How To Calculate Paint Quantity In Litres

On February 25, 2026  By newsroom   Topic: India Home Advice

Calculating the amount of paint required for a project involves a few straightforward steps. Here's how you can determine the quantity in liters:

  • Measure the Surface Area
  • Ceiling: Measure the length and width of the room to find the area.
    • Formula: Length × Width
  • Walls: Measure the height and width of each wall. Multiply these to get the area of each wall, then sum them up.
    • Formula: Height × Width
  • Total Area: Add the ceiling and wall areas together.

  • Adjust for Openings

  • Subtract the area of windows and doors from the total area to get the paintable surface.

  • Determine the Number of Coats

  • Decide how many coats of paint you'll apply. Typically, two coats are recommended for even coverage.

  • Check Paint Coverage

  • Refer to the paint can or manufacturer's specifications for coverage rates. A common estimate is that 1 liter covers about 11 square meters per coat.

  • Calculate Paint Quantity

  • Formula:
    • Total Paint Needed (liters) = (Total Paintable Area × Number of Coats) ÷ Coverage per Liter

Example Calculation

Let's calculate the paint needed for a room with the following dimensions:

  • Room Dimensions:
  • Length: 4 meters
  • Width: 6 meters
  • Height: 2.5 meters

  • Openings:

  • One door: 2 meters × 1 meter = 2 m²
  • One window: 1.5 meters × 1 meter = 1.5 m²

  • Number of Coats: 2

Steps:

  • Ceiling Area:
  • 4 m × 6 m = 24 m²

  • Wall Areas:

  • Two walls of 4 m × 2.5 m = 20 m²
  • Two walls of 6 m × 2.5 m = 30 m²
  • Total Wall Area = 20 m² + 30 m² = 50 m²

  • Total Surface Area:

  • Ceiling + Walls = 24 m² + 50 m² = 74 m²

  • Subtract Openings:

  • Total Openings = 2 m² + 1.5 m² = 3.5 m²
  • Paintable Area = 74 m² - 3.5 m² = 70.5 m²

  • Calculate Total Paint Needed:

  • Total Area for Two Coats = 70.5 m² × 2 = 141 m²
  • Paint Needed = 141 m² ÷ 11 m²/liter 12.82 liters

Conclusion:

You would need approximately 12.82 liters of paint to cover the room with two coats. It's advisable to round up and purchase a bit more to account for any variations or touch-ups.


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