Answer: Back in the 1800’s, farmers used linseed oil to coat their barns because it protected wood from rotting. First, I read that linseed oil dried red, but then I saw that there are other theories as to why barns got their red color. It seems to me that the linseed oil just protected the wood. As far as the color goes, one theory is that wealthy farmers added blood to the oil mixture, but I didn’t find an answer as to WHY they did that, so I do not believe that one. Another theory is that farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil mixture. Rust poisoned fungi, mold, and moss, which would decay the wood. I think that this sounds the most likely and makes the most sense. I also read that red paint was the most inexpensive, but I can’t find anything to back that up. Over time, it simply became a tradition to paint barns red.
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