How to Estimate the Amount of Paint Needed

Although it can be fun and exciting to add a new color to walls, it is a big job. Also, the costs of good-quality paint can add up quickly. It is important to know exactly how much paint is needed to avoid spending too much money on paint that will only go to waste.

Instructions

- 1
  Calculate the perimeter of the room. For a rectangular room, add the length and width of the room and multiply times 2. If the room is not a regular shape, then measure the length of all the walls and add the numbers together.
- 2
  Measure the height of the ceiling. Keep the tape measure completely vertical to get the most accurate measurement. If the ceiling height is not consistent, then it is best to err on the positive side by getting too much. Measure from the floor to the tallest part of the ceiling.
- 3
  Determine the area of all the windows. This is found by measuring the height and width of each window and then multiplying those numbers together. Add the areas of all windows.
- 4
  Find the areas of all the doors. This is done the same way as the windows, multiplying the width by the height. Then find the sum of the areas of all the doors in the room.
- 5
  Figure out the total areas of the walls in the room. Multiply the perimeter of the room by the height of the ceiling. From that total, subtract the area of the windows and the area of the doors.
- 6
  Divide the final number by 400. Good-quality paint should cover approximately 400 square feet of wall space.
- 7
  Determine how many coats will be needed. If retouching a wall of the same color, only one coat will be needed. If the color is very similar, probably only one coat is needed. Any bigger changes will need two coats. If that is the case, multiply the number of gallons by 2.

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