Interesting Stats and Facts About Painting 

After years in the painting industry, we have learned so much about the cool aspects of paints, adhesion, sheens, and most commonly used colors, among other things. We love our fun facts and want to share some of the tidbits we have learned over the many years serving the wonderful business and homeowners of the north shore of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. 

The History of Paint 

When painting homes along the scenic north shore, we often have the opportunity to paint homes that are historical in nature. These homes may have been built hundreds of years ago in a time when the technology was slightly less advanced. 

Paint itself and painting technology is also historical. 

Did you know that paint has been around for thousands of years? Historians and archeologists have studied what appear to be cave paintings and date them to approximately 30,000 years old! 

The form of paint used to create these early masterpieces was determined to be drawn with red or yellow ochre, hematite, manganese oxide, and charcoal. It is believed that they were drawn by Homo Sapiens. 

In addition to the first known cave drawings, there are other ways that paints have evolved throughout history. For instance, medieval art of the 14th century was known to be the earliest usage of oil paints. It wasn’t until the 1950s that acrylic paint was even offered! 

Most Common Colors 

Our team at Jerry Enos Painting has painted thousands of homes a wide variety of colors. We have, however, noticed some common themes for our little corner of New England as being some of the most favored. 

Americans in general tend to be drawn toward neutral colors for interior spaces like: white, beige, tan, and gray. For home and business exteriors, some of the same colors are at play but also include variations on blue and green as well. 

Uses for Sheens or Finishes 

Once a homeowner chooses a color, they often mistakenly think the decision-making process is over. While the usually most painstaking decision is over, what remains is determining what level of sheen or shine you want for your paint. 

The sheen or finish is many times determined by what area the paint is going to be used and how much traffic the space gets. For instance, trim and molding work tends to have a lot of fingerprints and smudges, especially if the trim is adjacent to light switches. In these instances, it may be best to use a higher level of sheen such as a semi-gloss or satin finish to make cleaning easier. 

For spaces that have slight imperfections such as bumpy walls or ceilings, a lower sheen paint (such as eggshell, matte, or flat) may be more appropriate to hide these blemishes more easily. 

Cool Paint Facts 

As professional painters, we love to hear about cool painting facts that we can pass along to our clients. 

For instance, did you know that the Golden Gate bridge’s iconic “International Orange” was strategically chosen for it to stand out in the city’s ever-present fog. (Source: GoldenGate.org) 

Another fun fact is that it takes approximately 570 gallons of paint to completely paint the White House in Washington, D.C.

Visit our blog again soon to find out more about painting and how we can help you with your next paint project!

Categorised in: Color Trends, Interior painting, Jerry Enos