ESTIMATING PAINTS Paints and other surface coatings are estimated using the formula: (Surface Area) x (No.of Coats) = Quantity of Paint Required Coverage of Paint The surface area to be painted is computed from the measurements or scaled distances shown on the project drawings. The calculations should be in square meters and the areas of openings such as windows, fixed glass panels, etc. and those where the coating is of a different material, should be deducted from the gross surface area Generally, the number of coats required consists of one primer coat and one or two topcoats for previously unpainted surfaces. For repainting works, the number would depend upon the condition of the surface and the old coal of paint, among others. The coverage is the area which a given quantity of paint, usually 4 liters, can cover per coat applied. It is expressed as the number of square meters per 4 liters. The spreading rate is ordinarily indicated on paint containers but if the same is not shown, the information can be obtained trom the manufacturer of the paint specified for the job, The coverage of various kinds of paints is among the information included in the brief specifications of paints and others coatings found on pages J.7 to ¥.10. It is noted that two values are given and these can be interpreted to mean that the lower coverage is used when estimating the materials for rough surfaces or thick paint fim applied, while the higher spreading rate is employed in calculating for smooth surface materials of thin application of the paint. One can also opt to use the average of the two values for general estimating work. When the coverage used in the formula is in number of square meters per liter of paint, the result obtained is the quantity of paint required in liters, or the number of cans each containing 1 liter of paint ‘When itis in number of square meters per 4 liters, the answer is the quantity of paint needed in 4 liters, or the number of cans each containing 4 titers. Primer and topcoat paints are sold in 16-liter, 4iter and the smaller 1-lter cans. To avoid, confusion and to make it easy to convert the total quantity of paint required to its equivalent number of either 1Guliter, 4-lter, ‘iter cans, or any combination thereof, it is desirable that the calculations should ive the total quantity required in liters. To achieve this, the coverage given in square meters per 4 liters should be converted to its equivalent spreading rate per liter by dividing both the given area and the ‘quantity of paint by 4. For example, coverage of 40 square meters per 4 liters of paint is converted thus: 1 _ 40 square meters per 1liter coverage Primers and topcoat paints are usually ordered in 16-liter and 4-Iiter tin cans, while tinting colors ‘are generally purchased in T-lter and 1/4-Iter containers. When the computed quantity of primer and tapcoat paints is considerable, it should be translated into 16-lter cans. J2