why are all barns painted red?

Answer 1

here are several theories as to why barns are painted 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:

* Wealthy farmers added blood from a recent slaughter to the oil mixture. As the paint dried, it turned from a bright red to a darker, burnt red.
* Farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil mixture. Rust was plentiful on farms and is a poison to many fungi, including mold and moss, which were known to grown on barns. These fungi would trap moisture in the wood, increasing decay.

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.

As European settlers crossed over to America, they brought with them the tradition of red barns. In the mid to late 1800s, as paints began to be produced with chemical pigments, red paint was the most inexpensive to buy. 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 what they are used for. "

Another reason why many barns are painted red is that

"Ferrous oxide (rust), a primary component of red paint, is inexpensive and this appealed to the thrifty farmers."

Answer 2

I have no idea but I was going to say so that you could see it in the dark when they have to get up early to feed the animals but then they should know where the barn is located and yellow would be a better color if it was to see it better. So I'm back to not knowing. LOL

Answer 3

Supposedly because red paint lasts longest without flaking or peeling, so the barn doesn't have to be repainted so often.

Answer 4

Not all barns are painted red.Barn paint is cheaper.

Answer 5

So livestock can find it easily.

Answer 6

Just so you would ask this question.