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Show A DANGEROUS PRACTICE. Burning Off Paint Makes Insurance Void. It seems that considerable danger to property exists In the prnctlco of burning off old paint beforo rc-palnt-lng. Tho question has long been a subject of debato In tho tcchnlcnl Journals, nnd now householders "and tho newspapers havo begun to discuss it. Thoso of us who, with trembling, havo watched tho painters blow n fiery blast from their lamps ngalnst our houses, nnd havo looked sadly at tho slzo cf our painting bill because of tho tlmo wasted on this preliminary prelimin-ary work, nro interested in tho Investigation In-vestigation by tho Greenfield (Mass.) Gazette nnd Courier, which gives considerable con-siderable Bpaco to tho reasons for tho practice, questions Its necessity nnd suggests ways to prevent tho risk of burning down one's houso in order to get tho old paint off. It says: "Thero Is n good deal of discussion among householders as to tho desirability, desir-ability, In pnlntlng houses, of burning off tho old paint, n practlco that has grown very common of lato in Greenfield Green-field nnd elsewhere. Insurnnco men nro strongly opposed to this method. It makes void Insurnnco policies for flres caused In this manner. Several houses In Greenfield hnvo gotten nfiro as tho result of this method, nnd In some places houses havo burned as a result "It Is undoubtedly truo that when a houso has been painted over nnd over again thero comes to bo nn accumulation ac-cumulation ot paint In bunches. If now paint Is put on top of theso nc-cumulations nc-cumulations it Is almost suro to blister. blis-ter. To burn It off Is tho quickest nnd cheapest nnd pethaps tho surest method of getting rid of UiIb old paint" Tho Gazctto and Courier quotes cop tain old patrons to tho effect that accumulations ac-cumulations of paint nro unnecessary. Theso old-timers lay tho blamo partly on tho painter who falls to brush his paint in well, partly on tho custom of painting In damp weather or not allowing allow-ing sufficient tlmo for drying botween coats, and partly to tho uso of adulterated adulter-ated paints Instead of old-fashioned linseed oil and pure whlto lead. Tho paper says: ."Many of the old householders say that If caro Is taken nt nil theso points It Is absolutely unnecessary to havo paint burned off. Thoy advlso that peoplo who hnvo houses painted should buy their own mntcrlals, nnd to hnvo them put on by tho day, bo ns to bo suro to get good lead nnd oil. Of courso tho burning off of paint groatly increases tho cost of (tho job." Tho troublo householders every whero havo with paint Is pretty well summed up by our contemporary, nnd the causes aro about tho samo every whero. Py far tho most frequent causo of the necessity for tho dangerous practlco of burning old paint Ib the uso of poor mnterlal. Tho oil should ho puro linseed lin-seed and tho white lead should bo real whlto lead. Tho latter is moro often tampered with than tho oil. Earthy substances, nnd pulverized rock nnd quartz, nro frequently used ns cheap-oners, cheap-oners, to tho groat dotrlment of tho paint. Painters rarely adultcrnto whlto lend themselves and they very seldom uso ready prepared paints tho most frequent causes or paint troublo. But they do often buy adulterated whlto lead becauso tho property owner Insists In-sists on n low prlco and tho painter has to cconomlzo somowhoro. Tho suggestion Is thcreforo n good ono that tho property owner investigate tho subject a little, And out tho namo of somo rcllablo brand of whlto lead, and Beo that tho keg Is marked with that brand. Tho linseed oil Is moro difficult to bo suro of, ns It is usually sold in bulk when tho quantity is small; but rcllablo makers of linseed oil can bo learned on Inquiry, nnd, If your dealer Is rcllablo, you will get what you want Puro whlto lead and linseed oil nro so necessary to good paint thnt tho llttlo troublo necessary to got them well repays tho Iioubo owner In dollars and cents saved. |
