Calculators

Paint planning calculators

Sheen, mixing, two-tone walls, stripes, paint versus wallpaper and the calendar.

Some decisions change the quantities before you measure anything: a two-tone wall splits one gallon into two colours, stripes add tape and a third coat where colours meet, a gloss finish shows every flaw and so needs more prep, and the order you paint rooms in decides how many days a house takes. These calculators handle the planning questions that sit in front of the quantity questions.

They are arithmetic, not taste. The sheen selector applies the manufacturers' own guidance about moisture, traffic and wall condition; the project planner applies production rates and recoat waits to a calendar. What colour to pick is still yours.

6 calculators

Guides for this topic

Questions people ask

Which sheen for a bathroom?
Satin or semi-gloss on the walls, semi-gloss on trim. Both shed moisture and scrub clean. Flat and matt finishes mark when wiped and hold water in their texture, which is why manufacturers steer them away from bathrooms and kitchens unless they are a scrubbable "bath" formulation.
Can I mix two paint colours together?
Yes, if they are the same base type (both latex or both alkyd) and ideally the same sheen and line. Mix by volume, write the ratio down, and mix enough for the whole job at once because a second batch will not match exactly. The mixing ratio calculator turns a ratio into fluid ounces or millilitres for the volume you need.
Where should a two-tone wall split?
A chair rail or wainscot traditionally sits at about a third of the wall height, 32 in on an 8 ft wall, and in practice anywhere from 30 to 40 in. A higher split (two-thirds up) reads as a frieze. The two-tone calculator gives each colour its own quantity and the tape length for the line.
Is wallpaper more expensive than paint?
Materials, usually by a wide margin: a room that takes two gallons of paint takes eight or nine double rolls of paper, and good paper costs more per roll than paint per gallon. Labour is also higher for paper. The comparison calculator does both sides with your prices and your room.
How long does it take to paint a whole house interior?
At typical production rates one painter covers the walls of two to three rooms a day with two coats, and ceilings and trim add to that. A three-bedroom house is a week or more of work for one person. The project planner turns your room list, crew and hours per day into working days and a finish date.

More calculator groups

  • Interior painting: How much wall, ceiling, trim, door and cabinet paint a room or a whole house takes.
  • Exterior & staining: Siding, trim, fences, decks, garage doors, masonry and roofs, with the extra that rough surfaces drink.
  • Cost, hiring & time: What the paint costs, what painters charge, how long the job takes and whether to do it yourself.
  • Coverage & conversions: The arithmetic every other calculator relies on: square footage, coverage rates, coats, cans and units.
  • Wallpaper: Rolls, paste, borders, peel-and-stick and removal, with pattern repeat and roll sizes done properly.
  • Floors, wood & specialty: Concrete, epoxy, sealer, wood stain, floor finish, furniture and metal: coverage by surface, not by can.
  • Sprayers, estimating & bidding: Sprayer usage, tip sizes, production rates, drying windows and the maths of a bid.

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