How Much Paint Should I Buy?

The problem you have is twofold. If you buy too much paint you will have overspent and will have to either dispose of the surplus or repurpose it. However, on the flip side, if you don’t purchase enough paint, it means you can’t finish your project without a return trip to the store.

At The Painting Company, we understand your struggle. Painting is often a large project which has the potential to put a serious dent in your monthly budget. Without a plan, it is all but inevitable that you will get your estimations wrong unless luck happens to be on your side. The better option is to take accurate measurements of your painting surfaces and purchase your paint accordingly.

Square Feet Measurements

Measuring the square feet of a surface requires nothing more than a measuring tape and a simple mathematical calculation. The height and width of a wall will provide you with an essential measurement for buying paint, as you multiply one by the other to calculate square feet.

There is also a simple method you can use to calculate the square footage of each wall in a room. When you measure the width, length, and height of a ceiling you have the foundation for your formulas for all the walls in the room. The calculations below are an example of how to measure the walls and ceiling in a room.

First of all measure the width of a north or south-facing wall. Then measure your east or west-facing wall to get the length of the room. Lastly, measure the height of the room from the floor to the ceiling. You should end up with the following table and the letters representing your measurements:

Width = X

Length = Y

Height = Z

Width multiplied by height will give you the square feet for your north and south facing walls. You can then calculate the square feet of your east and west walls by multiplying the length by the height. If you are planning on painting your ceiling, all you need to do is use length multiplied by width. Adding all your results together will result in the total square footage for the surfaces you intend on painting.

However, you have to also account for windows and doors. The simplest way to get an accurate result is by measuring the square footage of your windows and door, and then subtract the result from your total.

Choosing the Right Paint

Now that you have the measurements for your surfaces, you are ready to choose your paint. When shopping for paint, bear in mind that a gallon will typically cover around 400 square feet. You can check the label for a more accurate estimation of how far the paint will stretch. However, you also have to account for waste, which is why a better estimation is coverage of 350 square feet.

The surface that you are painting on will also come into play when you are choosing paint. Surfaces that absorb more paint will have an impact on coverage. We recommend that you use a primer on what is known as “thirsty” surfaces. You will also want to repair any indents on the surface before you apply primer to ensure that your paint is not being wasted.

Estimations for a pint of paint range from 75 to 100 square feet. This amount of paint will provide coverage for interior walls with doors. When you are buying your paint you may need to buy different sized cans to get as close to your total square footage as possible without running out or ending up with too much left over.

You don’t want to purchase all your paint in gallons if the total square footage far exceeds your needs. Remember, too, that you will need to adjust your measurements if you are planning on painting your walls in different colors. For a wall that is 8 x 10, you may get away with buying a single pint if the manufacturer estimates that the coverage is up to 100 square feet.

The Painting Company

We know that not everyone has the time or patience to measure a room and then shop around for the right paint to get the job done. The Painting Company’s teams can provide you with advice and guidance on purchasing the right amount of paint for each of your walls. Helping our customers achieve perfect results is part of our commitment to serving homeowners in Arizona and Nevada.

Contact The Painting Company today if you need help with your home painting project. We are here to keep you on the right track with expert knowledge on painting any surface.