CoatQuotaHow much paint a room takes, coat by coat.

Exterior paint for 200 ft of smooth fibre cement at 9 ft high, 1 coats

Exterior paint
4.77gallons
1,668 ft² of smooth fibre cement in 1 coat — 1 × 5 gal bucket
Exterior paint by coat4.77 galfirst coat4.14 galeach later coat15% further once the surface is sealed — 0 gal saved4.77gallons total350 ft²/galtexture, not brand
Paint4.77gal
What to buybuckets pay from about 3.6 gal up1 × 5 gal
Wall area200 ft perimeter × 9 ft, less 6 windows and 2 doors1,668ft²
Spread ratethe easiest exterior surface to cover — closest to interior drywall350ft²/gal
First coat4.77gal
Each later coat15% further on a sealed surface4.14gal
Perimeter
200 ft
Wall height
9 ft
Siding
smooth fibre cement
Coats
1
Windows
6

Texture decides the spread rate, not the brand

smooth fibre cement takes about 350 ft² per gallon. The same house in smooth fiber cement would take noticeably less, and in brick noticeably more — the mortar joints drink more than the brick does.

200 ft of perimeter at 9 ft high, less 6 windows and two doors, is 1,668 ft². At 1 coat that is 4.77 gallons.

The second coat is cheaper

Once the surface is sealed, paint spreads about 15% further. Doubling the first coat would say 4.77 gal — 0 gal more than you need, sitting in the garage until it separates.

Two weather limits matter more than the gallon count

Surface temperature has to stay above about 10 °C for the whole cure, not just while you are painting. A warm afternoon followed by a cold night gives a film that never properly coalesces, and it comes off in sheets the following spring.

Dew point matters as much as rain. Early-morning painting on a clear autumn day fails constantly for exactly this reason — the siding is wet with dew that you cannot see.

Wash first, and wait

Paint over chalky or dirty siding fails at the interface however good the paint is. Pressure-washed wood needs two or three dry days; a moisture meter reading under 15% is the honest test, not "it looks dry".

Back-roll anything you spray

Spray lays paint on the surface. Back-rolling works it into the grain and the grooves. On smooth fibre cement that is the difference between six years and twelve.

Notes

  • **Surface texture, not brand, decides the spread rate.** Smooth fibre cement takes about 350 ft² per gallon — the easiest exterior surface to cover — closest to interior drywall. The same house in smooth fibre cement would take 4.77 gal per coat against 4.77 here.
  • **Two weather limits matter more than the gallon count.** Surface temperature must stay above about 10 °C for the whole cure, not just while you are painting — a warm afternoon followed by a cold night gives a film that never coalesces. And the surface has to be dry: dew point matters as much as rain, which is why early-morning painting on a clear autumn day so often fails.
  • On smooth fibre cement in sound condition, spot-prime bare and repaired areas rather than priming the whole wall. A full prime coat here buys very little.
  • Wash it first, and let it dry properly. Paint over chalky or dirty siding fails at the interface no matter how good the paint is, and pressure-washed wood needs two or three dry days before it is ready — a moisture meter reading under 15% is the honest test.
  • Back-roll anything sprayed. Spray alone lays the paint on the surface; back-rolling works it into the grain and the grooves, and on smooth fibre cement that is the difference between six years and twelve.
  • Buy it all at once and box it. Exterior walls are seen in full sun from a distance, which is the least forgiving lighting there is for a batch difference.

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