is square footage a good estimate in finding how much paint it takes to paint a house?

Question

this is for a geometry honors final project and i know absolutely nothing about square footage and painting a house!!! please help!!!

i've found out that's it's a good way to estimate paint, but why?

how do you find square footage?

Answer 1

Actually most gallons of paint have a spread rate of 300-400 sq ft per gal. Remember to calculate wall square footage, and not floor square footage (unless painting floors or ceilings). There is also a graph called a nomograph to figure sq footage vs. volume solids in paint. Each quality of paint has different volume solids, and the higher solids the farther it will go. This is referred to in the paint industry as "mileage". Also the modality of application will change the spread rate too. Spraying paint through a paint sprayer will use twice as much paint typically, than rolling or brushing.

Answer 2

Square footage is the only way to estimate how much paint you will need. But not the same aquare footage of the living space. if you have a sixteen hundred sq. foot home, that does not mean you will only need enough paint for sixteen hundred sq. foot. That sixteen hundred sq. foot is floor area. You need to measeure each wall to get the total sq. foot for painting. Most off the shelf paint covers at about 800 to 900 sq foot per gallon. but, factors such as temperature and surface condition all should be taken into account. When I used to estimate for paint projects, I always got the sq. footage and then added ten percent, for the above mentioned conditions, possible loss to spillage, the amout of paint soaked up by the roller, etc. every little thing will affect the actual amout of paint you have to work with.

Answer 3

This is the way painters figure out how much paint they need. It's quite simple: one gallon of paint will cover 400 square feet of wall space, one coat. So you would calculate your square footage and double it if you need two coats of paint (which you usually do.)

Good luck on your honors final project. And don't worry....You'll do fine!

Answer 4

Yes, most paints will tell you how many square feet (or Square yards) a gallon will cover. The square feet you need is for the area of the sides of the house. Length times height. Don't forget to measure your dormers.

Answer 5

depends are you painting in closets and bathrooms? square footage is normally liveable space which means any space you could use and sometimes they even include the garage in square footage.... pick up the phone book and call a few painters..

Answer 6

Hello,
Yes!
That's the best way to figure how much paint to buy to paint a house that I've always used.
Hope this helps,
Dave

Answer 7

As far as I know, it's the ONLY way!