Paint & Surface Prep

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.

Paint applicator standards classify roller nap thicknesses by surface texture: 1/4" for ultra-smooth cabinets, 3/8" for standard interior drywall, 1/2" for light texture, and 3/4" for rough brick and cinder block, paired with 2.0–2.5" angled sash brushes for cutting-in.

Architectural paint sheens standardize specular gloss reflectivity into Flat/Matte (0–5% gloss, ceilings/bedrooms), Eggshell (10–25%, living rooms), Satin (25–35%, hallways/kids rooms), Semi-Gloss (35–70%, trim/baths), and High-Gloss (70–90+%, cabinets/doors).

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).