What should you pay for a gallon of paint?

How much is a gallon of paint? On my quest for the answer, I searched “cost gallon paint” on a major home center website. The nearly 2,000 results indicated a broad range of prices for a gallon of paint.

But just as the cheapest painter isn’t necessarily best, there’s more to paint cost than price tag. Consider:

– Contemporary color (important when painting your house for sale)

– Excellent coverage (great way to minimize blemishes)

– Easy maintenance (for parents, pet owners, and most human beings)

– Durability (long-lasting paint ultimately works out more reasonable than Brand X)

I turned to Rick Watson, director of product information and technical services at Sherwin-Williams, to learn what’s really the best deal on a gallon of paint.

How many square feet will one gallon of paint cover?

As a guideline, one gallon of paint can cover anywhere from 300-400 square feet of interior walls, for one coat.

TIP

Remember wall square footage differs from floor square footage. Example: The average 330-square-foot living room, with 10-foot ceilings, has over 700 square feet of wall space, so you’ll need about two gallons of paint.

To calculate interior wall square footage:

– Measure. Multiply height by width for the square footage of each wall. Then total the results.

OR

– If you already know floor square footage, calculate the square root of this figure. Multiply your answer by 4 (number of walls) and then by ceiling height. For the above-mentioned living room, calculate: (Square root of 330 = 18.1659) x 4 x 10 = 726.63

Paintable wall area will be somewhat less, depending on the number of doors, windows, etc.

Calculation for exterior walls: Roughly 1 gallon of paint per 100 sq. ft.

Besides square footage, many variables come into play, like surface texture, condition and application tools.

So how do I figure out how much paint I need?

Start with the Sherwin-Williams Paint Calculator for an idea of how much paint your project will likely take, based on room dimensions.

Next, to accurately determine how many gallons of paint you need, consult an expert, a painter or a paint store employee. A professional can provide the best recommendations for both quantity and type of paint, primer and other coatings.

KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL PAINT JOB: Thorough preparation and quality paint and materials. Typically, the higher quality paint you use, the better the durability and coverage you will achieve.