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Paint Calculator

This document provides instructions for estimating the amount of paint needed for a project. It explains how to calculate paint needs based on surface area, spreading rate, and number of coats. An example calculation for painting living room walls is included to demonstrate the process.

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slimdave1
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
250 views

Paint Calculator

This document provides instructions for estimating the amount of paint needed for a project. It explains how to calculate paint needs based on surface area, spreading rate, and number of coats. An example calculation for painting living room walls is included to demonstrate the process.

Uploaded by

slimdave1
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DIY Info

Estimating paint...
how much do I need?
To determine how much paint you need for your
project you will need the following information:

1. Surface area of the surface(s) to be painted (excluding areas where


there are windows, doors etc).

2.
3. The number of coats required.

Spreading rate of the paint being used.

Once you have the above information, you can calculate the
amount required as follows:

Total surface area (in square metres)


Divided by
Spreading rate of paint (in square metres per litre)

Multiplied by x
Number of coats
Equals =
Total litres required
Porous, rough and textured surfaces (e.g. corrugated iron or rough plaster) will require more paint.

Worksheet
Surface
Spreading rate per litre
Number of coats
Total paint required

Example

Your Project

m2

42m

11m2/L

x2

= 7.6 litres

m2

litres

For example
1. To paint the living room walls excluding the ceiling. The walls are 3

metres high, each wall is approx 4 metres in width, and windows and
doors make up approx 0.5 of a metre of each wall leaving a paintable
surface of 3.5 metres per wall. The surface area to paint is therefore 14
metres (4 walls x 3.5 metres each) x3metres high = 42 square metres.

2. The walls are currently painted and are in good condition. Resene

SpaceCote Low Sheen is the selected paint system. The product label
and data sheet tells us that it has a theoretical spreading rate of 11
square metres per litre. (You can also get spreading rate information
from the Resene website (check out the Product Data Sheet section).

3. As the walls are previously painted and in good condition, only two
coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen are required.

The amount of paint required is therefore:

Surface area: 42 square metres


Divided by
Spreading rate: 11 square metres per litre
Multiplied by x
Number of coats: 2 coats
Equals =
42/11 x 2 = 7.6 litres
This tells us that 7.6 litres of paint is required to paint two coats onto the living
room walls. The best idea would then be to purchase 8 litres giving enough
paint to complete the job and sufficient to go back if touch up is required later.
To make calculating your paint requirements even easier, the Resene
website includes a paint calculator. Let your mouse help you with the
calculations by visiting www.resene.com/paintcalculator.

Quick steps...

to estimate paint litres from house plans

To get a rough idea of how much paint you will approximately need when
you only have house plans to work from, use the following calculations
Look for the statement of area on the house plans, e.g. 186m2
Divide this by

10 = litres of sealer for ceilings


5 = litres of 2 coats for ceilings
4 = litres of sealer for walls
2 = litres of 2 coats for walls
25 = litres of primer for trim/doors/frames
15 = litres of 2 coats for trim/doors/frames

This quick estimate works as a general guide for most houses, but extreme
designs or colour palettes tailored to each room will need a more careful
approach with each room calculated individually.

In Australia: In New Zealand:

Call 1800 738 383 Call 0800 RESENE (737 363)


visit www.resene.com.au visit www.resene.co.nz
or email us at [email protected] or email us at [email protected]
Copyright Resene Paints Ltd, July 2003. Printed on environmentally responsible paper, which complies with the requirements
of environmental management systems EMAS and ISO14001, using vegetable-based inks. Please recycle.

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