If you're painting a room for the first time, one of the most important things to figure out is how much paint you need. You don't want to run out half-way through and have to scramble to buy more. So, how do you go about calculating how much paint you need? It's not as difficult as it may seem! Keep reading for tips on how to do it.

Calculating the Area:

A measuring tape and a simple mathematical calculation are all you need to calculate the square feet of a surface. The height and width of a wall will give you an important measurement for purchasing paint, as you multiply one by the other to get square feet.

There's also a straightforward technique for determining the square footage of each wall in a room. When you measure the width, length, and height of a ceiling, you have the groundwork for all of your room's wall calculations. An illustration of how to measure the walls and ceiling in a room is shown below.

The first step is to measure the width of a north or south-facing wall. Then measure the length of your east or west-facing wall to obtain the room's height. Finally, take measurements from the floor to the ceiling upwards to determine the room's height. You should end up with the following table and the letters representing your measurements:

Length: X

Width: Y

Height: Z

The height of the walls is multiplied by the width to get square feet for your north and south facing walls. You may then compute the square footage of your east and west walls by multiplying the length by the elevation. If you want to paint your ceiling, simply divide the length by the width. All of your results will be added together to determine the total square footage of surfaces that you'll paint.

However, you must also take into account windows and doors. The simplest approach to obtain an exact result is to measure the square footage of your windows and door and then remove it from your total.

How to Decide the Amount of Paint that I Need?

Now that you've obtained your surface dimensions, it's time to select paint. Keep in mind that a gallon covers around 400 square feet. See the label for a more precise indication of how far the paint will stretch. However, you must also account for waste, therefore a more accurate estimate is 350 square feet.

Choosing paint is only half of the battle. The surface you are painting on will also have an influence on how much coverage you get. We suggest that you prime surfaces that need more paint, such as wood and brick. You'll also need to repair any gouges or indentations in the surface before applying primer to ensure that your paint isn't being wasted.

A pint of paint is typically about 75 to 100 square feet. This much paint will cover internal walls with doors. When you're purchasing paint, keep in mind that it'll come in different sizes to hit as near to your total square footage as possible without running out or having too much left over.

If you're going to paint a huge space, it's usually best to purchase your supplies in pounds. If you're planning on painting your walls in distinct hues, remember that you'll need to alter the dimensions of your plans. If the manufacturer claims that the coverage is up to 100 square feet for an 8 x 10-foot wall, you can buy a single pint.