How to Calculate Exterior Paint
Painting the exterior of a home or building can require a large amount of paint. Purchasing mass quantities of paint can be very expensive. Estimating the amount of paint that you need prior to starting your project can save you money, time and loads of frustration.
Things You Will Need:
- Measuring tape
- Calculator
- Camera (optional)
- Measure the length of each side of the building. Include any added square footage, such as alcoves, bay windows, porches or dormer windows.
- Estimate the height of the walls. You can use an average of 10 feet per floor. If the home is two stories, you can estimate a height of 20 feet. If you prefer to measure the exact height of the walls, feel free to do so.
- Calculate the estimated square footage that needs to be painted. You can calculate this by multiplying the length of the walls by the height of the walls.
- Determine the number of coats that you will need to paint. This decision will be based on the condition and paint color of the surface that you are covering. Covering a darker paint color will require more than one coat of paint, as will painting over a well-worn surface.
- Determine the amount of trim that you will need to paint. Measure the height and width of all of the window and door frames on the building. Multiply these measurements to determine the area of the doors and windows and add them to come up with a total square footage calculation. A single gallon of paint trim can cover up to 400 square feet of trim. If you need to paint two coats or are painting more than 400 square feet of trim, you will need more than 1 gallon.
- Add up the total gallons of paint that you will need for your project. If you are still unsure, you can take pictures of the exterior of the building along with you to the paint store. A store associate will be able to view the photos and offer you suggestions regarding your painting supplies.