HOW MUCH MASONRY PAINT?
The spreading power of masonry paints varies according to the porosity and texture of the surface. Roughcast, for instance could take twice as much paint as smooth render. These spreading rates are usually given on the side of the paint tin but in general the coverage is:
• smooth surfaces – 6 to 1Om2 (65 to 110sq ft) per litre
• lightly textured surfaces – 4 to 6m2 (44 to 65sq ft) per litre
• pebbledash, roughcast and – 3 to 4m2 (33 to 44sq ft) per litre.
CALCULATING THE AREA
To estimate the area of a house wall, simply measure out its length and multiply by the eaves height. Only allow for window area if this is over one fifth of total wall area.
• if you don’t know the height, measure the length of the lowest whole section of a downpipe and multiply this by the number of sections making up the complete pipe drop
• for triangular areas, measure the base of the triangle, multiply by by the height and divide the answer by two.