Why Are Barns Always Painted Red

Why are barns often painted red.
Why are barns always painted red. In the mid to late 1800s as paints began to be produced with chemical pigments red paint was the most inexpensive to buy. November 16 2009 updated. Farmers had to be resourceful in finding or making a paint that would protect and seal the wood on their barns. Ever wonder why are barns painted red in color.
In american society barns are almost always painted red. Iron oxide rust was mixed with the oil to keep fungi and moss from growing on the wood. One theory is that originally the red color was not so much the bright red seen. If you have come across many barns in your travels you may be wondering why so many of them are painted red.
It is thought that painting barns red begun in europe and moved with european farmers to the us. The cheapest paint. This turned the oil red which gave the barn a its distinctive red color. Red is or perhaps was a popular color for older barns due not to its color shade but for its usefulness.
Barns today are still painted red in honor of that tradition. This trend has existed for many years and there are several theories as to how it started. One belief is that barns are red so a farmer s cows can find their way home but if so that s a failed strategy cattle are colorblind to the colors red and green. Why are barns red.
Barns of all ages remain red because it has always been the cheapest paint and will always remain the cheapest paint. Beginning with the earliest american settlements and continuing into the. Why are barns always painted red why are barns painted red answers why are barns red in color why are barns traditionally painted red why are most barns painted red why barns are painted red why. The reason for this eternal discount isn t found in the manufacturing plant.
Red was the color of favor until whitewash became cheaper at which point white barns began to spring up. Today the color of barns can vary often depending on how the barns are used. Yonatan zunger is a google employee who decided to explain this phenomenon on google recently. Many years ago choices for paints sealers and other building materials did not exist.
Hundreds of years ago farmers painted their barns with linseed oil to help seal the wood and keep it from rotting.