How Much Paint To Buy For Trim
The average door (not including the trim) is about 20 square feet. The room has 40 feet of baseboards, which cover about 10 square feet at three inches high. Most baseboards are three to five inches tall. The door trim is about 15 square feet, and the window trim is about five square feet or less. This adds up to 30 square feet for all the trim.
how much paint to buy for trim
Next, measure the dimensions of your door. Just the door, not the trim. The height of the door in my office is 80 inches, and the width is 30 inches. Again, convert these into feet by dividing by 12 for simpler measurements.
It's not always absolutely necessary to prime trim before painting it, but for the best results, you should at least prime any areas that are stained, bare, or that required sanding to remove rough edges or imperfections. For the absolute best results, however, prime all of your trim before painting it."}},"@type": "Question","name": "How much trim paint should you buy?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "While it depends on whether you're painting just a room's worth of trim or the whole house, it's likely less than you think. Most people buy just a quart or a gallon of trim paint, rather than the multiple gallons required when painting room walls. One quart will cover two doors, 150 linear feet of long/narrow trim such as crown molding or baseboards, or 50 feet of stair railings.","@type": "Question","name": "What is the best paint finish for trim?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Many homeowners are averse to the idea of glossy items in their homes, and understandably so. Glossy paint on walls and ceilings highlights flaws and produces uncomfortable reflected light. Yet trim is one area where you might want to compromise and instead go with semi-gloss trim paint. At the least, use satin gloss on trim.","@type": "Question","name": "Can you use flat or matte paint on trim?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Because flat sheen paints have far fewer resins than the glossy types, they are not as good at resisting dirt and stains. Along with this, they are hard to clean. Dust and dirt tend to stick to flat paints. Not just that but flat or matte trim paint chips more readily than glossier paint. If you do decide to paint trim flat, know its limitations and be ready to deal with them. For example, rather than trying to clean flat trim paint you may want to have a spare can ready so that you can touch up scuffs."]}]}] .icon-garden-review-1fill:#b1dede.icon-garden-review-2fill:none;stroke:#01727a;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round > buttonbuttonThe Spruce The Spruce's Instagram The Spruce's TikTok The Spruce's Pinterest The Spruce's Facebook NewslettersClose search formOpen search formSearch DecorRoom Design
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For beginners and experienced DIYers, our checklist will take any paint job from "good" to "amazing." Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter.Subscribe The Spruce's Instagram The Spruce's TikTok The Spruce's Pinterest The Spruce's Facebook About UsNewsletterPress and MediaContact UsEditorial GuidelinesHome ImprovementPaintingInterior PaintingUsing Trim Paint on Windows, Doors, and BaseboardsFeatures and Types of Trim Paint to Freshen Up Your Space
Trim paint is a category of interior paint that is formulated specifically for use on trim. It has a satin, semi-gloss, gloss, or high gloss sheen. Trim paint usually comes pretinted in bright white and in base colors that can be custom-tinted. It dries to a very hard finish that has some resistance to moisture, and it usually has ingredients that resist yellowing or sagging.
It's not always absolutely necessary to prime trim before painting it, but for the best results, you should at least prime any areas that are stained, bare, or that required sanding to remove rough edges or imperfections. For the absolute best results, however, prime all of your trim before painting it.
While it depends on whether you're painting just a room's worth of trim or the whole house, it's likely less than you think. Most people buy just a quart or a gallon of trim paint, rather than the multiple gallons required when painting room walls. One quart will cover two doors, 150 linear feet of long/narrow trim such as crown molding or baseboards, or 50 feet of stair railings.
Many homeowners are averse to the idea of glossy items in their homes, and understandably so. Glossy paint on walls and ceilings highlights flaws and produces uncomfortable reflected light. Yet trim is one area where you might want to compromise and instead go with semi-gloss trim paint. At the least, use satin gloss on trim.
Because flat sheen paints have far fewer resins than the glossy types, they are not as good at resisting dirt and stains. Along with this, they are hard to clean. Dust and dirt tend to stick to flat paints. Not just that but flat or matte trim paint chips more readily than glossier paint. If you do decide to paint trim flat, know its limitations and be ready to deal with them. For example, rather than trying to clean flat trim paint you may want to have a spare can ready so that you can touch up scuffs.
Before you begin any painting project, you need to estimate the required amount of paint. To make a proper projection, you need to specifically figure the amount of paint that will be required for a specific surface area.
To make it even easier, plan on using one gallon of paint for every 350 square feet. You will need to use a bit more than this amount if the walls are made of drywall. That is because paint penetrates more readily in walls made from this substance. You also have to make allowances for walls that are darker in color, as these surfaces generally take two coats of paint.
To find the number of gallons of paint you need to buy for your painting project, simply divide the overall wall area that is to be painted by 350, or the square footage for one gallon. If the resulting number is more than 0.5 over the round number, buy an additional gallon of paint. However, if the remainder is less than that amount, buy two quarts of paint in addition to the gallons needed.
Then, round the total number to the closest foot. Multiply this answer by 0.5. Again, this is done to calculate the width. Take the answer and divide it by 350 to determine the amount of paint needed for the trim. Usually, in most cases, the answer is less than a quart. However, you may want to paint other woodwork with the same color too. Therefore, buying a full quart in this case may be advantageous.
Once you have at least an idea of your paint needs, record what you actually end up using. That way, you will better know how much to buy if you paint the same room again after several years, or you want to paint a similarly-sized room in your business or residence.
Having too much and too little paint can be inconvenient in their own ways. It can be time-consuming to go back to the store, and you could have saved more penny for that leftover if you do not have anything to do with it anymore. But no worries! We've researched how you can calculate this in a very easy way.
The amount of paint you'll need depends on the total size of your trim. You can get that by multiplying its length and width. Approximately 1 gallon of paint can cover 400 square feet with a single coat. So, if you divide the total area by 400, you'll know how many gallons you'll need.
After figuring out the quantity you need to buy, the next big question is how to know which one of the dozens of paint can displays are you going to choose? Of course, you should go after the one that will protect and cover your trim nicely.
If you're after the best finishing result, you should go to the oil-based section. Although you should remember, beauty comes with a price. This type of trim paint takes a long time to dry because of its thick consistency. It is also harder to clean afterward.
Since oil-based paints are harder to apply, you can still opt for water-based paints, especially if you're going to do it without the help of a professional painter. It is easier to use, cleaner, and faster to dry.
When you put a decoration inside your house, you probably put it wherever you did to make it shine. Same thing with trim, especially if there are patterns carved on them. Glossy finishes like satin, semi-gloss, gloss, or high glass can reflect more light. Perfect for highlighting the details.
Of course, applying the wrong choice of color to our trims is a mistake that you can't just ignore. It is very obvious and can easily attract attention. Especially if you do not know how color schemes work, it's probably best to stick to white. 041b061a72