Make sure you have the right amount of paint before you start your next project.
Painting a room is the easiest way to make a big change without a big budget. One of the most important steps to painting a wall is making sure you accurately measure the wall so that you purchase the correct amount of paint. Sometimes if you run out of paint and return to the store for another can later, the colors do not always match exactly. Getting the right measurement and the right amount of paint the first time will ensure that your room has a consistent color from start to finish.
Instructions
1. Measure the length of the wall with a tape measure. Start at one end of the wall and stretch the tape measure as far as it will go, pushing it up against the wall or trim to ensure a straight and accurate measurement. Write down the total length of the wall.
2. Measure the height of the room. Ask someone to help you if at all possible. Have your helper make sure the tape measure goes all the way to the floor while you stand on a ladder and reach to the ceiling to get the measurement. Write down the height of the wall.
3. Measure all windows and doors along the wall and write down the length and width for each.
4. Use your calculator to figure out the total square footage of wall space. If you wrote down your measurements in inches, first divide the length and height of the wall by 12. Then multiply the length of the wall times the height and write down the total square feet. Jot down your total on your scrap paper.
5. Calculate the square footage of your doors and windows. Again, divide each measurement by 12 if you wrote your measurements in inches and then multiply the length times the height. Write the total for each door and window down separately as you do the calculations, and then add all the doors and windows together to get a total.
6. Subtract the total square footage of the doors and windows from the square footage of the wall. This will tell you how much paintable space exists on the wall.
7. Repeat these steps if you are planning to paint more than just one wall. Add all of the square footage for all the walls together to come up with a final number.
8. Determine how much paint you need for the wall. A gallon of paint typically covers 400 square feet. Divide the total square footage you plan to paint by 400 to determine how many gallons of paint you will need to buy for each coat of paint. Remember, if you plan to do two coats of paint, you will need to double the amount of paint you purchase.
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