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What is Paint Coverage?

What is Paint Coverage?

Published: 15 Jan 2022 | Modified: 09 Jul 2024

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What is paint coverage? How much paint do you need to paint a room? These are questions that many people ask when they're painting their home. It's an important question because it determines how much time and money you spend on the project and how long the results last. The good news is that there's no one-size-fits-all answer to these questions: each person and each space has different needs!

Paint coverage is the amount of paint that will cover a given surface. In other words, coverage of paint is the number of square feet or square metres that can be painted with one quart or litre of paint, respectively.

How is paint coverage calculated?

The calculation for paint coverage is based on the spreading rate of the paint and the amount of paint needed to achieve full coverage. The spreading rate is how quickly or slowly the paint spreads out when it's being applied. The typical thumb rule is most paints have a spreading rate of 350 square feet per 4 litres of paint (approx 1 gallon), which means that 4 litres of paint will cover 350 square feet. However, this can vary depending on the paint type, its sheen level, and how rough or smooth the surface is that you're painting.

For a more accurate calculation of paint coverage, consult your paint manufacturer's technical data sheet. This document will provide detailed information about the spreading rate and other properties of the specific paint product you are using.

Let's take an example to better understand the emulsion paint coverage per litre.

Suppose you have a room with a height of 7 feet and dimensions of 10x20 feet. The room contains 2 doors and 2 windows.

Therefore, the ceiling spreading rate of paint will be calculated as:

  • 10x200 = 200 square feet.
  • Divide this with the standard number (350 square feet/4 litres of paint)
  • 200/350 = 0.57 gallon or 1.9 litres

Hence, the paint coverage per litre you will need for your 200 square feet ceiling is 1.9 litres of paint.

Calculating paint elasticity for the walls:

  • The area of the room is 7 x (10+20+10+20) = 420 square feet
  • Window and door areas equal to (20x2) + (15x2) = 70 square feet (doors are 20 feet wide and windows are 15 feet)
  • Subtract total area from window and door areas 420-70 = 350 square feet
  • Divide this with the standard number (350 square feet/4 litres of paint)
  • 350/350 = 4 litres

Hence, the spreading rate of paint you will need for the interiors is 4 litres.

Still confused? Contact Nerolac experts for more accurate calculations!

Nerolac Paints, a leading paint company in India offers a wide range of wall paint colours & painting services & solutions for homes & offices.

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