Why are barns red?

Answer 1

To protect the lumber from the elements and insects.

Years ago, when the paint manufacturing industry was very young, paints did not exactly stay on outside walls very long as a result of the sun and the rains. Paint, it was soon discovered, helped wood and cement last longer by providing a protection layer from the elements while improving the aesthetics of the property.

It was soon discovered that adding ferrous oxide to the paint would cause the chemical to imbed itself in the wood fibers and protect it from parasites, algae, fungi, mold and moss that harbor bacteria that attracts insects that attack and damage wood, like termites, as well as protect the wood from the elements while making the paint look a "rusty red," but not quite a bright red color.

Also, painting had to be done every few years on homes while barns painted with the ferrous oxide in the paint lasted far longer than the paints on the homes (besides, barnes were huge compared to the homes... that meant more work).

Answer 2

Many years ago, during a visit to an area of Canada where there were lots of barns, I asked the same question. I was told that durable paint used to be available in very few colours, red being one of them and red seemed to be a practical colour for barns. The red in the paint was made using a relatively inexpensive chemical making red paint less expensive to buy.

Another theory is that trains, who used to run with a caboose, that red-painted car at the end of a freight train, had lots of red paint left over that they would sell or give away and that was often the source for barn colours.

Cecil Adams, creator of The Straight Dope q and a books offers this: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_382.html

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

From Oprah:
A.J. says the practice of painting barns red goes back hundreds of years when farmers used to make their own paint using a combination of linseed oil, milk and rust. The rust was added to prevent mold from growing in the mixture—and that's what gave it the red color. In keeping with tradition, many barns are still painted red using modern-day red paint instead.

From How stuff works:
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.

Answer 5

At the time most barns were being built red paint was the cheapest most durable paint available.

Answer 6

I have worked for Colonial Williamsburg for 32 years and this is what we have been told. Red paint back when it was a make it yourself deal was the cheapest to make because it's color pigment is iron oxide which is really just RUST. It is cheap, durable and easy to make. White paint was from flaked lead and the most expensive. Others were ground earth minerals or plant matter and varied in price.

Answer 7

The above answer is correct, but more importantly, historically red paint was more durable than white wash and only slightly more expensive.

Answer 8

I've heard that red paint is more durable, longer lasting.