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bayport to Asklemmy@lemmy.mlEnglish • 2 years ago

Why are barns in the United States often red?

i.imgur.com

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Why are barns in the United States often red?

i.imgur.com

bayport to Asklemmy@lemmy.mlEnglish • 2 years ago
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  • @dick_stitches@lemm.ee
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    349•2 years ago

    Farmers originally used to seal their barns with a combination of linseed oil (red-ish) and iron oxide (rust, red). Then when paint came around, apparently red paint was the cheapest. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/solved-why-are-barns-painted-red/

    • @what_is_a_name@lemmy.world
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      89•2 years ago

      Basically also why Swedish barns are red. I presume those two stories and red barn origins are related.

      • @Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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        81•
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        2 years ago

        removed by mod

        • @toothpaste_sandwich@feddit.nl
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          9•2 years ago

          That’s really interesting, I’ll have to try to remember this if I ever find myself in Sweden again.

      • theodewere
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        14•2 years ago

        sure, lots and lots of Swedes came to the States in the 19th Century… they tended to settle the Northern States and build farms, like everyone else was doing…

      • ssillyssadass
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        9•2 years ago

        More than just Swedish barns. Red houses with white corners are a key part of a Swedish countryside

      • @P1r4nha@feddit.de
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        4•2 years ago

        And norwegian fishing huts

    • @Serinus@lemmy.world
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      21•2 years ago

      The source for that, the 1922 Sears Roebuck catalog, has all the colors at the same price.

    • candyman337
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      19•2 years ago

      Yeah red dye goes a long way and is easy to make

      • theotherone
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        6•2 years ago

        Except car pigments? I hear that they are the most expensive.

        • @brillekake@lemmy.world
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          43•2 years ago

          That’s because da red wunz go fasta. Requires extra points to buy, more spensive.

          • @Sylver@lemmy.world
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            7•2 years ago

            We need da purple wunz! No coppah gettin us in a sneaky kaw!

          • @shapesandstuff@feddit.de
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            5•2 years ago

            Didn’t realise orkz were car salesmen all along

        • @Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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          8•
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          2 years ago

          removed by mod

        • vlad
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          4•2 years ago

          That’s because of our evolutionary desire to look for ripe fruit. So, we want red thing.

          Source: idk, heard it sopmewhere

        • @theneverfox@pawb.social
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          1•2 years ago

          I find that a bit hard to believe, seeing as the paint of a car affects mpg through air resistance, luxury cars often add in glitter, and all of it has to be applied through air brushing

          Maybe at one point, but I’d be beyond shocked if red was meaningfully more expensive. There are also the myths that red cars cost more to insure and get pulled over more, like with those myths there might be a tiny kernel of truth, but the statements probably aren’t true outside very specific historical conditions

    • bayportOP
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      9•2 years ago

      Cool! I suspected there had to be a practical reason. Thanks for sharing the link!

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