Paintwork.

Manufacturer and builder 11, 1890

It may be useful to know that a gallon of paint will cover from 450 to 630 superficial feet of wood. On a well-painted surface of iron the gallon will cover 720 feet. In estimating painting to old work, the first thing to do is to find out the nature of the surface, whether it is porous, rough or smooth, hard or soft. The surface of stucco, for example, will take a great deal more paint than one of wood, much depending on the circumstance whether it has been painted, and what state the surface is in. We have known prices tendered for outside painting that have been seriously wrong, owing to the want of knowing the condition of the stucco work. A correct estimate of re-painting wood-work cannot be made from the quantities only; a personal examination ought to be made in every case where there is much work to be done. A great many painters trust to the quantity; the consequence is nothing is allowed to remove old paint, or scouring, and the stopping of cracks. Then there is painting and painting. It can be done well and artistically, or indifferently, and few trades allow of greater scamping. In first-class work, after the first two coats have been put on, the paint, when dry, should be rubbed down with pumice stone before the finishing coats are put on. Inferior painting is so common that it has a demoralizing effect on painters of the day. The quality of the material, especially the white lead, has much to do with permanency. We find painting done on old work without tiny cleaning, stopping or even pumicing. A slovenly and inartistic class of grainers are also met with, who re-paint and re-grain on work that ought to be well rubbed with pumice stone or sand-paper before the first new coat is laid. For painting three coats, the following materials are given for 100 superficial feet of new work; Paint, 8 pounds; boiled linseed oil, 3 pints; spirits of turpentine, 1 pint; the work taking three men for one day. According to Saxton, 45 yards of first coat, including stopping, will require 5 pounds of white lead, 5 pounds of putty, and 1 quart of oil. The same quantity of each succeeding coat will require the saute allowance of white lead and oil. The best materials will last for seven years, but the ordinary painting seldom lasts three. It is questionable in building whether a saving is not possible by reducing the painted work as much as possible, and in using hard and ornamental woods for all ordinary interior framing exposed to wear, like doors, cupboard fronts, dadoes, stair balusters, spandrels. etc. In a few years the cost of re-painting would more than repay the extra expense of materials. Take, for instance. an ordinary dwelling house let for £35 or £40 a year. In seven years the whole interior paintwork requires redoing, an expense that generally falls upon the landlord, who is generally tempted to have the work done cheaply, with the usual consequence, that every new tenant wants the painting done.

— Building News (London)