How do I figure how much paint it will take?

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I am involved with a group that is restoring the wood clapboard siding on a historic chuch in our town.

The hundred year old clapboard siding is almost completely bare of paint, is grayed and dry. How do I figure how much oil based primer will be needed? How do I figure how much exterior latex paint will be needed?

We are planning on using Sherwin Williams A-100 oil primer and Sherwin Williams Super paint, both exterior grade.

Thank you for all your help!!!!

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), August 26, 2001

Answers

Why are you using "oil primer"? You don't need it unless you have redwood or western red cedar siding. By using that you are blocking the breathing process of the wood. Your going to end up with peeling with that approach because the "oil" will not expand and contract will the wood. You should use a good "acrylic sealing primer",it will give you good bonding adhesion,cover and hide stains,graffiti,etc. perfect for rehab work. cover it with 2 latex top coats,and figure about 250 to 300 sg ft per gallon.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), August 26, 2001.

Hi Clove my old house is the same way im useing turptine and linsed oil mixed 50/50 and putting it on with a garden sprayer. it reall soaks it up put it on last year and again this year going to paint next spring. Bob se,ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@hit.net), August 26, 2001.

It will take exactly one quart more then you have bought!

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), August 26, 2001.

The paint can should tell you approximately how many square feet it will cover. Just figure how many square feet you will be painting and compare to how many the can will cover and decide how many cans you will have to buy. Then decide whether you will have to give it a second coat or not. If you do than you may need to double the amount.

-- Russell Hays (rhays@sstelco.com), August 26, 2001.

Not being a smartbut but to figure sq footage it is length times width or if doing a wall length times height. That will give you the sq footage. Some people dont know how it is done so I thought I would throw that in. It will tell on the can the coverage amount that can will do. dale

-- dale (dgarr@fidnet.com), August 27, 2001.


Thank you for all your answers. I figured usage would run 200-250 sf per gallon, but was really unsure.

Bob, what exactly does the turpentine and linseed oil mixture do for the wood? I have never heard of this kind of treatment.

Will the primer have the same coverage as the paint?

Thanks again for your input!!!!!

-- clove (clovis97@yahoo.com), August 27, 2001.


Turpentine and linseed oil is your original primitive oil paint - without the pigment. Linseed oil is a drying oil, so it will eventually skin over and make a seal or coat; turpentine, as you know, is the thinner. Things became a good deal more technically advanced as time went on, pigments were added, special compounds were added to improve drying; but the original will work, although it dries slowly. If you thin it enough (too much? - depends on what you want), it will soak into the boards before it dries; rather than drying over the surface.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 27, 2001.

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