Windows and other component-based surfaces
Most quoting tools treat a window as "one thing" at a ballpark price per unit. Surfacely treats it as what it actually is — a collection of paintable components. You toggle each one on or off and enter its dimensions. The result: a price that matches the actual work.
Window components
When you add a window, you get four component toggles plus a "Both sides" option:
- Frame — the timber or aluminium surround of the window itself
- Sill — the ledge under the window, internal or external
- Reveal — the depth of the wall opening, painted when visible inside the room
- Architrave — the decorative trim around the outside of the opening
- Both sides — doubles the frame only (reveal and architrave are painted once regardless)
Glass has no paintable area — the base is 0 m², and area is built up from the components you toggle on with their locale-appropriate default dimensions.
Reveal and jamb specifics
Reveal (window) and jamb (door) are the wall depth. They're painted once regardless of whether both sides of the frame are being done — so Surfacely doesn't multiply them by 2. This is a subtle detail that's cost painters real money to get wrong.
Frame defaults
Surfacely ships with sensible frame dimensions for your locale. In Business Settings → Frame defaults you can override them to match the window types you see most — your 6-over-6 sash default is probably different from an aluminium sliding window default.
Why it matters: windows are one of the most over-quoted and under-quoted items in residential painting. Components-based measurement gives you the real number — which wins quotes on simple windows and protects margin on detailed ones.
Tip: Balustrades and Doors use the same component pattern. Once you understand windows, the others follow.