork at least once in two years, and go over window sills and sashes as often as they require it.

Prepare paint to suit the purpose for which it is intended. Do not attempt to make one kind of paint serve every purpose. One kind of paint is required for the outside of a house and another for the inside; and there are special paints for iron, stone, brick, and other surfaces.