Caulk and sealant calculator
Estimate silicone, acrylic, or polyurethane tubes from joint length, bead size, and a fillet or butt profile.
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Tool guide
Caulk and sealant calculator: how it works
Practical information to understand the result and use this tool correctly.
About Caulk and sealant calculator
Enter the total length of joints, or the count, width, and height of windows and doors. Volume is length times bead width times bead depth. A fillet (triangular corner bead) uses half of that rectangle; a butt joint uses the full rectangle. Tubes to buy are that volume times one plus waste, divided by the tube size, rounded up.
A standard 300 ml cartridge is about 10.1 US fluid ounces. A 1/4 by 1/4 inch butt bead covers about 24 feet per 300 ml tube before waste. The same size as a triangular fillet covers about twice that, near 49 feet. A 5 by 5 mm fillet covers about 24 meters per 300 ml tube. A 600 ml sausage is two standard cartridges.
Presets cover a bathroom silicone run, a set of interior windows, a kitchen counter in feet, and an exterior gap that needs a wider butt bead and a 600 ml sausage. Waste defaults to 10 percent for a straight run and 15 percent around corners and stops. The tool does not price primer, backer rod, or painter's tape.
Nothing is uploaded. Empty lengths, beads outside 2 to 30 mm, and waste above 40 percent are rejected. Baseboard and paint calculators size trim and wall coverage; this one only sizes the sealant in the joint.
How to use it
- 1Choose meters or feet, then a total length or a count of openings.
- 2Set bead width and depth, and pick a fillet or a butt joint.
- 3Pick a 300 ml, 310 ml, 10.1 oz, or 600 ml tube, plus waste and an optional price.
- 4Review tube count, coverage per tube, leftover sealant, and cost, then copy the order.
Frequently asked questions
- How many tubes of caulk do I need?
- Divide joint volume by the tube size and round up. A 1/4 inch butt bead uses about one 10.1 oz tube every 24 feet before waste. Add 10 to 15 percent for stops, corners, and a messy first squeeze.
- Should I use a fillet or a butt joint?
- A fillet is the triangular bead in a corner, so the cross-section is half of width times depth. A butt joint fills a gap between two faces and uses the full rectangle. Using the fillet factor on a gap under-orders tubes.
- Is a 300 ml tube the same as 10.1 oz?
- Close enough for ordering. 10.1 US fluid ounces is about 299 ml. This tool treats the 10.1 oz preset as 299 ml and the 300 ml preset as 300 ml.
- Does the calculation leave the browser?
- No. Lengths, bead sizes, prices, and the tube count stay on your device.