In the middle of the 20th-century, experimentation in house paint formulation crossed paths with the experimentation of artists with house paint. A brittle and ineffective white house paint was being marketed during a period when the Abstract Expressionists were using house paint as a ground layer material. Paintings created during this brief period have the potential for hidden problems. This research examines a group of paintings from the collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and highlights a possible relationship between zinc oxide oil grounds and condition problems observed in these paintings. The goal of this research is to encourage discussion related to the preservation of works from this important period.