Q&A for How to Calculate Amount of Paint to Paint a Room

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  • Question
    Is 1 gallon of paint enough for a room?
    Varga Gulshani
    Residential Painting Specialist
    Varga Gulshani is a Residential Painting Specialist and the Owner of Elegant Painting based in Washington. With more than 16 years of experience, Varga and his team specialize in residential interior painting, exterior painting, and cabinet painting. Varga and the Elegant Painting team have all received background and verification checks.
    Residential Painting Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Estimating accurately how much paint you'll need is hard, especially because it depends on the tint base. Almost all colors require two coats, but some ultra-deep bases might need three to four coats. As a general rule, you'd need 2 gallons for an average-sized bedroom.
  • Question
    Can I measure the length, width and the height to get my accurate measurement?
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    You only need to measure height and length to get the surface area of your walls. However, you only use width and length when measuring for trim.
  • Question
    How to calculate the area of a room with door and window
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    Measure the length and width of each door and window. Then, multiply these measurements to get the total surface area of each structure. Subtract these measurements from your total wall area to figure out how much surface you need to paint.
  • Question
    When I measured my wall for paint, I measured in inches, not feet. I took the total inches of height and then width and multiplied the two numbers. Is this method accurate?
    Community Answer
    Yes. However, if you have any windows or doors, be sure to deduct the size of them.
  • Question
    Can I find the square feet of walls by using the square feet of floors?
    Community Answer
    No, you need to have wall height and length to calculate area. If you use only the floors, then you would only have length.
  • Question
    How do I calculate how many cans of paint I need knowing coverage per can and the wall measurements?
    Community Answer
    If you have the wall measurements, calculate area by multiplying the wall's length by its height, then compare that with the coverage per can. If, for example, the wall's area is 50 square feet and your paint covers 10 square feet, you will need 5 cans to complete the project.
  • Question
    How many sq. ft. does one liter of paint cover?
    Community Answer
    Each paints has its own coverage. You'd have to look into the brand/type you want.
  • Question
    How much square feet does a gallon of paint cover?
    Community Answer
    It should be able to cover about 400 square feet; it really just depends on how thick the coat is.
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