Coverage and thinning interior latex


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Old 01-06-20, 05:08 PM
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Coverage and thinning interior latex

Does anyone get the advertised coverage when painting?

350-400 sq ft for a quart? That's a 10' x 40' wall!

Does anyone thin their paint for easier application?

After finishing my first coat (Sherwin Williams Emerald) I sprayed my roller with water to keep it from drying out overnight. When I started painting the second coat the next day, the first 9' feet went on very nice. The roller was wet and rolled out very nice. Soon I was back to 'thick' paint and having to load the roller often to keep a wet edge and avoid stippling.

I'm thinking the trick might be to thin the paint a bit? I used extender but still think thinning might help especially since I know I'll be doing 2 coats. I will contact SW to see what they say.

I've been happy with the results with SW but the application is tedious,

Thoughts?
 
  #2  
Old 01-07-20, 03:12 AM
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Coverage depends on the type of surface the paint is being applied to. The slicker and more sealed the surface is the farther the paint will go. Rougher surfaces or ones that are porous will take more paint.

I think many of the new paint formulas are thicker and tend to dry quicker. If you need to thin it some to make it apply better that's ok although it might not cover as well. Most paint manufactures don't recommend thinning more than 10%
 
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Old 01-07-20, 06:14 AM
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You have to read the fine print carefully to obtain the coverage numbers. Some cans are overly optimistic about how much it will cover while I've seen some brands provide coverage amounts for light, medium and heavy coats. You are right though, 400 square feet is a lot to ask of a quart of paint.

I do not thin latex paint when rolling or spraying. If using a sprayer that requires thinning I would start at the low end for adding water and only add enough to allow the sprayer to work properly.
 
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Old 01-07-20, 08:02 AM
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400 square feet is a lot to ask of a quart of paint.
I mis read that 400 sq ft is for a gallon!
 
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Old 02-14-20, 06:36 PM
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I mis read that 400 sq ft is for a gallon!
So did I! duhhhhh

My bad, when I picked up the paint, the lady said a quart should cover 150 sf ft ( hmmm really ) then I read the quart can and just saw 350-400 sq ft and 2 wrongs made a wrong. I should have know, I just suffered major brainfade from too many DIY projects and issues.

Sorry for wasting everyone's time.

350-400 sq ft - GALLON
 
 

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