How Much Paint Should I Buy?

Are you one of those people who run out of paint either before the project is done, or has too much paint left over? You are not alone. Many factors effect how much paint is needed for a room. Here are some tips to help you.

Basic Measurements: Measure the length times the width of the room. Add these numbers together and multiply by two. This number is the circumference of the room. Next measure the height of the room. Multiply this number by the circumference of the room. This will give you the basic square feet of the room. Next, measure any windows and doors in the room. Multiply the width and height of each opening, and then add them together. Subtract this number from the rooms square feet. Here is a mathematical example of a room that is 10 X 12 feet with a 9-foot ceiling, one window (4X5) and one door (4X7): 10 X 12= 120 X 2= 240 X 9=2160 basic square feet. The window is 20 sq ft, and the door is 28 square feet. 2160-20-48= 2116 paint-able square feet.

Determine how many cans of paint are needed: Next, you must determine how many square feet a can of paint will cover. Most cans of paint will indicate how far the paint will go. If the paint you selected promises to cover 1200 square feet, then you will need to divide the paint-able square feet in the room by 1200. 2116 / 1200= 1.76 gallons, or two gallons of paint with enough left over for waste and later touchups.

Ceilings: Ceilings are normally painted white, or a lighter shade than the walls. To determine the amount of paint needed for the ceiling, measure the length and with width of the room, and multiply by two for ceiling square feet. Divide your ceiling square feet by the number of gallons in the can.

Exceptions to this rule: If it were this easy, less people would find themselves with too much to too little paint. Here are the things that will cause you to miscalculate how much paint you need.

Stained or Damaged Walls: If your walls are stained or damaged, chances are you will need to paint extra coats to cover the errors. This will use up a lot of paint, or in many cases, double the amount of paint that is needed. You can save this amount of paint you need by cleaning the walls, and if stains remain, cover the stains with a primer/sealer. If you are using designer paint colors that cost more, it will save you a ton of money to use a primer first.

Previous paint color: If the room was previously painted chocolate, red, or another vibrant or dark color, it will take either a gallon of primer, or an extra gallon of paint to cover the previous color:

New Walls: New walls will need primer because the drywall, even with builders paint, will soak up more paint. You can end up using twice the paint you calculated.

Old Walls: Old walls can be troublesome. Walls can be textured either purposely to hide flaws or from years of layering, and this can use up your paint faster. To prevent old walls from soaking up all of your paint, prepare you walls first by cleaning, filling holes and cracks, and adding primer where needed. Try not to paint over wallpaper if at all possible.

So there you have it. You should have no trouble ordering enough paint to do your room. Always remember that it is nearly impossible to duplicate a color exactly each time, so when in doubt about whether or not you have enough paint, order more. You can always use to for touch-ups.