Finish coverage calculator

Where the spread rates come from

Pick a product and the calculator uses its maker's own coverage figure, converted to sq ft per gallon: 125 sq ft per quart is 500 per gallon, and 24 m² per litre is about 978 sq ft per gallon. Pick a kind of finish ("across 2 makers") and it uses the tiered rule over one product per maker: two makers are named and averaged, three or more give the median. A finish whose maker prints no coverage gets no answer rather than a guess.

The line under the answer shows the amount at both ends of the printed range. Most figures are per coat and assume the thin coats the makers describe; wiping finishes such as Watco Wipe-On Poly cover far less per can (50–100 sq ft per quart) than a brushed finish.

Reading the answer

The source tag says what stands behind the rate: one maker for its own product, two makers named, or a median. Open "Why these numbers?" for the arithmetic and the sources. Your choices stay in the address bar, so you can go back to a page and return without losing them. Dry and recoat times for the same products: the finish dry time chart.