Ceiling Paint Calculator

About Ceiling Paint Calculator

A ceiling is the simplest surface to calculate and the easiest to get wrong by using a wall calculator on it. Wall area is 2(length + width) x height, which for a 4 by 3 metre room with 2.5 metre walls gives 35 square metres. The ceiling of that same room is length x width, which is 12 square metres, barely a third as much. Nothing is deducted from a ceiling, since there are no doors and rarely windows, and a light fitting is too small to matter. What does matter is coats. Ceilings almost always need two, and often two even over an existing white ceiling, because they are lit at a shallow angle from windows and from fittings below. That grazing light shows every missed patch and every roller line in a way that wall lighting does not, which is why a ceiling that looked fine while wet shows streaks once it dries. Buy for two coats from the start rather than deciding after the first. For walls use Paint Calculator, and to work backwards from a tin you already own see How Much Does 5 Litres of Paint Cover.

How to use Ceiling Paint Calculator

  1. Enter room length, width, and wall height in metres
  2. Set the number of doors and windows to subtract their area
  3. Choose number of coats and see litres and gallons needed

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate paint for a ceiling?
Multiply the room length by its width to get the ceiling area, then divide by the coverage of your paint and multiply by the number of coats. A 4 by 3 metre ceiling is 12 square metres, which at 10 square metres per litre and two coats needs 2.4 litres.
Do I need one coat or two on a ceiling?
Two, in almost every case. Ceilings are lit at a shallow angle from windows and light fittings, which shows missed patches and roller lines far more than wall lighting does. Even white over white usually needs two to look even.
Should I deduct anything for light fittings?
No. A light fitting is a fraction of a square metre and the difference disappears into the rounding when you buy in whole tins. Deductions only matter for doors and windows on walls.
Does ceiling paint cover the same area as wall paint?
Roughly, though dedicated ceiling paints are often thicker to reduce spatter and drips overhead, which can lower the coverage slightly. Check the tin and enter its figure in the coverage field rather than assuming ten.
How much paint for a standard bedroom ceiling?
A typical 3 by 4 metre bedroom ceiling is 12 square metres and needs about 2.4 litres for two coats at standard coverage, so a 2.5 litre tin covers it with almost nothing to spare.

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