Methodology and sources | Paintura.tech

The formula

The calculation always runs through the same steps:

Actual area = gross area − area of the openings.
Consumption per coat = 1 ÷ coverage rate of the chosen paint.
Quantity before margin = actual area × consumption × number of finish coats.
Recommended quantity = quantity before margin + a 10% margin, then the tin combination (0.5 to 15 L) that covers it with the least surplus, then the fewest tins.

Values are held internally in metric units: switching to US or UK imperial only changes what is displayed, with no rounding in between.

What goes into the calculation — and what doesn't

The calculation uses the area, the openings you deduct, the wall type (which narrows the list to compatible paints) and the paint you choose (which sets the coverage rate).

It does not account for:

the condition of the surface (new, repainted, damaged) or its real porosity;
application technique, tools and thinning;
a strong colour change, which may call for an extra coat;
the amount of primer — flagged, but not quantified.

Surface condition isn't asked for: no public source gives a numeric difference per condition and per paint type, and an adjustment set by guesswork would only create misleading precision.

Two finish coats are always counted, and a primer is always flagged as a precaution: the data sheet of your chosen product may tell you it can be skipped. For a one-coat paint, the result also gives the quantity for a single coat, since some manufacturers' data sheets promise that on a sound, prepared surface (see the one-coat row in the table below); the main quantity is still based on two coats.

Where the coverage rates come from

The 16 coverage rates used (from 7 to 10 m²/L depending on the paint family) are category averages: a working figure for “an acrylic paint” or “a lime paint”, not a brand's number. They come from documentary research carried out family by family, reviewed and adopted by the site's publisher on 17 September 2026. None is tied to a specific data sheet yet.

Reference ranges published by manufacturers

To place each average in context, we noted the coverage rates published in manufacturers' data sheets (consulted on 5, 6 and 8 October 2026). A data sheet describes one product, not a family: these figures are reference points and do not replace the average we use.

Paint family	Average used	Published range	Data sheets consulted
Acrylic paint	10 m²/L	8 – 12 m²/L	Tollens — Hydracryl Mat: 8 – 10 Zolpan — Natec mat (N-41, 06/2023): 8 – 10 Elixcryl, version mate: approx. 11 Colorado — Acrymat (08/2025): 10 – 12
Matte paint	10 m²/L	8 – 12 m²/L	Tollens — Hydracryl Mat: 8 – 10 Zolpan — Natec mat (N-41, 06/2023): 8 – 10 Elixcryl, version mate: approx. 11 Colorado — Acrymat (08/2025): 10 – 12
Velvet-finish paint	10 m²/L	8 – 11 m²/L	Zolpan — Hydracryl velours (08/2020): 8 – 10 Zolpan — Natec velours (N-42, 01/2024): 8 – 10 Zolpan — Nigatex velours évolution (07/2024): 9 – 11
Satin-finish paint	10 m²/L	9 – 16 m²/L	Elixcryl, version satinée: approx. 9 Tollens — Laque Boiserie Satin: approx. 14 Ressource — 963 Satin Essentiel: 14 – 16
Gloss paint	10 m²/L	10 – 20 m²/L	Ressource — 941 Laque Brillante: 10 – 12 SPS (Rust-Oleum) — Gloss AE: 15 Mathys — Fassilux Gloss (boiseries): 20
Ceiling paint	10 m²/L	6 – 11 m²/L	Ressource — 960 Mat Plafond: 9 – 11 Marius Aurenti — Peinture mate à plafond (18/03/2026): approx. 9 Mathys — Paracem Deco Plafond: 6 – 8
Paint for humid rooms	10 m²/L	6.1 – 12 m²/L	Zolpan — Abyss: 10 Finess — Cuisine & Salle de bains: approx. 8 V33 — Blanc Cuisine & Bains: approx. 12 duefa — Peinture cuisines et salles de bains (165 ml/m²): approx. 6.1
Kitchen paint	10 m²/L	6.1 – 12 m²/L	Zolpan — Abyss: 10 Finess — Cuisine & Salle de bains: approx. 8 V33 — Blanc Cuisine & Bains: approx. 12 duefa — Peinture cuisines et salles de bains (165 ml/m²): approx. 6.1
Bathroom paint	10 m²/L	6.1 – 12 m²/L	Zolpan — Abyss: 10 Finess — Cuisine & Salle de bains: approx. 8 V33 — Blanc Cuisine & Bains: approx. 12 duefa — Peinture cuisines et salles de bains (165 ml/m²): approx. 6.1
One-coat paint	10 m²/L	6 – 12 m²/L	Mathys — Paracem Deco Plafond (monocouche): 6 – 8 V33 — Blanc Cuisine & Bains (une couche): approx. 12
Stain-blocking paint	9 m²/L	6.5 – 12 m²/L	Théolaur — peinture isolante anti-taches: 10 – 12 Decotric — Peinture Anti-Taches (09/2023): approx. 6.5 – 7.5 Valspar — Pro Anti-Tâches mat, base A: approx. 10 Seigneurie — Néomat Isol: approx. 7 – 10
Anti-condensation paint	7 m²/L	4 – 10 m²/L	Peinture anti-condensation (fiche diffusée par CMES): 8 – 10 Oxi (Durieu) — Peinture anti-condensation (06/2024): 8 – 10 Ripolin — Peinture anticondensation (03/2026): approx. 4 – 8
Insulating paint	8 m²/L	3 – 12 m²/L	Théolaur — Laurtherm intérieur (04/2021): 8 – 12 Isaval — Isolation thermique anti-condensation (v7, 03/2025): 3 – 4
Mineral paint	8 m²/L	6 – 10 m²/L	akurit — SanaSil (01/2023): 6 Herbol — SOL Silikat (100–150 ml/m²): 6.7 – 10
Lime paint	8 m²/L	7 – 10 m²/L	Ressource — 928C Peinture à la chaux effet lissé (04/2024): 9 – 10 Isaval — Caoval (v15, 06/2026): 7 – 10
Silicate paint	8 m²/L	6 – 10 m²/L	akurit — SanaSil (01/2023): 6 Herbol — SOL Silikat (100–150 ml/m²): 6.7 – 10

An average flagged “outside range” differs from the data sheets consulted: it stays as it is until the site's publisher reviews it, and is worth comparing with your own product's data sheet. Families with no data sheet checked remain category averages without an individual source.

The calculator's data

Data	Count
Coverage rates by paint family	16
Coat rules (finish, primer)	2
Paint rankings (budget, eco)	32
Wall types, each linked to its own list of compatible paints	11

Limits

A product's real coverage depends on the surface, the tool, the thinning and the person painting. Once you have chosen your paint, its data sheet is the most reliable reference; the calculator gives a starting quantity to plan your purchase, not a guarantee.

Updates

This page is revised whenever a figure is added, corrected or linked to a source. Last revised: 8 October 2026.