What This Calculator Does
The Furniture Paint Coverage Calculator estimates how many liters of paint you need to refinish a piece of furniture or any surface. It works for chalk paint, milk paint, mineral paint, and standard furniture paints — just enter the surface area, how many coats you plan to apply, and the coverage rate printed on the tin.
How to Use It
Measure all the surfaces you want to paint (top, sides, drawers, legs) and add them up to get the total area in square meters. Enter the number of coats — chalk paint typically needs two. Then enter the coverage per liter, which most manufacturers list on the label (chalk paints often cover around 12–14 m² per liter). The calculator returns the liters required, plus a milliliters figure for small projects.
The Formula Explained
The math is simple: $$\text{Liters} = \frac{\text{Area} \times \text{Coats}}{\text{Coverage per Liter}}$$ Multiplying area by coats gives the total area the paint actually has to cover. Dividing by the coverage rate converts that area into a volume of paint. Always round up when buying, since real-world coverage drops on porous, raw, or dark surfaces.
Worked Example
Say you're painting a dresser with 5 m² of total surface, applying 2 coats, with a paint that covers 13 m² per liter. Total area to cover is \(5 \times 2 = 10\) m². Dividing 10 by 13 gives about 0.77 liters — so a single 1-liter tin will comfortably do the job.
$$\frac{5 \times 2}{13} \approx 0.77 \text{ L}$$FAQ
How many coats does chalk paint need? Usually two coats for even color, though bold or dark base colors may need a third.
What coverage should I assume? Check the tin. If unknown, 12–14 m² per liter is a reasonable estimate for chalk paint; smooth pre-primed surfaces may go further.
Should I buy extra? Yes — add roughly 10–15% for touch-ups, waxing prep, and uneven absorption on raw wood.
