Side-by-Side Comparison
Paint & Surface Prep
Paint Coverage vs. Sandpaper Grits
Comparing 2 standards across 15 specifications. 15 key differences identified.
Comparing:
Paint Coverage
Sandpaper Grits
One US gallon of architectural paint covers 350 to 400 square feet (32.5–37.2 m²) of smooth, primed drywall at 1.5 mil dry film thickness. One quart covers 85–100 sq ft, while rough unprimed masonry reduces coverage by 20–30% to 250 sq ft per gallon.
Coated abrasive sandpapers standardize abrasive particle sizes under CAMI (US) and FEPA 'P' (ISO 6344) scales: Extra Coarse (24–36 grit for heavy stripping), Medium (80–120 for wood prep), Fine (150–180 for finish sanding), and Ultra-Fine (320–600 for wet intercoat sanding).
Specification Comparison Table
15 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Governing Standards
|
PDCA Standard Estimating Guidelines / ASTM D2805 | ISO 6344 (FEPA P-Grade) / ANSI B74.18 (CAMI Standards) |
|
1 US Gallon Coverage (Smooth)
|
350 to 400 sq ft (32.5–37.2 m²) at 1.5 mil dry film thickness | — |
|
1 US Quart Coverage
|
85 to 100 sq ft (7.9–9.3 m²) | Small accent walls, powder rooms, furniture | — |
|
5-Gallon Commercial Pail
|
1,750 to 2,000 sq ft (162–186 m²) | Whole-house painting | — |
|
Rough / Textured Surface Loss
|
Reduces coverage to 250–300 sq ft/gal on unprimed masonry, brick, or stucco | — |
|
Standard Dry Time to Touch
|
1 to 2 hours for latex water-based paint (4–6 hours for oil-based) | — |
|
Standard Recoat Interval
|
4 hours for latex paint (24 hours for oil-based alkyd paints) | — |
|
Room Paint Formula
|
((Perimeter × Height)–Window/Door Deductions (40 sq ft avg)) ÷ 350 = Gallons per coat | — |
|
Extra Coarse (24–36 Grit)
|
— | 530–710 µm | Rapid material removal, heavy paint stripping, floor sanding |
|
Coarse (40–60 Grit)
|
— | 250–425 µm | Rough wood shaping, deep scratch removal |
|
Medium (80–120 Grit)
|
— | 125–200 µm | Leveling bare wood, initial drywall sanding (Benchmark) |
|
Fine (150–180 Grit)
|
— | 82–100 µm | Final bare wood sanding before stain or primer |
|
Very Fine (220–240 Grit)
|
— | 53–68 µm | Light sanding between coats of paint/polyurethane |
|
Ultra Fine (320–600 Grit)
|
— | 26–46 µm | Wet sanding, lacquer smoothing, metal polishing |
|
Micro Fine (1000–3000 Grit)
|
— | 6–18 µm | Automotive clearcoat wetsanding and mirror finish buffing |