Varnish Coats Calculator

Work out varnish coats instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Varnish Coats Calculator

Volume is area over coverage times the number of coats, and drying time counts the gaps between coats, which is one fewer than the number of coats. The gaps-between-coats detail is what turns a three coat job into a two day project rather than a three day one.

Formulas

Volume

litres = area / coverage per litre x coats

Drying time

hours = recoat time x (coats - 1)

Worked example

With the default values below, Varnish Coats Calculator returns Varnish needed of 1.714. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Area to varnishminimum 0.01 m2: 8 m2
Coverage per litreminimum 0.01 m2/L: 14 m2/L
Number of coatsminimum 1: 3
Recoat time between coatsminimum 0.01 h: 6 h

Results

Varnish needed: 1.714 L
Varnish per coat: 0.571 L
Total drying time between coats: 12.00 h
Drying time in hours and minutes: 12h 00m

Step by step

1Values used
2Volume
3Drying time
4Varnish needed= 1.714 L
5Varnish per coat= 0.571 L
6Total drying time between coats= 12.00 h
7Drying time in hours and minutes= 12h 00m

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Varnish Coats figure worked out?

litres = area / coverage per litre x coats. Volume is area over coverage times the number of coats, and drying time counts the gaps between coats, which is one fewer than the number of coats.

Why does this matter?

The gaps-between-coats detail is what turns a three coat job into a two day project rather than a three day one.

What do I need to enter?

Enter area to varnish, coverage per litre, number of coats, recoat time between coats. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.