Dust sheet calculator
Before painting, everything that stays in the room — floor and furniture — gets covered. The calculator divides that area by the size of the sheet or roll.
Your measurements
Result
- Sheets / rolls needed
- 2 pcs
Choose a sheet thick enough to withstand paint splashes and light foot traffic during the work.
How the calculation works
- Sheet area = length × width (4 × 5 m = 20 m² or 2 × 50 m = 100 m²).
- Sheets = area to protect ÷ area of one sheet, rounded up.
Worked example
For 25 m² of floor and furniture with 4 × 5 m sheets (20 m²) you need 2 sheets.
What the calculator assumes
- The area to protect is the floor of the room plus the furniture that stays in it.
When to adjust the result
- Thin sheeting is fine for furniture; on the floor, where you walk, use thicker sheeting or protective board.
- Tape the edges with masking tape, otherwise the sheet moves and leaves the floor exposed.
- On wooden floors and glossy tiles plastic sheeting is slippery — cardboard or felt protection is safer.
Protecting a room properly
Plastic sheet is cheap but slippery and lets paint drips sit on top; for floors, breathable cotton or paper-backed dust sheets are safer to walk on. Tape sheet edges to the skirting so paint and dust cannot creep underneath, and overlap joints by about 20 cm.
Move furniture to the centre of the room and cover it with plastic, cover switches and sockets with masking tape, and protect doors and frames you are not painting. For dusty work, seal doorways with a zip-door or plastic curtain and cover vents.
Frequently asked questions
What should I cover the floor with when painting?
Felt or cardboard protection on the floor is safest; thin plastic for furniture.
How many dust sheets for a room?
Floor area plus furniture divided by the sheet size — a 4 × 3 m room usually needs one or two 20 m² sheets.
Plastic or fabric dust sheets?
Fabric for floors, because it does not slip and absorbs drips; plastic for covering furniture and for very wet or dusty jobs.
Can dust sheets be reused?
Fabric sheets yes, after shaking out or washing; thin plastic sheet is usually single-use.