Guides
Plain-English background to the numbers behind the calculators — how to measure a room for paint, how much paint you need, how many coats and when you need primer, paint sheen and finish, interior vs exterior paint, how coverage works, how painters price a job, cabinet painting vs refinishing, painting over dark colors, surface prep, exterior paint by siding type, and reading a painter’s quote.
How to measure a room for paint (the reliable method)Measure a room for paint the dependable way: perimeter times wall height, minus doors and windows, using the smallest of three height readings and rounding up.How much paint do I need? (area × coats ÷ coverage)How much paint you need in one formula: paintable area times coats divided by coverage per gallon, rounded up. Worked examples for a room and a whole house.How many coats of paint? (and when you need primer)How many coats of paint you need by scenario: one to two for a like color, two for new drywall, two to three plus primer for a dark-to-light change.Primer vs no primer — when priming is worth itWhen to prime and when to skip it: a clear checklist for bare drywall, patches, stains, glossy surfaces and dark-to-light color changes, plus how to size primer.Paint sheen & finish guide (flat to gloss)Choose the right paint sheen by room and surface: flat for ceilings, eggshell or satin for walls, satin or semi-gloss for kitchens, baths, trim and doors.Interior vs exterior paint — what's different and whyInterior vs exterior paint: why the two are formulated differently, why exterior coverage is lower, and why you should never swap one for the other.How paint coverage works (spread rate, texture, porosity)How paint coverage works: what spread rate per gallon means, why texture and porosity lower it, and how to turn coverage into the gallons you actually need.How painters price a job (and interior labor cost)How painters price a job: why labor is most of the bill, how per-square-foot and per-room pricing work, and how to split labor from materials to check a quote.Cabinet painting vs refinishing vs replacingCabinet painting vs refinishing vs refacing vs replacing: what each one means, roughly what drives the cost, and how to choose without a full kitchen remodel.Painting over dark colors (coats, primer, color change)Painting over dark colors the efficient way: why a tinted primer plus two coats beats piling on finish coats, and how to plan the extra paint.Surface prep & patching — the step that makes paint lastSurface prep and patching for paint: the clean-patch-sand-caulk-prime order of operations that decides whether a paint job lasts or peels.Exterior paint by siding type (wood, stucco, brick, vinyl)Exterior paint by siding type: how wood, stucco, brick and vinyl differ in coverage, prep and primer, and why the surface, not just the area, sets the cost.How to read a painter's quote (and compare bids)How to read a painter’s quote: the line items that must appear, how to compare bids on the same scope, and how to turn a total into a checkable per-square-foot number.