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Paint Calculator

m
m
m

Most flats in Dubai are about 3 m floor to ceiling.

Two is normal. Three if the new colour is much lighter.

m2/L

The tin tells you this. Most wall paints say 10 to 12.

Your answer

Paint you need

12.6 litres

That is 4 gallons at 3.6 litres each.

Wall area to paint
49.2 m2
Ceiling area
20 m2
Paint for walls
8.9 L
Paint for ceiling
3.6 L
Taken off for doors and windows
4.8 m2

Doors are counted as 1.8 m2 each and windows as 1.5 m2 each. If yours are much bigger, use the wall area calculator instead.

Paint Calculator for Dubai and UAE Homes

This tool tells you how much paint one room needs. You put in the room size, how many coats you want, and how much wall one litre covers. It gives you the litres, and the number of tins to buy.

It counts the walls and the ceiling. It also takes off the space used by doors and windows, because you do not paint those.

Buying paint is easier when you know the number before you go to the shop. Too little means a second trip. Too much means tins sitting in a cupboard.

How to use this paint calculator

You only need a tape measure and the back of the paint tin. It takes about two minutes.

  • Measure the room

    Measure the length and the width of the floor. Then measure from the floor to the ceiling. Write all three down in metres.

  • Count doors and windows

    Just count them. You do not need to measure them. The tool takes off a normal size for each one.

  • Pick your coats

    Two coats is the normal answer. Pick three if you are painting white over a dark colour.

  • Read the tin

    The tin says how many square metres one litre covers. Put that number in. If you cannot find it, leave it as it is.

How the sum works

The maths is simple. You can check it by hand if you want.

First it works out the wall area. It adds the length and the width, doubles that to get all four walls, then times it by the height.

Then it takes off the doors and windows. Then it works out the ceiling, which is just length times width.

Last it times the area by the number of coats, and divides by the coverage on the tin. That gives litres. Divide by the tin size and round up, and that is how many tins.

A room 5 m by 4 m with 3 m walls has 54 m2 of wall. Take off one door and two windows and you are left with about 49 m2. Add a 20 m2 ceiling. Two coats at 11 m2 per litre needs about 12.5 litres.

Things that change the answer in Dubai

The tool gives a clean number. Real rooms are not always clean. These are the things that push the number up.

  • A new wall drinks paint

    Fresh plaster or new putty soaks up much more than an old painted wall. Add about a quarter more for the first coat, or use a primer first.

  • Going light over dark

    White over a dark red or a deep blue can take three or even four coats. One coat will look patchy no matter how well it is put on.

  • Rough or textured walls

    A rough surface has more area than a flat one. Textured walls can use a third more paint than the sum says.

  • Roller or spray

    Spraying is faster but wastes more. If a spray gun is being used, allow a little extra.

  • Villas with high ceilings

    Many Dubai villas have double height living rooms. Measure the real height. Do not guess 3 m if the room is 5 m tall.

Should you buy a little extra

Yes. Buy about ten per cent more than the sum says.

There are two reasons. Small jobs always use a bit more than planned, and paint from two different batches can look slightly different on the wall.

The bigger reason is later. Keep the leftover tin, and write the colour name and code on it. In a year somebody will move a sofa and scuff the wall. A small tin in the store room fixes that in five minutes.

If you are having the work done, ask for the tins and the receipts at the end. The paint is bought in your name. It should be left with you.

Common mistakes people make

These four come up again and again.

  • Measuring the floor only

    Paint goes on walls, not floors. Floor area is a much smaller number and it will leave you short.

  • Forgetting the second coat

    A tin that says it covers 12 m2 per litre means one coat. Two coats is double the paint.

  • Ignoring the primer

    On a new wall or a repaired patch, primer is a separate product and a separate sum. It is not part of these litres.

  • Buying the cheapest tin

    A cheap paint often needs three coats where a better one needs two. Three coats of cheap paint costs more than two coats of good paint, and takes an extra day.

Questions people ask

How much paint do I need for a room in Dubai?

A normal bedroom of about 4 m by 4 m with 3 m walls needs roughly 9 to 11 litres for two coats on walls and ceiling. Put your own numbers in above for the exact amount.

How many litres are in a gallon of paint here?

Paint in the UAE is usually sold in 1 litre tins, 3.6 litre gallons and 18 litre drums. The gallon is the most common size for one or two rooms.

Does one litre really cover 12 square metres?

On a smooth, sealed, already painted wall, yes. On new plaster, rough render or a wall that has just been filled, it will be less. The tool lets you change the number so you can be honest about your wall.

Do I count the ceiling in the same paint?

The area, yes. The product, often not. Ceilings are usually painted in a flat white ceiling paint rather than the wall colour, so buy them separately even though the tool adds the area together.

How many coats does a wall need?

Two on a normal repaint. Three if the new colour is much lighter than the old one, or if the wall is new. One coat is only enough when you are freshening up the same colour.

Is this calculator free to use?

Yes. It is free, there is nothing to sign up for, and nothing is stored. Use it as many times as you like.

Need the job done

We do this work across Dubai

Use the numbers above to plan, then let us quote the real thing.

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