How to Calculate Drywall Joint Compound

Attempting to estimate the costs of supplies to drywall a room requires calculating how much drywall compound is necessary to mud the seams. Calculating supplies such as compound, nails and tape is a bit different than calculating for the drywall board. When calculating for drywall joint compound, it is necessary to know the square footage of the room you are hanging drywall. While the total amount of compound necessary greatly depends upon how thick or thin it is applied, the square footage calculations give a good baseline to start.

Tape measure

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length and width of the room with a tape measure. If the room has an odd shape, such as an L, measure the smaller portion separately from the larger room.
- 2
  Multiply the length by the width to determine the square footage of the room. For example a room that measures 14 feet long and 14 feet wide is 196 square feet. If the room has an L shape, divide the room into two squares or rectangles for measuring purposes, and add the square footage results together. For example, if the main 14-foot-by-14-foot portion has an adjoining 5-foot-long-by-4-foot-wide nook, the entire project is 216 square feet.
- 3
  Divide the total square footage by 200 to determine how many gallons of drywall joint compound is necessary. One gallon of joint compound is usually enough to mud up to 200 square feet of drywall. Always round up to the next whole number. In the example L-shaped room with a total of 216 square feet, the result divided by 200 is 1.08. So, the room requires 2 gallons of drywall joint compound.

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