508 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Three coats at least are generally necessary to make a good piece of 

 work. The effect of the priming coat, if properly applied, is to fill the 

 pores of the wood and furnish a foundation on which to apply the sub- 

 sequent coats. Owing to the different porosity of different parts of the 

 surface, it is almost impossible to completely fill with one priming coat, 

 and an attempt to get a good effect by applying the finishing coat im- 

 mediately on top of the priming generally results in failure. A second 

 coat will not penetrate to any very great extent into the wood. It should 

 not, however, dry with a eloss. because a glossy surface does not furnish 

 a good foundation for the next coat. In order to prevent the gloss, most 

 painters add turpentine to the paint for the second coat: the amount used, 

 however, should be small — to each gallon of paint about a half pint of 

 turpentine in hot weather, or a pint in cold weather, is sufficient. The 

 second coat, which of course should have been evenly spread and well 

 rubbed in with the brush, should be allowed to dry somewhat longer than 

 the priming coat. The third, or finishina: coat should be one which will 

 dry with a eloss. and for this purpose there should be po turpentine or 

 thinner addrd to the paint at all. This method is one which is advocated 

 by a lar?e majority of authorities on the naintins of wood, but is seldom 

 carrird out by painters, the tendency beins to add excessive amounts of 

 turpentine or benzin, unduly thinnine the paint and makine: it possible to 

 spread it in thin, even coats with less labor than would be reouired for the 

 same thinness and evenness when paint of a proper consistency is used. 



INTERIOR PAINTIXG, 



For oil palntine: exposed to the weather (outside painting) it Is very 

 important that a durable paint be selpctrd. because even the best painted 

 surfaces in time are destroyed by outdoor exposure. Inside of a house, 

 however, the conditions are radically different. The painted surface is 

 exposed to neither the extreme heat of the summer sun nor to the action 

 of rain and frost to anything like the extent that outdoor painting is. In 

 fact, any paint will last for a very long time inside. The main point 

 in selecting a paint for this work is to choose one which will cover well 

 the article to be painted and which contains colors that are permanent. 

 The actual protective coating may be assumed to last as long as there 

 is any necessity for it. Very lieht tints or very brilliant colors are 

 liVely to fade, and white paints containine a large amount of oil tend to 

 turn yellow in dark rooms. The pigment lithopone, which is not suitable 

 for outside work, can be used with satisfaction for interior painting. 

 Calcimines, the so-called cold-water paints, in which no oil or expensive 

 lead or zinc pis'ments are used, and which are. therefore, very much 

 cheaper than oil paints, last very well on the inside; in fact, some of the 

 oldrst paintings in existence are fresco paintings made practically of cal- 

 cimine. 



For interior work the same directions apply as to outside painting, 

 but it is not so important to have the final coating contain such a 

 large amount of oil as to give a glossy finish. A dull finish is preferred 

 by many people, and since this paint Is not to be exposed to severe 



