Document zQVmwkJ20xzrMeR7J7n0ozZ23

rr i--/............ ... ................ cSo-Called elastic zLatnt factor of repaintabilil which we have discussc ous Bu l l e t in s coveri for the house, and it is ec en t l y CR has received on for reducing heat losses from test fences for several years. R a number of requests for a house, the plastic paint could The performance of such paint information on several brandhsave a relatively high insula is known, and regularly and of paint of a peculiar and novel tion value; yet the property continuously being tested un type, advertised as "plastic would be of strictly negligible der scientifically controlled con 1 paint." The reason for this significance to consumers. ditions. Such paints, moreover, interest lies in the extreme na Price comparisons, too, are are made by firms that regular ture of the claims for these new misleading. The price per gal ly carry on research work under products made in the manu lon of one brand of the product competent scientific direction. mental factor in all < of paint selection. If the plastic pain prove wholly unsatisfa removal, which wouk essary to prepare the ^ face properly for rej might be a very diff costly job. facturer's advertising litera ture. To a person not familiar with the types and limitations of paints, Insul-mastic's claim that its product is equal to 20 coats of paint that will resist winds, weather, rust and rot, sticks like glue, and wears like iron, sounds just like what the human race has been waiting is said to be only slightly more than that of good quality ex terior paint, but no figures are given on its spreading power (square feet covered per gal lon), which is the basis upon which any valid comparison of the costs of ordinary paint with paints of an unusual type or consistency must be made. If No such data are available or likely to be available for some years on plastic paints, for there is no shortcut laboratory meth od that can give a reliable pre diction of the performance of a paint to be exposed for a long time to the action of the weath er in diverse climates. The claim of one of the brands All experiments new products should by commercial and i users only, who can ?take risks, not by cc Until such time as pr this type are proved t< factory, and are show: some merits which for, in the way of a paint coat the claims of giving a coat sev of being equivalent in thick ing. Another brand, Cello-Plas eral times thicker than ordi ness to 20 coats of paint also tic, is a shade more modest per nary paint are truthful, obvi should probably be regarded as haps, claiming that one coat of ously spreading power of the a disadvantage rather than an A New Cello-Plastic (exterior) is equiv plastic paint must be but a advantage, for experience with alent to five coats of ordinary fraction of that of ordinary paints has shown that coatings paint, and that it is fade-proof, paint and its cost to cover a of such excessive thickness usu t a t e officials in ( S have reported the dangerous product c; weather-proof, water-resistant, given area several times as ally'prove short-lived and fail charic acid in comi has high insulation value and great. Another claim that it in a very unsightly manner. covers all surfaces--even old will last for years is likewise One of the most important con weather-beaten wood--in one meaningless, for ordinary paint, siderations is that when paint manufactured sher cream, jams, jellies, c< beverages, vermou coat. Other brands, such as even if not of the best grade, ing a house, the cost of the fountain juices and ot Hollywood Plastic, claim to be can truthfully claim this same paint is only a small proportion "strongly resistant to acid" and property when conditions are of the total cost, much the larger better than paint because it favorable. proportion being the cost of ucts. It is typical of adulterants that noi firms using the mat will outlast it. The advertising CR has made no tests of labor. It would therefore seem endeavored to deter claims, upon casual reading, are these paints, for there would to us extremely unwise to use very attractive and persuasive be no point in spending time any paint about which little or forehand its wholesoi safety, yet all were i and are cleverly written to give and money on such a test; even nothing is known as to its life, place of such tart s them the appearance of claim if tests should be made and adherent properties or other im ing more than they actually do substantiate the manufactur portant qualities. Further, if when read writh care and a cold ers' claims (which is most un the product were satisfactory as citric acid, tartaric tic acid and other \ stances, which are e> ly analytical eye. For example, likely), so-called plastic paints as to life and adhering prop scarce at present, be the claim of high insulating would not be recommended as erties, it might be very unsatis wide use in normal value is extremely misleading. house paints for several rea factory in one respect which is various sweets and The plastic paint may very well sons. Paints of the good'old- fundamental to all good paints, products. When ana have a relatively high insulat fashioned sorts made by the --that is, it might not be pos ing value compared with ordi best makers are known to be sible to paint over it satisfac nary paint, but, as ordinary very satisfactory by virtue of torily later, which could make made, it was found saccharic acid itself non-edible grade or qi paint has practically no insu the fact that they have been repainting extremely difficult was not only unsta lating value, and is not relied time-tested in actual use or on and probably very costly. This composition, as show] CONSUMERS' RE factor of repaintability is one paints do not possess, our ad which was sold by shady and it which we have discussed in vari vice would be not to use them, high-pressure methods in the ous Bu l l e t in s covering paints with one possible exception, an St. Louis area. It was adver for the house, and it is a funda exception however of decidedly tised as "guaranteed perma rai years. aich paint L larly and ; r ested un- k rolled conmoreover, . . it regularork under direction, ailable or * for some i for there d K ory meth- ; r ' liable pre- j nance of a ' ` for a long f:; j :he weath- ? s. the brands - mental factor in all questions of paint selection. If the plastic paint should prove wholly unsatisfactory, its removal, which would be nec essary to prepare the wood sur face properly for repainting, might be a very difficult and costly job. All experiments on such new products should be done by commercial and industrial users only, who can afford to take risks, not by consumers. Until such time as products of this type are proved to be satis factory, and are shown to have some merits which old-style unusual character. Such an exception might be in a case of fixing up a building having such bad paint that it cannot be repaired without undue expense and is to be patched up -only to get through the present war emergency, with the expecta tion that it will be torn down or extensively renovated after ward. As we go to press the St. Louis Better Business Bureau has exposed the false claims and poor performance of one of this class of products, which is known as Lin-Tite Liquid Plas tic, "scientists' greatest devel opment in protective coating," nent" and it was claimed that it never blisters, cracks, chips, or peels, that it gives "ever lasting beauty" and "complete protection," yet examination of a house to which this product was applied in August 1942 at a cost of $410 disclosed the coating to be peeling and flak ing in a number of places; in other places it had become powdery and was `developing cracks. It is interesting to note that a two-coat paint job by a repu table paint contractor for the same house could have been secured for $175, or $235 les than it cost to use Lin-Tite. in thick- paint also | rgarded as :r than an s A New and Dangerous Wartime Food Adulterant ience with t coatings \ mess usu- t a t e officials in California substances used in the dyeing S have reported the use of a ing out of numerous heads of and coloring of foods, with dangerous product called sac wooden barrels in w'hich it was monochloracetic acid and with 1 ar*'l fail charic acid in commercially shipped, but contained toxic diethvlene glycol used as adul n Aer. manufactured sherbets, ice metallic contaminations '(ar terants and preservatives in rtant con- cream, jams, jellies, carbonated senic and lead) as well as hydro food manufacture, and in scores len paint- beverages, vermouth, soda cyanic acid (one of the most of other cases.) California is st of the \ fountain juices and other prod poisonous of all chemical sub to be congratulated for the ac >roportion ucts. It is typical of the use of stances) and oxalic acid, also tivity of its Bureau of Food i the larger [ adulterants that none of the a very poisonous material. and Drug Inspections in this e cost of firms using the material had There was a very obvious case, for its analyses resulted `fore seem endeavored to determine be menace to health in the use of in the quarantining of a total ise to use ; forehand its wholesomeness or such materials as an acidifier of over 5,000 gallons of sac h little or : safety, yet all were using it in for foods and beverages, many charic acid, as also many thou to its life, place of such tart substances of which were of the sort much sands of gallons of vermouth, r other im- \ as citric acid, tartaric acid, lac used by children. From the sherbet, carbonated beverages, 'urther, if tic acid and other such sub consumers' standpoint, the and miscellaneous food sub tisfactory = , stances, which are exceedingly most important factor in the stances, soda fountain syrups, ing prop- r scarce at present, but were in situation is its pointing up again etc., and 50,000 cases of jam. y unsatis- tr wide use in normal times in the way in which manufacturers The Federal Food and Drug t which is [ various sweets and beverage will buy and use a product for Administration, too, has pro od paints, products. When analyses were flavoring or adulteration of ceeded in a number of cases 't be pos- k , made, it was found that the food, and then let later events against saccharic acid and has t satisfac- saccharic acid itself was of a determine whether the choice brought about seizures of quan mid make k non-edible grade or quality, and of the material was a wise one. tities of the substance, and with 7 difficult , was not only unstable in its (This has happened with cop drawal from the market of other stly. This imposition, as shown by blow per salts and various coaltar outstanding lots. [ RIL 1944 m , CONSUMERS' RESEARCH BULLETIN. APRIL 1944 19