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Getting the right amount of paint for a room can be a problem. If you buy too little, there is a possibility that the paint that you buy later may not match your existing color. There is a simple way to calculate the amount of paint that you will need for your project.

Add together the widths of your walls. For example, if your walls are 16’ wide, you will calculate 16’ + 16’ + 16’ + 16’ = 64’

How tall are your walls? Say your ceiling height is 10’. You will then multiply the widths of your walls by the height of your ceiling, or 64’ X 10’ = 640 square feet.

If you choose, you can subtract the sizes of your doors and windows from your total square footage. Or, you can leave your doors and windows in your calculations so that you have a little extra paint at the end for “fix ups.” If you want to deduct your doors and windows from your square footage, you can measure the height and width of each window and door, calculate their square footages, and then deduct this amount from your overall square footage. Or, you can “guestimate” by using 21 square feet for doors and 15 square feet for windows.

So, if you “guestimate” one door and two windows, you will calculate 640 square feet – 21 (one door) – 30 (two windows) = 589 square feet.

Generally speaking, a gallon of paint will cover approximately 400 square feet while a quart will cover 100 square feet. Keep in mind that you may have to paint two coats if you are changing colors or have chosen bright colors.

Make sure that you buy a quality paint for your project. While less expensive paints may seem like a “deal,” less expensive paints will not give you the coverage and depth in color per coat that quality paints offer.