Here's why barns are painted red
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Ever drove down the countryside and wondered why all the barns are painted red? The answer, like most things, lies in our history.
New England settlers didn't have enough money to paint their farms. So they needed a cheap way to protect the barns' wood. They mixed skimmed milk, lime, and red iron oxide to make a red, plastic-like coating. The coating protected the wood and kept barns warmer in the winter. Soon, manufacturers began preparing paint with chemical pigments. Red became the most famous among farmers because it was the cheapest. The tradition continues today.
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