Painters calculate square footage by multiplying the length of each room in their home by its corresponding width to determine the total number of square feet in a particular space. To calculate a price per square foot, you can divide the square footage of your home or the area you expect to paint by the total price quoted by a painter. If you paint yourself, check the paint can to see the expected coverage in square feet and multiply its cost by the amount you would need to cover your walls. How do painters calculate square footage? Painters calculate square footage by multiplying the length of each room in their home by its corresponding width to determine the total number of square feet in a particular space.
Now you need to determine how much of those square feet is paintable surface area. Because it uses a different paint on the doors and windows, it subtracts those areas from the total room. No problem, just subtract 20 square feet for each door and 15 square feet for each average-sized window in the room. You end up with a number that is close to the actual area of the wall that you have to cover with paint.
In general, you can expect 1 gallon of paint to cover approximately 350 square feet. You need a little more than a gallon if the walls are unpainted drywall, which absorbs more of the paint. You should also consider whether to paint more than one layer. If you're painting unfinished, heavily patched, or dark-colored walls, plan to apply two coats of paint.
Now for the decisive factor of the mathematical problem. Divide the area of the paintable wall by 350 (the square foot coverage in each gallon can) to find the number of gallons of paint you need for the walls. You can round odd numbers; if the rest is less than. Of course, buying in bulk is usually cheaper, so you may find that 3 quarts of paint costs as much as a gallon.
The following examples guide you through calculations to determine how much paint you need for a 14 x 20 foot room that is 8 feet tall and has two doors and two windows. For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon of roofing paint for a single coat. For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon and 2 quarts of paint for a single coat. As an example, imagine you have a ceiling molding that runs through a room 14 feet wide and 20 feet long.
Use the same figure to estimate door coverage that you used in the wall area calculations 20 square feet %3D a door. Multiply the number of doors by 20, doubling the answer if you plan to paint both sides. Wall paint estimates allow 15 square feet for each window. Use about half of the window area for trimming and inside the sash, the glass is not important for the calculation.
Measure, in feet, the length of a wall you are going to paint. Measure the height of that wall, in feet. Multiply those measurements to find the number of square feet on the wall. If you're not an experienced painter, it's usually worth finding a professional who does important painting work, especially considering the time you'll waste having to paint it yourself.
If you have enough doors and windows that make it wise to subtract those areas from the total paint, subtract 21 square feet for each door and 12 square feet for each window from the total for Step 3.For reference, if I were painting a 400 square foot room, I would charge $2 per square foot of work. A professional paint contractor will be able to determine in time the different factors involved in a paint estimate. Whether you're thinking about doing it yourself, or you're hiring a painter or comparing contractors, you first need to understand what per square foot refers to. To calculate the price per square foot of painting a house, you'll need to start by calculating the area of the surfaces you plan to paint.
If you don't have experience painting or estimating, try to bring someone with more experience to the workplace with you. Now that you have a better understanding of the types of thought processes that can be included in a painting estimate and an idea of how much it can cost to paint a room, hopefully this can help you make the right decision for your project. But many house painters offer specialized services, so ultimately the cost will vary from job to job. If you take the time to calculate your square footage accurately, you'll end up buying the right amount of paint.
Do you have a video on how to teach how to read plans or specifications in square feet in new commercial construction as well as renovation projects? Thank you. . .
