Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

September, 2006

Paint Density of Household Latex Paint

Q: What is a paint density for interior latex paint?

A: The density of a latex paint will depend on what ingredients are in the paint, but for starters I would expect the density to be close to 10 lbs/gal.

To find the density of a latex paint you need to ask your paint vendor or hardware store to see theMaterial Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for that product.  All vendors need to have an MSDS on file. Alternatively, you can find most MSDS online. You will see the density referenced as one of three possibilities; density, Weight per Gallon (WPG) or specific gravity (S.G.)  

Density can be written as g/L or lbs/gal.  If it is written as g/L you can convert it to lbs/gal by multiplying by 120.   WPG is simply the weigfht of one gallon of paint.   If the MSDS provides the S.G. you canmultiply this value by 8.33, which is the weight of one gallon of water. Therefore, if the S.G. is 1.2, the density or WPG is 1.2 x 8.33 lbs/gal = 10 lbs/gal.

Best wishes,

Ron Joseph