Paint quantities · room guide
How much paint do I need for a 6m x 6m room?
You need about 10 litres of emulsion to give the walls of a 6m x 6m room two coats, which is 2 × 5L. That assumes 2.4 metre ceilings, one door and one window, leaving 54.5 m² of wall, and includes 10% spare. Painting the ceiling as well adds 6.6 litres.
Coverage figures checked against Dulux product pages on .
Paint for the walls
10 L
two coats, 10% spare
Tins to buy
2 × 5L
walls only
Wall area
54.5 m²
2.4m high, 1 door, 1 window
Ceiling
6.6 L
36 m², two coats
Paint for a 6m x 6m room by wall surface
Two coats on the walls. Tins quote up to 13 to 14 m² per litre, but that is on smooth, sealed walls in ideal conditions.
| Walls | Coverage | Paint needed | Tins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth, already painted | 12 m² per litre | 10 L | 2 × 5L |
| Big colour change | 10 m² per litre | 12 L | 2 × 5L + 1 × 2.5L |
| New plaster | 8 m² per litre | 15 L + mist coat | 3 × 5L |
| Textured or porous | 7 m² per litre | 17.2 L | 3 × 5L + 1 × 2.5L |
By ceiling height
Most modern UK rooms are about 2.4 metres high. Older houses are often 2.7 to 3 metres.
| Ceiling height | Wall area | Paint for two coats | Tins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3 m | 52.1 m² | 9.6 L | 2 × 5L |
| 2.4 m | 54.5 m² | 10 L | 2 × 5L |
| 2.7 m | 61.7 m² | 11.4 L | 2 × 5L + 1 × 2.5L |
| 3 m | 68.9 m² | 12.7 L | 3 × 5L |
By number of coats
Walls only, on smooth painted walls.
| Coats | Paint needed | Tins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 coat | 5 L | 1 × 5L |
| 2 coats | 10 L | 2 × 5L |
| 3 coats | 15 L | 3 × 5L |
Walls and ceiling together
The ceiling of a 6m x 6m room is 36 m². Two coats on the walls and ceiling need 16.6 litres, or 3 × 5L + 1 × 2.5L, which is 6.6 litres more than the walls alone. Ceilings are usually a flat white matt, so that extra is often a separate tin.
New plaster needs a mist coat
On freshly plastered walls in a 6m x 6m room, the mist coat of thinned emulsion uses around 6 litres, and the plaster keeps soaking up paint after that, so plan on 21 litres in total rather than 10.
Big room, buy in one go
At 54.5 m² of wall, two coats take 10 litres, more than one 5 litre tin. Mix the tins together in a bucket before you start, so there is no change in shade halfway round the room.
How much is left in the tins
Two coats use exactly what the 2 × 5L holds, so there is nothing beyond the 10% spare. If the walls are patchy or porous, add a 2.5 litre tin. With 2.7 metre ceilings you would need 2 × 5L + 1 × 2.5L instead. One coat would need only 1 × 5L, which is worth knowing if you are refreshing the same colour. All four walls are 6 metres wide, so a feature colour on any one of them takes about 2.7 litres for two coats, which is just over what a 2.5 litre tin holds.
Other room sizes
- 2m x 2m room (3 L for two coats)
- 3m x 2m room (3.9 L for two coats)
- 3m x 3m room (4.8 L for two coats)
- 4m x 3m room (5.6 L for two coats)
- 4m x 4m room (6.5 L for two coats)
- 5m x 3m room (6.5 L for two coats)
- 5m x 4m room (7.4 L for two coats)
- 5m x 5m room (8.3 L for two coats)
- 6m x 4m room (8.3 L for two coats)
- 6m x 5m room (9.2 L for two coats)
Common questions
How much paint do I need for a 6m x 6m room?
About 10 litres for two coats on the walls, with 2.4 metre ceilings, one door and one window. That is 2 × 5L. Add 6.6 litres if you are painting the ceiling.
What is the wall area of a 6m x 6m room?
The walls run 2 × (6 + 6) = 24 metres around the room. At 2.4 metres high that is 57.6 m², or 54.5 m² once a door and a window are taken off.
Is one 5 litre tin enough for a 6m x 6m room?
No. Two coats on the walls need about 10 litres, so you need 2 × 5L. One 5 litre tin would give you roughly one and a half coats.
How much paint for one coat on a 6m x 6m room?
About 5 litres, including 10% spare, covering 54.5 m² once. That is usually enough only when you are refreshing the same colour.
Sources and assumptions
- Doors count as 1.6 m² and windows as 1.5 m². Skirting boards and radiators are not taken off.
- 10% is added for paint left in the tray and on the roller, and for touch-ups. Litres are rounded up to the nearest 0.1.
- Dulux Matt emulsion: coverage up to 14 m² per litre
- Dulux Silk emulsion: coverage up to 14 m² per litre
- Dulux Easycare Washable & Tough Matt: coverage up to 13 m² per litre
These are estimates. Check the coverage printed on your tin, as it varies between brands and finishes.