The Swedish color "Faluröd"

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The flag of Sweden shines in blue and yellow, landscape and cities in red and green. It is not just any red, but the typical Swedish color "Faluröd".

Red houses with white windows characterize the landscape of Sweden.
Red houses with white windows characterize the landscape of Sweden.

Every traveler through Sweden encounters the typical red-brown painted houses with bright white windows. If these are surrounded by green meadows and forests, then red and green are impressed as Swedish colors.

The red color of Sweden

  • It goes back to copper mining in the country. In Sweden in the 17th and 18. In the 19th century, copper was mined in huge quantities. Rotmulm (unusable copper ore) was produced as a by-product. It is the raw material for the Swedish color “Faluröd”.
  • Initially, only the nobility or wealthy citizens painted their houses with it. They imitated the red brick buildings of the Hanseatic cities. When important visitors were announced, nearby houses were also given the promising coat of paint.
  • This was the beginning of the triumphant advance of the Swedish color. It also proved to be a wood preservative. Churches, houses of the small country nobility and later even simple houses were soon painted.

Swedish tradition to this day

  • You are sure to see some houses in yellow, light blue or other colors in Sweden's landscape by now. But the most common is still the "Faluröd". The Swedes stick to their tradition.
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  • The “Faluröd” paint is an environmentally friendly paint. The raw material red mulm contains copper, silicate, iron ocher and various zinc compounds. This explains the effect as a wood protection. Since the paint as a slurry paint does not cover airtight, this can wood keep breathing underneath. Such a coating lasts for about 15 years.
  • The city that manufactures Swedish paint is Falun. In the 17th / 18th The largest copper mine in the world was located here in the 19th century. Although this was closed in 1992, there are still ample supplies of red mulberry. The Swedes can process your reddish brown for many years to come.
  • The copper mine in Falun, the industrial landscape and an adjoining wooden town with houses around 300 years old are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • The Swedish color “Faluröd” is not limited to the homes of wealthy citizens for a long time. It decorates large villas as well as small sheds and has not lost any of its prestige up to the present day.

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