How Much Does 5 Litres of Paint Cover

About How Much Does 5 Litres of Paint Cover

Five litres is the most common tin size for interior emulsion and covers about 50 square metres in one coat at the standard 10 square metres per litre, or about 25 square metres over two coats. In practical terms that is comfortably enough for the four walls of an average bedroom with a little spare. A 4 by 3 metre room with 2.5 metre walls has 35 square metres of wall, dropping to about 32 after deducting a door and a window, which needs roughly 6.4 litres for two coats. So a 5 litre tin does most of a bedroom but not quite all of it, which is the single most common miscalculation in home decorating: the tin says 50 square metres, the room has 32 square metres of wall, and it looks like plenty until the second coat runs out three quarters of the way round. Always divide the tin coverage by the number of coats before comparing it against your wall area. Coverage also drops on bare plaster, textured surfaces and when applying a light colour over a dark one. For other tin sizes see How Much Does 2.5 Litres of Paint Cover and How Much Does 10 Litres of Paint Cover.

How to use How Much Does 5 Litres of Paint Cover

  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 many square metres does 5 litres of paint cover?
About 50 square metres for a single coat and about 25 square metres for two coats, at the standard 10 square metres per litre. The tin figure is always quoted per coat, which is what catches people out.
Is 5 litres enough for a bedroom?
Almost. A typical 4 by 3 metre bedroom has about 32 square metres of wall after deductions and needs roughly 6.4 litres for two coats. Five litres covers most of it, so buy a little more rather than running short mid-wall.
Why does 5 litres not cover 50 square metres in practice?
Because 50 square metres is one coat. Two coats halve it to 25. Add bare plaster, texture or a light colour over a dark one and the real figure drops further still.
How many walls will 5 litres paint?
At 25 square metres finished, roughly three walls of an average bedroom at 2.5 metres high, or one large feature wall in a big open plan room. Measure rather than counting walls, since wall sizes vary enormously.
Should I buy 5 litres or 10 litres?
If your calculated requirement is above about 8 litres, the 10 litre tin is usually better value per litre and avoids the risk of a slight colour difference between separately mixed batches.

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