Are you unsure how much paint is needed for your project? This is a common question for DIYers! What size gallons should I buy?
HOW TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH PAINT YOU NEED?
There are steps you can take to estimate how much paint you will need. This is how you calculate the amount of paint that you will need.
- Add the length from end to end of all walls that are to be painted. Let’s assume that four walls are 12 feet in length. Also, 48 x 12 ft. This is the perimeter for the room.
- From floor to ceiling, measure the height the walls. Let’s assume that the wall height is 10 feet.
- Multiply the perimeter (48), number by the height of the walls (10′). This will give you the area to be painted. It is 480 square feet in this example.
- Divide that number (480), by the approximate area of one gallon paint (approx. 400 sq. ft.). So 400 divided by 480 equals 1.2 gallons paint. This is how much paint you will need to paint one wall. If you need to paint two walls, double that amount. In most cases, two coats will be required.
WHAT TYPE OF PAINT IS PERMITTED FOR CEILINGS?
Just like walls, you need to calculate the ceiling’s square footage. Multiply the ceiling’s length by its width. Divide that number by 400 to get the required gallons.
WINDOW AND DOORS
If you are painting a room, but not the windows or doors in the same color, make sure you do not include their square footage when calculating how much paint you should buy. The area of the windows or doors was included in the calculation of the wall’s length and height. To subtract the square footage from the original calculation, you will need to calculate the area of the windows or doors. Here’s how:
- Measure all windows and doors to determine the area of each.
- Add the number of windows and doors in the room. You might have four windows and two doors.
- Add that square footage to the wall’s square footage you calculated earlier.
- This will help you to avoid purchasing unneeded paint.
WHAT TYPE OF PAINT IS ESSENTIAL FOR TRIM?
You will need to calculate if you want to trim the walls with a different color than the walls.
- Calculate the length to be painted.
- Calculate the length of each trim.
- Multiply length by width to get the area of trim you wish to paint.
- Divide the square footage by 400 to calculate how many gallons are needed for one coat.
ABOUT PRIMERS
Primers are an essential first step in painting. Primers cover 200-300 sq. feet per gallon, which is less than paint covers. Primer is more important than paint to complete your package.
To determine how much primer you need, multiply the area you have calculated earlier by 300. You will need trusted painters in Auckland if you are applying more than one primer coat.
We can come out and take a look at your project, providing you with a no-obligation estimate.
