How Much Paint Do I Need?

How much paint do I need?

Estimating how much to buy before a project can be straightforward once you know all of the important bits. There are a number of things to consider, including how many coats are required, the coverage and the surface you are decorating. Here's a handy guide which breaks down everything you need to know, so you can accurately calculate how much you will need of your chosen Emperor Paint product.

Preparation

Estimating how much you will need of our preparation products is just as important as our other products. The coverage you will achieve with Emperor Exterior Cleaner and Emperor Exterior Primer can vary slightly depending on the porosity of the surface.

PRODUCT COVERAGE GUIDE

	Coverage - m2 per litre	Number of coats required
Emperor Exterior Cleaner	4-6m2	1
Emperor Exterior Primer	5-8m2	1
Emperor Textured Basecoat	1.4-2m2 (per kg)	1

When estimating how much of our preparation products you will need, there are a few things to bear in mind. Firstly, Emperor Exterior Cleaner is only a requirement on areas showing organic growth and discolouration. This said, we recommend applying it to the full area you intend to decorate to be sure there is no fungal growth on the surface that could cause problems in the future. Furthermore, primer is only required on bare surfaces where you intend to apply Emperor Masonry Paint. The table below is based off applying to a full property. If you have just isolated areas where you are applying the product, use the coverage guide above.

EMPEROR EXTERIOR PRIMER

	Approx area m2	No. of 10L tubs for the required one-coat
Mid Terrace	40	1
3 Bed Semi	90	2
4 Bed Detached	120	3

EMPEROR EXTERIOR CLEANER

	Approx Area m2	No. of 5L tubs for the required one-coat
Mid Terrace	40	1
3 Bed Semi	80	2
4 Bed Detached	120	3

Emperor Textured Basecoat is a product that is ideal for covering cracks and other imperfections on exterior walls, helping to create a blemish-free surface. Whether you have small isolated areas or you want to create a texture across a full wall, Emperor Textured Basecoat can be used. The below estimations are based on applying the product to a full property using a light texture. If you wish to apply the product to small, isolated areas simply use the coverage of up to 1.4-2m2 per kg when creating a light textue as a guide. Please note the coverage will vary depending on the level of texture you create - the rougher the texture, the lower the coverage will be. Please also be aware that while in most cases Emperor Textured Basecoat is a one-coat product, it can be built-up with multiple coats to create heavier textures.

EMPEROR TEXTURED BASECOAT - LIGHT TEXTURE

	Approx area m2	No. of 8kg tubs for the required one-coat
Mid Terrace	40	3
3 Bed Semi	90	6
4 Bed Detached	120	8

Masonry

The important thing to remember when calculating how much paint you will need is that the roughness of the surface will cause a variation in coverage rate. All of the little nooks and crannies on rough, textured surfaces such as pebbledash mean the coverage of Emperor Masonry Paint will be half what you would expect on a smooth surface. If you are applying Emperor Masonry Creme then don't worry about this, it is not impacted by the roughness of the surface it is applied to.

PRODUCT COVERAGE GUIDE

	Coverage - m2 per litre	Number of coats required
Emperor Masonry Paint (Smooth surfaces)	5-6m2	2
Emperor Masonry Paint (Rough surfaces)	3m2	2

The tables below have put together by our experts to help give an approximate guide on how much you will need depending on the size of your house. For an exact estimation, we recommend measuring your property and using the coverage guide above to estimate the amount you will need. Remember to subtract roughy 1m2 for any doors and windows from your total square metres for the property.

EMPEROR MASONRY PAINT - SMOOTH SURFACES

	Coverage - m2 per litre	No. of 10L tubs for the required two-coats
Mid Terrace	40	2
3 Bed Semi	90	4
4 Bed Detached	120	5

EMPEROR MASONRY PAINT - ROUGH SURFACES

	Coverage - m2 per litre	No. of 10L tubs for the required two-coats
Mid Terrace	40	4
3 Bed Semi	90	9
4 Bed Detached	120	12

EMPEROR MASONRY CREME

	Coverage - m2 per litre	No. of 10L tubs for the required one-coat
Mid Terrace	40	1
3 Bed Semi	90	2 + 1x5L
4 Bed Detached	120	3

Wood

Calculating how much Emperor Wood Waterproofer for you will need to treat exterior wood is a simple process. The general coverage rate you can expect will remain the same, you may find the coverage rate is slightly reduced in some circumstances if treating highly porous wood.

PRODUCT COVERAGE GUIDE

	Coverage - m2 per litre	Number of coats required
Emperor Wood Waterproofer	5m2	1

How Much Paint Do I Need?