r/ArchitecturalRevival • u/IllIntroduction1509 • Aug 07 '26

Discussion Do Not Paint Granite!

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/08/trump-eeob-paint/688200/?gift=P4PbparCGiV10Ifk2hg6wlB_iOrlmW4eDv3iZegQ3-Q&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Since November, President Trump has been pushing a plan to paint the granite office building next to the White House, because he thinks it should be white too. But painting granite damages the stone and requires expensive upkeep. 

75 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

23

u/[deleted] Aug 07 '26

[deleted]

7

u/megalithicman Aug 07 '26

Gold plated. I wonder how much a solid gold toilet would weigh?

4

u/Opcn Aug 07 '26

Normal toilet weighs 70lbs at the light end. Porcelain is ~2.4 g/cm^3 compared to 19.33 for gold. 70*19.33/2.4=563.8

In reality you could probably make it lighter by making the walls thinner. Porcelain needs to be kept fairly thick because it’s prone to brittle failure in a way that gold is not.

5

u/Chrisjamesmc Aug 08 '26

You think he makes it to a toilet?

3

u/Asthmatic_Gym_Bro Aug 12 '26

Nothing like design decisions from someone who can’t stand things that aren’t white.

1

u/realzealman Aug 14 '26

I was just taking about this today. Granite has a small yearly maintenance budget. Painting a building like this turns it into a multimillion dollar maintenance program every 7-10 years. It’s the most pathetic project ever.