I have an old shed that the previous owners made of scrounged lumber. They used it for chickens and I raised my hens there until I recived my new hen house. It is currently used as a potting shed and shelter for my banty chicks. I would like to paint the wood so that there is some kind of protection. I was wondering about whitewash. Has anyone any experience with it and how do you make it?

-- Cheryl Cox (ccox33055@hotmail.com), April 28, 2000

Answers

Weren't there some recipes for whitewash in a back issue of Countryside? Does anybody remember? It seems like it would have been several years ago.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 29, 2000.

The article Kathleen is talking about was in May 99 issue on page 26. Hope this helps.

-- Betsy (betsyk@pathwaynet.com), April 29, 2000.

Shows just how good my memory is!! LOL!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 29, 2000.

There is a whitewash recipe at the Fias Co Farms site. I haven't used it yet, but I plan to. Uses lime.

g

-- Gailann Taylor Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), May 01, 2000.

I've been working on my house and I cannot find my May 99 issue. Thanks for the other resource. Hope I can find that issue soon.

-- Cheryl Cox (ccox33055@hotmail.com), May 01, 2000.

I found the recipe -- I know I've seen a different recipe somewhere else; if I come across it I will put it in here, too. Anyway, this one says to take 50 pounds of hydrated lime and soak it in 6 gallons of water to make a paste. Dissolve 6 pounds of salt in 3 gallons of boiling water. Let cool and add it to the 8 gallons of paste. Stir in 3 pounds of white portland cement. The guy who submitted it said he'd never tried it, but "it looks like a logical mix." Good luck!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 02, 2000.

Thanks Kathleen! I was unable to find the recipe on the Fias Co Farms site although that looks like a great site. Now I'm wondering if I can somehow incorporate a little American literature, Tom Sawyer, into our homeschooling and convince my boys that whitewashing the shed is really a school project. Hey, works for me. Thanks everyone for the help!

-- Cheryl Cox (ccox33055@hotmail.com), May 02, 2000.

Cheryl, if you're painting with whitewash, be advised that it won't last very long, especially outside. They used to paint greenhouse glass with it in the late spring to help deflect the sun's heat through the summer. By late summer/fall, it was mostly worn away and what was left was easily washed/scrubbed off. Unless the kids are REALLY into Tom Sawyer, you're going to have a problem. Whitewash is primarily used inside, when it got dirty, it was scrubbed and repainted. They never intended for it to last the way we expect paint to. As long as you realize that, go for it. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 03, 2000.

Go to your local Humongo store (HQ, Home Depot, Target, or whomever) and buy the returned very cheap STAIN! If you are not really concerned about color, this will be your best bet. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), May 03, 2000.

Thanks for the alert about the whitewash not lasting. I've known people here in the west who painted the homes and barns with it so I thought perhaps that it would help to preserve the wood. No one ever mentioned that it wouldn'd last long. I considered stain but was concerened about the effect the fumes might have on the chicks I have in the shed now. Will these fumes harm them?

-- Cheryl Cox (ccox33055@hotmail.com), May 04, 2000.

The whitewash recipe from FiascoFarm is here: www.fiascofarm.com/recipes/whitewash.html

g

-- Gailann Taylor Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), May 04, 2000.

I would advise that you not enlist the aid of the chicks to apply stain. Otherwise, (I AM assuming you're talking about the OUTSIDE) there should be no problem. Stain not only penetrates and lasts longer, but it dries pretty quickly. By the way, other sources are Sherwin-Williams, California Paints, Benjamin Moore, or whoever you might have in your neck of the woods. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), May 04, 2000.