The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Coloring Finishing And Painting Wood
Paintings which give us a good idea of the paints of Roman times of about the beginning of the Christian era have lately been discovered thru the recent excavations of the ruins of the old buried city, Pompeii.
There is much evidence to indicate that linseed-oil and many colors similar to those of the present day were known and used in times of great antiquity. Progress in paintmaking has been slow. Empirical knowledge has accumulated thru many ages and has been handed down to later generations. The researches of the chemists of the past half century have, however, brought many changes and improvements in the paint-making industry.
THE FUNCTIONS OF PAIXTS
The chief functions of paints are: (1) obscuration and decoration; (2) preservation of material; (3) sanitation and cleanliness; and (4) improved lighting-effects.
261. Obscuration and Decoration.—The first function of paints is probably obscuration, or the covering of an unattractive surface with an opaque nnishing-material which will fill up small openings, cover defects, and produce a more level surface. Hiding the surface of the material by opaque paint pigments often produces pleasing tone or color effects that are new, bright, and attractive, and which generally add a decorative touch that appeals to the esthetic sense.
262. Preservation of Materials.—"Wood, iron, and other materials can be protected by paint, and thereby preserved from the destructive action of the elements, chemical disintegration, or the growth of fungi. Paint protects various materials, especially wood and iron, from the snow and hail of winter, from rains, sand, and dust, and saves the surface from weathering. Iron on bridges and sheet-iron or tin, so-called, can be made to last many times as long, if kept properly painted. Iron window-screen wire will last many years if kept well-painted, but it will rust and go to pieces in a short time if it is not protected from the elements which cause oxidation or rusting. Properly-seasoned wood, especially that which has been kiln-dried, when properly painted usually lasts a long time because the surface is protected from the elements, particularly rain, and it is far more difficult for rot-fungi to get into the cells and start their destructive action.1 Some paints for outside use contain creosote-oil which preserves wood because it destroys rot-fungi.2
263. Sanitation and Cleanliness. — Most surfaces are cleaned and made reasonably smooth preceding the application of paint. Paint materials are largely or entirely made by passing thru heat treatments of various kinds and are therefore reasonably germ-proof when they are applied. Paints are said to have antiseptic qualities of their own, especially when they contain turpentine. The most important sanitary qualities of paint are a result of its forming an impervious coating over wood and other materials; consequently dirt and germs are kept from penetrating painted objects. Surfaces that are painted with gloss paints in oil can be washed many times and kept much cleaner than can unfinished surfaces.
