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 ""' ' ANITARY VALUE OF 
 WALL PAINTS 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY A. QARDNER. Assistant Director 
 
 THB INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH 
 WASHINQTON, D. C. 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 I9II 
 
Copyright, 1911 
 The Institute of Industrial Research 
 
THE SANITARY VALUE OF 
 WALL PAINTS 
 
 HENRY A. GARDNER. Assistant Director 
 
 THE INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 191 1 
 
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THE SANITARY VALUE OF WALL PAINTS' 
 
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 Decoration and Sanitation: The proper 
 decoration of the interior of dwelHngs andi 
 public buildings has become of even greater! 
 importance than the protection and decora- 
 tion of exteriors. There is, moreover, an 
 increasing demand for harmonious effects 
 and the production of more sanitary con- 
 ditions, than have prevailed in the past. 
 Up until a few years ago, a great variety 
 of wall papers of more or less pleasing ap- 
 pearance were almost exclusively used for 
 the decoration of walls in the interior of 
 buildings, and their application was com- 
 monly considered the most effective means 
 of wall decoration. There seems to be no 
 question, however, that the use of wall 
 paper is steadily decreasing, and that the 
 art of interior decoration is undergoing a 
 transition to the almost universal use of 
 paint. 
 
 Modern {progress demands the mainte- 
 nance of sanitary conditions for the benefit 
 of the public welfare, and there is no doubt 
 that from the standpoint of sanitation and 
 hygiene, properly painted wall surfaces are 
 far superior to papered walls. There is an 
 abundance of evidence which shows that 
 dust germs may easily be harbored, and 
 thus disease transmitted from wall paper. 
 In the tenement houses, which are common 
 to the larger cities, and to a lesser extent in 
 
the dwellings found in smaller communi- 
 ties, where tenants are more or less tran- 
 sient, the continued maintenance of sani- 
 tary conditions presents a difticult ])r()blem. 
 Infectious and epidemic illnesses generally 
 leave behind bacilli of different types, wdiich 
 may find a culture medium in the fibrous 
 and porous surfaces presented by wall 
 paper, backed up as they invariably must 
 be by starch, casein or other organic pastes. 
 Occasionally the restrictions of local boards 
 of health provide in such events for proper 
 fumigation, but too often no precautions 
 are taken to destroy the disease germs 
 which are caught in the dust which collects 
 on wall paper. As a rule, both tenant and 
 landlord are oblivious to all conditions 
 which cannot be readily seen or detected. 
 Burning sulphur, one of the most effective 
 means of fumigation, will generally cause 
 bleaching and consequent fading of the 
 delicate colors used in printing the designs 
 upon wall paper. Washing of the paper 
 with antiseptic solutions will destroy its 
 adhesiveness to the plaster and often cause 
 bulging and general destruction. 
 
 Hospital Practice: In hospitals, where it 
 is necessary to maintain sanitary conditions, 
 the walls are invariably painted, and re- 
 quirements should demand the use of paints 
 which can be washed frequently, so that 
 there will be no possibility of uncleanliness. 
 Inquiry made of a prominent surgeon* con- 
 nected with one of the large metropolitan 
 hospitals substantiated the writer's findings 
 
 ♦Dr. F. F. Gwyer. Cornell Uni. Med. Col. N. V. City. 
 
regarding the greater sanitary value of wall 
 paints, and brought forth the information 
 that in hospitals under construction pro- 
 vision had been made for the finishing of 
 walls so that a hard, non-absorbent and 
 washable surface might be obtained. The 
 same authority stated that the common 
 practice, in apartments and tenements, of 
 covering the old wall paper over with a 
 layer of new, each time a tenant moved 
 in, should be condemned, and that from a 
 hygienic standpoint the use of sanitary wall 
 paints should be advocated in all dwellings 
 as well as public buildings. 
 
 If such conditions are maintained in hos- 
 pitals, where special attention is paid to 
 sanitation, it would appear that similar pre- 
 cautions should be equally as necessary in 
 public buildings and in dwellings — wher- 
 ever, in fact, people congregate to live. 
 
 Sanitary Wall Paints: There have recently 
 appeared in trade a number of wall paints 
 composed of non-poisonous pigments ground 
 in paint vehicles having valuable water- 
 proofing and binding properties, and of a 
 nature to produce the flat or semi-flat 
 finish that has become so popular. Such 
 paints produce a sanitary, waterproof sur- 
 face, which permits of frequent washing. 
 By their use it is possible to secure a more 
 permanent and a wider range of tints than 
 can be obtained with wall paper, as they are 
 produced in a myriad of shades, tints and 
 solid colors, from which any desired com- 
 bination may be selected. On the border 
 or on the body of walls decorated with such 
 
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paints, attractive stencil designs, which J j 
 bring out in reHef the color combinations,! 
 may be applied. " 
 
 For the decoration of chambers and liv- 
 ing rooms, delicate French grays, light 
 buffs, cream tints and ivory whites may be 
 used, while in the library and other rooms 
 richer and more solid colors, such as greens, 
 reds and blues, may be harmoniously com- 
 bined. 
 
 Defects of Wall Paper: It recently oc- 
 curred to the writer to investigate the con- 
 ditions which obtain in many apartment 
 houses in the larger cities. Inspection of 
 a number of such places, in which wall 
 paper had been exclusively used on the 
 walls, showed generally bad conditions ; 
 bulging of the surfaces, caused by damp- 
 ness in the walls, which had loosened up 
 the binder, as well as peeling and drop- 
 ping of the paper from the ceilings, were 
 frequently observed. In many cases a 
 shabby appearance was shown, accompanied 
 by an odor which suggested decomposition 
 of the paste binder used on the paper. The 
 writer was impressed with the fact that 
 such conditions could easily be avoided by 
 the very simple expedient of using properly 
 manufactured wall paints, which are so 
 easily made dustproof and waterproof. 
 
 Samples of wall paper, which had been 
 applied to plastered walls for a year or 
 more, were obtained, and examination uti- 
 der the microscope showed a most uncleanly 
 surface. Cultures were made of these sam- 
 ples, and bacilli of different types were de- 
 
veloped in the culture medium in a short 
 time. 
 
 Experimental Evidence: That the above 
 conditions could not have existed, had 
 proper wall paints been used, seemed doubt- 
 less, and suggested a carefully conducted 
 experiment to prove the relative sanitary 
 values of wall paper and wall paints. A 
 large sheet of fibre board, such as is occa- 
 sionally used to replace plastered walls, 
 was painted on one side with a high- 
 grade wall paint, three-coat work. A simi- 
 lar sheet was papered on one side with a 
 clean, new wall paper. These test panels 
 were placed where unsanitary conditions, 
 such as dampness, foul odors, and a scarcity 
 of air were present. After a short period 
 of exposure, the panels were taken to the 
 bacteriological laboratory and a small sec- 
 tion of the painted surface, about two 
 inches square, as well as a small section of 
 the papered surface of similar size, were 
 removed and used for making cultures. In 
 each case the surface of the section under 
 test was washed with lOO c. c. of distilled, 
 sterilized water. The washings, which 
 dripped from the surface, were collected in 
 a graduated flask. One c. c. of the wash- 
 ings was used in each case, admixed with 
 bouillon and again with agar agar. The 
 enormous development of bacteria in the 
 bouillon, treated with the washings from 
 the wall-papered surface, was sufficient 
 evidence to convince one of the greater 
 sanitary value of the wall paint, the wash- 
 ings from which gave a culture practically 
 
free from bacteria. The colonies of bac- 
 teria shown in the petri-dish test made of 
 the washings from wall paper further sup- 
 ports these findings. It will be noticed that 
 the tests made from the washings of the 
 wall paint show practical absence of bac- 
 teria, and was clear, as was the bouillon- 
 solution test of the paint. The washings 
 from the wall paper showed active develop- 
 ment of bacteria, both in the bouillon and 
 agar tests. 
 
 From the Conservation Standpoint: It 
 would be of interest to sum up in fig- 
 ures the acreage and cordage of wood that 
 annually is transformed into pulp for the 
 manufacture of wall paper. Unfortunately, 
 there are no available statistics on this sub- 
 ject. It is clear, however, that from the 
 standpoint of conservation the use of wall 
 paints should take precedence over the use 
 of wall paper. 
 
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