How calculations and recommendations are made
BricoDato is designed to be useful before you buy materials or start a job. We explain what is calculated, what is assumed and what cannot be guaranteed.
1. Visible formulas
Calculators use straightforward mathematical relationships and data entered by the user. When a manufacturer specification is available, it takes priority over a generic value.
2. Margin and context
Material yield, waste, real energy use and project conditions vary. Results are indicative and BricoDato explains the main factors that can change them.
3. Recommendations are separate
A recommended product does not change a calculator result. We prioritise usefulness and relevance to the job, not the value of a possible commission.
Affiliate links
Some links to external shops may be affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase, BricoDato may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Price, stock, warranty and sales terms are always set by the seller.
Safety and professional work
Guides do not replace regulations, manufacturer documentation or qualified professional work. Mains electricity, gas, structures, refrigerants, work at height and other higher-risk tasks require appropriate knowledge, procedures and protective equipment.
Review and updates
Content is reviewed when tools or data change, or when a clearer explanation is identified. Time-sensitive pages such as Spain's electricity price use the technical source configured for the site.
What our estimates mean and how we review them
BricoDato calculators and guides are intended to support a decision, not replace a professional measurement, a manufacturer specification or a fixed quotation. When a page uses power, efficiency, price or waste assumptions, those values should be adjusted to the user's real situation.
A useful estimate makes the variables visible. Depending on the task, the main drivers may be quantity, operating time, energy price, area, coverage, waste or installation conditions. When exact data is unavailable, we prefer an explicit assumption to a misleadingly precise figure.
Editorial content and monetisation are kept separate. An affiliate link may generate a commission for BricoDato, but it does not change a calculator formula and should not make a product appropriate when it does not fit the task.
Relacionados: Calculators · Guides · Comparisons
Two worked examples you can check yourself
Before using an estimate, check the input units, whether the value comes from a measurement, a manufacturer's data sheet or an illustrative assumption, and whether the result must be rounded up to full packs.
An appliance drawing an average of 1,000 W for one hour uses 1,000 ÷ 1,000 × 1 = 1 kWh. At an illustrative tariff of €0.20/kWh, that energy costs €0.20. Half an hour at the same input power would use 0.5 kWh, costing €0.10.
This does not include fixed charges or taxes. For cycling appliances, measured kWh are usually a better basis than a rated wattage.
For 24 m² of wall, two coats and assumed coverage of 8 m² per litre per coat, the theoretical amount is 24 × 2 ÷ 8 = 6 litres. If the product only comes in 4 L tins, the smallest purchase is two tins (8 L), before allowing for waste or primer.
Use the specific product's stated coverage; substrate condition and colour changes can alter the actual outcome.
Four checks before acting
- Source: distinguish your measurements, product specifications and fictional example inputs.
- Units: do not confuse W with kWh, or dry mix mass with the quantity ready to apply.
- Purchase size: round to full packs, bags, rolls or boxes when the shop sells only complete units.
- Sensitivity: repeat the estimate using a lower yield, higher energy rate or more waste to understand its uncertainty.
You can reproduce the calculations using the electricity calculator and paint calculator. Report unclear formulas via Contact.