Why is barn red

Centuries ago, European farmers would seal the wood on their barns with an oil, often linseed oil -- a tawny-colored oil derived from the seed of the flax plant. They would paint their barns with a linseed-oil mixture, often consisting of additions such as milk and lime.

The combination produced a long-lasting paint that dried and hardened quickly. Today, linseed oil is sold in most home-improvement stores as a wood sealant. Now, where does the red come from? In historically accurate terms, "barn red" is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see today, but more of a burnt-orange red. As to how the oil mixture became traditionally red, there are two predominant theories:.

Regardless of how the farmer tinted his paint, having a red barn became a fashionable thing. They were a sharp contrast to the traditional white farmhouse. Contact us to let us know! I agree with you Rick my great grandpa never painted his barn and it is still standing today weathered but in excellent shape. To honor the roosters some have beautiful colors and I believe they attract all animals for feed and Love and confront and shelter! Thus they picked the color Red! I love the look of the tabacco barns in the south.

We live in Webberville mi. I think they look beautiful!! Moon Phase Calendar. Email Facebook 56 Pinterest Twitter. About the author Related Posts. Farmers' Almanac Staff. The stuff that makes red paint. Loring Loding Have you ever noticed that almost every barn you have ever seen is red? Zunger explains : The only thing holding the star up was the energy of the fusion reactions, so as power levels go down, the star starts to shrink.

And that, Zunger explains, is how the death of a star determines what color barns are painted. Post a Comment. Apply today! Apply Today! Please fill out the questions below and submit your resume Once received we will review your application and get back to you ONLY if we would like to schedule an interview. YES NO. Drop files here or. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Call us at or fill in the form below to schedule your FREE no obligation estimate.