The surface area or the length of the surfaces to be glued

The square and the rectangle are the geometric figures that are most used to determine the surface areas of the surfaces to be glued.

Example
A customer wants to glue ceramic tiles on a 4 feet x 8 feet wall. Determine the surface area of the surfaces to be glued.
b = 4 feet, h = 8 feet
S = b x h = 4 feet x 8 feet = 32 square feet
60 SICO INC. - REV-2007-02-01

Adhesive coverage
Adhesive coverage is the surface area that can be covered by an adhesive depending on the method used and the type of surface to be covered. Coverage can be expressed in three ways:

To know the coverage of an adhesive per container when it is expressed per liter, simply multiply the coverage by the selected size. For instance, if the coverage of an adhesive is 19 ft2/L, a 3.78 L container covers:

3.78 L x 19 ft2/L = 71.8 ft2 per container.

The data sheets and product labels provide all the information you need to know or determine coverage.

Conversion Chart

1 inch = 2.54 centimeters = 25.4 millimeters
1 foot = 12 inches = 0.305 meters
1 meter = 3.281 feet
1 square foot = 0.09 square meter
1 square meter = 10.76 square feet

QUANTITY CALCULATION

To determine the amount of adhesive required for a job, go through the following steps:

1. Compute the surface area or measure the length of the surfaces to be glued.
2. Consult the data sheet of the product used to determine its coverage.
3. Divide the surface area or the length of the surfaces to be glued by the coverage of the adhesive. You’ll get the amount of adhesive required for the job.

In step 3, you can use coverage per liter or for a specific size; for instance, 19 square feet for a liter or 72 square feet for the 3.78 L size. If you use the coverage for a specific size, you immediately get the number of cans required. If you use the coverage per liter, you get the number of liters required. All that’s left for you to do is divide this number by the size of your choice to obtain the number of cans required: 300 ml, 800 ml, 946 ml, 3.78 L or 19 L. (Select the size that offers the most savings for the customer).

Example 1

A customer wants to glue ceramic tiles on a floor with adhesive 49 and a 3/16 in. (5 mm) V-notched trowel. The floor is 10 feet x 8 feet. Figure out the amount of adhesive required for the job.

1. Floor surface area: S = b x h = 10 feet x 8 feet = 80 ft.2
2. Adhesive 49 coverage: 65 ft2 per container (3.78 L size)
3. Quantity of adhesive: 80 ft2 ÷ 65 ft2 = 1.23 containers, thus 2 containers

Example 2

A customer wants to glue grass carpet on a concrete floor with adhesive 93 and a 3/16 in. (5 mm) V-notched trowel. The carpet is 10 feet x 4 feet. Figure out the amount of adhesive required for the job.

1. Carpet surface area: S = b x h = 10 feet x 4 feet = 40 ft.2
2. Adhesive 93 coverage: 19 ft2/L (946 ml size)
3. Quantity of adhesive: 40 ft2 ÷ 19 ft.2/L = 2.1 L
2.1 L ÷ 946 ml = 2.2 containers, thus 3 containers

Example 3

A customer wants to glue 3 panels on a wall with adhesive 88. The panels are 4 feet x 8 feet. Figure out the amount of adhesive required for the job.

1. Surface area: 3 panels x (4 feet x 8 feet) = 96 ft.2
2. Adhesive 88 coverage: 13.1 ft.2 per cartridge (300 ml size)
3. Quantity of adhesive: 96 ft.2 ÷ 13.1 ft.2 = 7.3 cartridges, thus 8 cartridges