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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
| Approx area m2 | 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
| Approx area m2 | 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 roughly 1m2 for any doors and windows from your total square metres for the property.
EMPEROR MASONRY PAINT - SMOOTH SURFACES
| Approx area m2 | 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
| Approx area m2 | 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
| Approx area m2 | 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
| Approx area m2 | Number of coats required | |
| Emperor Wood Waterproofer | 5m2 | 1 |
We're here to help
Our dedicated team are on hand to help you no matter what the problem is.
You can get in touch with us by emailing info@emperorpaint.co.uk, calling 0161 509 9009
or by chatting to us on Whatsapp.
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Exterior decorating project planner and checklist
Have an exterior decorating project planned but not sure where to start? Download our free project planner and checklist that guides you through the process, from a checklist of what tools you'll need to a full step-by-step guide on how to get beautiful results.