We've all heard how paint is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to give a room a new look. But before any homeowner embarks on a painting project, it is wise to learn approximately how much paint will be required of the job to plan accordingly.Few things are more frustrating than running out of paint in the middle of a project which can ruin the flow of the room. Even a second batch of paint mixed to the same specifications could be slightly off in shade. That's why it's important to have enough paint at the start of the project. Conversely, too much leftover paint can take up valuable space in a garage or basement.
To figure out how much paint is needed, use this handy guide to estimate for a ceiling or a room project.
Add together the length of all the walls and then multiply the number by the height of the room, from floor to ceiling. The number you get is the room's square footage. Now you have to determine how much of that square footage is paintable surface area.
Because you use a different paint on the doors and windows, subtract those areas from the room total. Just subtract 20 square feet for each door and 15 square feet for each average-sized window in the room. You will end up with a number that is close to the actual wall area you have to cover with paint.
In general, you can expect one gallon of paint to cover 350 square feet. You need slightly more than a gallon if the walls are unpainted drywall, which absorbs more of the paint. You also need to consider whether to paint more than one coat. If you're painting walls that are unfinished, heavily patched or dark in color, plan on two coats of paint.
Next, divide the paintable wall area by 350 (the square-foot coverage in each gallon of paint) to find the number of gallons you will need for the walls. You can round uneven numbers. If the remainder is less than .5, order a couple of quarts of wall paint to go with the gallons; if the remainder is more than .5, order an extra gallon.
The following examples can walk you through the calculations for a 14-by-20-foot room that has 8-foot ceilings, two doors, and two windows.
Ceiling only
1. Multiply the length of the ceiling by its width to find its area. 14 x 20 = 280 square feet
2. Divide that number by 350 to figure out how many gallons of paint to buy. 280 / 350 = .8
For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon of ceiling paint for a single coat.
For the walls
1. Add together the length of each wall.
14 + 20 + 14 + 20 = 68 feet
2. Multiply the sum by the wall height to find the total wall area. 68 x 8 = 544 square feet
3. Subtract 20 square feet for each door (20 x 2 = 40) and 15 square feet for each window (15 x 2 = 30) to find the actual amount of wall area you're painting. 544-70 = 474 square feet
4. Divide this figure by the paint coverage (350 square feet per gallon) and the result is the number of gallons to purchase. 474 / 350 = 1.4
For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon and 2 quarts of paint for a single coat or two gallons if it is more economical than buying quarts.
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1 comment:
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