HOUSE AND GARDEN 
194 
September, 1911 
Plain Words from a Painter 
to a House Owner 
“You would think that painters averaged better 
than bankers, lawyers or merchants, the way 
people trust them,” said an old painter to a 
property owner who had called him in to tell 
why his painting had gone wrong. 
“Painters will average just as high in skill and 
honesty as any class, perhaps,” he continued, 
“but we have fakirs to contend with in our trade 
as much as you do in yours. And you property 
owners leave everything to the painter who bids 
lowest. 
“There is nothing much wrong with this job 
except that the painter used a substitute for pure 
white lead and did his work too hurriedly. I 
suppose he had to do it in order to make anything 
on what you paid him. 
“Next time specify pure white lead guaranteed 
by the ‘Dutch Boy Painter’ for all your painting, 
and give the good painters in your community 
an even chance. Then allow them time to do 
the work right.” 
Ask us for “Dutch Boy Paint Adviser 
No. 691.” Includes information on paint¬ 
ing decoration (in the house and out) 
flower and shrubbery arrangement, etc.—a 
most valuable collection of booklets—free. 
An office in each of the following 
cities : 
Cincinnati Chicago Cleveland 
New York Boston Buffalo 
San Francisco St. Louis 
(John T. Lewis A Bros. Co., Philadelphia) 
(National Lead & Oil Company, Pittsburgh) 
NATIONAL LEAD 
COMPANY 
SAVE 
YOUR 
They are too precious to lose Get expert surgeons 
to examine them and advise you as to what thev need 
Avoid tree fakers and tree butchers. Our free booklets 
explain tree surgery, the science founded by John Davey. 
■^|^r»r»Q Write for them. 
I IxlliE.3 The Davey Tree Expert Co., Inc.. 459 Acorn St., Kent, Ohio 
Smoky Fireplaces 
ffiflad® to Draw 
Your particular chimney problem studied by 
e x per ts, and estimates given without charge. The 
work is undertaken with this understanding: 
We will not accept payment unless successlul. 
Kitchen ventilating systems, preventing cooking odors. 
FREDERIC B.WHITLEY E HS a .? d 
215 Fulton Street, Brooklyn. N. Y. 
old work the charges are generally fifteen 
cents per square yard for 'the first coat, 
twenty-five cents for two coats, and thirty- 
five cents for three coats. This price 
varies somewhat in different parts of the 
country. In the South, for instance, three 
coats of old work are applied for twenty- 
five cents per square yard. Varnishing is 
generally based on a charge of 15 cents for 
one, and 30 cents for two, coats. This is 
for ordinary varnishes, and for special 
high grades more is demanded. 
From these figures it is possible for one 
to make a rough estimate of what it should 
cost to have his house painted in a work¬ 
manlike manner and with the best of 
paints. Where there is little competition 
it might be well for a property owner to 
have a pretty fair idea of the cost of the 
work, and he can tell then if he is paying 
a good deal more than the market price 
for similar work in other parts of the 
country. When a paint contractor comes 
in and makes a survey of the job, and 
gives a bid for it, it is quite necessary that 
the owner should have an approximate 
idea of the cost. This may result in cut¬ 
ting down a hid anywhere from $50 to 
$100. Unscrupulous painters will fre¬ 
quently take advantage of a house owner’s 
ignorance if they think there is little 
chance of the over-charge being detected. 
One may be partly prepared to estimate 
the cost of painting the house without the 
aid of a professional painter. As the cost 
of the labor runs from two-thirds to three- 
fourths of the total cost of the job. one 
must be prepared to find a startling differ¬ 
ence when the owner does all the work 
himself. Thus if the surface area of his 
house measures 7,200 square feet or 800 
square yards, the cost of the job would be 
$80 for one coat or $160 for two coats, at 
ten cents per square yard per coat. The 
cost of paint for the two coats should be 
only about $55 to $60. The rest repre¬ 
sents the labor of the painter. We can 
estimate the amount of paint needed by 
the other method given above. You di¬ 
vide the number of square feet by 200, and 
this gives the number of gallons of white 
lead in oil needed for two coats. In this 
case 7,200 square feet divided by 200 gives 
36. If we pay $5 a gallon the material 
for the job will cost $180, but good paint 
can be had for much less than this, which 
will leave a margin for extras. 
If one does not count his own labor the 
work of painting the house is not an ex¬ 
pensive job. It can be undertaken with¬ 
out much fear of extra costs which fre¬ 
quently loom so large in carpentry and 
cement work. Painting exterior surfaces 
is really a simple operation. The chief 
thing is to work the first coat in thor¬ 
oughly, spreading the paint well so that it 
will not be thicker in places. When this 
has thoroughly dried the second coat 
should be applied a little thicker. The 
chief thing in the second coat is to secure 
a uniform, smooth surface without streaks 
or lumps. Much depends upon keeping 
the paint properly thinned so that it will 
no" streak, and not so thin that it will run. 
Write for this book 
and samples of the new window 
shade material in all colors and 
in Brenlin Duplex — light one side, 
dark the other. 
This book is full of illustrations 
and information on Brenlin — the 
new window shade material that out¬ 
wears several ordinary shades. 
Brenlin is made without the “fill¬ 
ing” that in ordinary shades falls out 
and leaves ugly streaks and pinholes 
Window Shades 
won’t crack, won’t fade; water won’t spot 
them. They always hang smooth and even 
—always look fresh and attractive. Bren¬ 
lin always proves to be the cheapest shade 
you can put up. 
One or more good dealers in all cities 
sell Brenlin. Write us for samples in all 
colors, and in Brenlin Duplex, light one 
side, dark the other. These samples, with 
the beautiful little Brenlin book will aid 
you in selecting just the right color. Write 
today to the 
Chas. W. Breneman & Co., 
2069-2079 Reading Road, Cincinnati, O. 
The name BRENLIN is perfor¬ 
ated along the edge of every yard of 
genuine Brenlin. 
Look for it. 
Write for the 
Connoisseur Book GLASS T 
TUTHILL CUT GLASS CO. 
MIDDLETOWN, N. Y. 
Can Be Used In 
HOUSE 
and 
GARDEN 
For flowers and 
vegetables. Used 
as a spray. Get it 
from your dealer 
or write for par¬ 
ticulars to 
Aphine Manufacturing Co., Wadison.N J. 
In writing to advertisers please mention House and Garden. 
