This section holds 8 free tools for construction chemicals: 4 calculators that estimate product quantities, 2 calculators that check site conditions before a coating or concrete placement, and 2 forms that pass a job or a specification on. Which one answers the question on the job today?
Every calculator shows its formula and works in metric and US units, from coatings and liquid membranes to levelling underlayments, tile grout and joint sealants, for products across all families of construction chemicals.
Three numbers carry most results: 1,604 ft² per US gallon at 1 mil (25.4 µm) dry film and 100 % volume solids (1,000 m² per liter at 1 µm), a surface at least 3 °C (5.4 °F) above the dew point under ISO 8502-4:2017, and an evaporation action level of 1.0 kg/m²/h (0.2 lb/ft²/h). The data sheet of the chosen product replaces each default.
Standards, codes and regulations are checked against their issuing bodies, product values against the named data sheet and prices against the dated source named in the sentence; see our methodology and fact-checking.
What Do the Tools on This Site Calculate?#
The tools calculate quantities and conditions: how much coating, self-leveler, grout, adhesive or sealant a job needs, and whether the surface and the air allow a coating or concrete placement at that moment. Conditions come out as a dew point, a minimum surface temperature or an evaporation rate in kg/m²/h (lb/ft²/h).
The two request tools calculate nothing. They pass a job description to independent applicators or a product specification to independent suppliers.
All 8 Tools at a Glance#
The 8 tools below are listed in one order: 4 quantity calculators, 2 site-condition checks and 2 request forms, each with its inputs, its result and the basis it uses. Units are metric first, US customary in parentheses; film thickness is wet (WFT) or dry (DFT).
| Tool | Group | Returns | Inputs | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| epoxy and coating coverage calculator | Quantity | Liters (US gal) per coat; WFT per coat | Area, volume solids (%), target DFT (µm or mils), coats, loss (%) | 1,604 ft²/US gal at 1 mil DFT and 100 % volume solids; m²/L = 1,000 × VS / DFT (µm) |
| self-leveling compound calculator | Quantity | Volume in L (ft³); bags | Area, average depth, yield per bag from the data sheet | Volume = area × average depth; bags = volume / yield per bag |
| tile grout and adhesive calculator | Quantity | kg of grout per m²; bags of adhesive | Tile length and width, joint width and depth, grout density, trowel notch | Joint volume per m² × density: kg/m² = (A + B) / (A × B) × C × D × density (mm, kg/L) |
| sealant joint calculator | Quantity | Linear m per L (linear ft per US gal or per cartridge) | Joint width and depth over the backer rod | 1,000 / (W × D) in mm; 231 / (W × D × 12) in inches |
| dew point calculator for coating application | Site condition | Dew point, minimum surface temperature, condensation risk | Air temperature, relative humidity (RH), surface temperature | ISO 8502-4:2017 Annex A; surface at least 3 °C (5.4 °F) above the dew point |
| concrete evaporation rate calculator | Site condition | Evaporation rate in kg/m²/h (lb/ft²/h); action level | Concrete and air temperature, RH, wind speed | Action above 1.0 kg/m²/h (0.2 lb/ft²/h), caution at 0.5 kg/m²/h (0.1 lb/ft²/h); ACI 308 nomograph caption via FHWA-HRT-05-038 |
| free applicator match | Request | Job passed to independent applicators | System, structure, area, location, timing, description | No calculation; request form |
| request quotes from construction chemicals suppliers | Request | Specification passed to independent suppliers | Product class, standard and class, quantity, delivery country | No calculation; request form |
Which Tool Fits Which Job?#
The right tool follows from the question: a quantity question goes to a calculator, a weather or surface question goes to a site-condition check, and a request for installation or prices goes to a form. The three question types map to the tools as follows.
- Quantity questions (liters of coating, bags of self-leveler, kilograms of grout, cartridges of sealant): the 4 quantity calculators.
- Condition questions (condensation on a coated substrate, plastic shrinkage on fresh concrete): the dew-point check and the evaporation check.
- Request questions (who installs the system, what a specification costs): the applicator match and the supplier request form.
Quantity tools: coating, self-leveler, grout and joint estimates#
Quantity calculators turn area, thickness and joint size into liters, kilograms, bags or cartridges. The coverage tool applies the coverage identity: 1 US gallon (231 in³) spread 1 mil (0.001 in) thick covers 1,604 ft², and 1 liter spread 1 µm thick covers 1,000 m². A 100 % solids coating at 10 mils (254 µm) DFT therefore covers 160 ft²/US gal (3.94 m²/L) in theory.
Dry and wet film are linked by volume solids: DFT = WFT × volume solids. A coating with 72 % volume solids applied for 100 µm (4 mils) DFT goes on at 139 µm (5.6 mils) WFT and covers 7.2 m²/L (289 ft²/US gal) in theory; with a 30 % loss, practical coverage falls to 5.04 m²/L (202 ft²/US gal). Both film values matter because coating thickness measurement reads the wet film during application and the dry film after cure, as set out under coating thickness measurement.
The self-leveler tool multiplies area by average depth and divides by the yield per bag on the data sheet: 50 m² (538 ft²) at 6 mm (0.24 in) average depth needs 300 L (10.6 ft³). The grout tool multiplies joint volume per m² by the grout density from the data sheet.
The sealant tool divides 1,000 by joint width × depth in mm to give linear meters per liter, so a 300 mL cartridge fills 8.3 m of a 6 × 6 mm joint and a 600 mL sausage fills 6 m of a 10 × 10 mm joint. In US units, a 1/4 × 1/4 in joint takes 308 ft per US gallon, or 24.3 ft per 10.1 fl oz (299 mL) cartridge. Depth is the sealant depth over the backer rod, before tooling waste.
Site-condition tools: dew point and evaporation checks#
Two checks tell an applicator whether conditions allow work: the dew-point check for coatings and the evaporation check for fresh concrete. ISO 8502-4:2017 calls for a surface at least 3 °C (5.4 °F) above the dew point unless otherwise agreed, read with contact thermometers at least once per 10 m² (108 ft²), lowest reading used; ASTM D3276-21 rounds the margin to 5 °F (2.8 °C). At 20 °C (68 °F) and 50 % RH, the Annex A formula gives a dew point of 9.3 °C (48.7 °F) and a minimum surface temperature of 12.3 °C (54.1 °F).
The evaporation check compares the computed rate with two levels from the ACI 308 nomograph caption, as cited by FHWA-HRT-05-038: above 1.0 kg/m²/h (0.2 lb/ft²/h), action to retard evaporation is needed, and 0.5 kg/m²/h (0.1 lb/ft²/h) is the caution level. Low-bleed mixes, such as those with silica fume or a high fines content, can crack below the action level. Sprayed films that slow surface drying are one such action, covered under evaporation retarders.
The check sets no mix design. Hot-weather concreting practice is covered on concreteadditives.net.
Request tools: applicator match and supplier quotes#
The two request forms pass a job or a specification to independent applicators or suppliers, and neither names, ranks or screens a company. The applicator form asks for the system (waterproofing, repair, injection, slab lifting, flooring, fireproofing or sealants), the structure, the area in m² (ft²), the location, the timing and a description.
The supplier form asks for the product class, the standard and class required (for example EN 1504-3:2005 class R4), the quantity and the delivery country. Both forms accept a pasted calculator result.
What Every Calculator Result Assumes#
Every calculator result is a theoretical estimate on a stated basis: coverage at a stated dry film and volume solids, volume at an average depth, joint yield at the sealant depth over the backer rod, and a margin measured on the surface. The table below compares what each result assumes with the value that replaces the default.
| Tool | What the result assumes | What replaces the default |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Theoretical coverage at the entered DFT and volume solids, before loss | The product's volume solids and stated coverage |
| Self-leveler | Average depth, not minimum depth | The product's yield per bag |
| Grout and adhesive | Joint volume and a grout density entered by the user | The product's density and notch coverage |
| Sealant | Sealant depth over the backer rod, before tooling waste | The cartridge or sausage volume on the pack |
| Dew point | Margin of 3 °C (5.4 °F) on the surface, not in the air | The product's own dew-point margin |
| Evaporation | Caution and action levels of the ACI 308 nomograph caption | The mix: low-bleed mixes can crack below the action level |
A product's own data sheet value replaces each class default. The dew-point basis carries ISO 8502-4:2017 and ASTM D3276-21; editions and issuing bodies are listed under construction chemicals standards.
Can a Calculator Replace the Product Data Sheet?#
No: a calculator applies a general formula, while the data sheet of the chosen product sets its volume solids, yield per bag, density, application window and dew-point margin, and those values replace the defaults. The calculator result is a first estimate; the data sheet value governs the order.
Is there a free construction calculator?#
Yes: all 6 calculators and both request forms on this site are free to use. Each shows its formula, so a result can be checked by hand.
Do the calculators include waste?#
Each quantity calculator returns the theoretical figure first and then applies a loss percentage entered by the user, because loss depends on profile, method and mixing on each project. The loss sources named in the coverage basis are listed below.
- Substrate profile, which takes extra material to fill
- Application method, such as roller or spray
- Mixing and container residue