How many coats of paint do you need? (2024)

FAQs

How many coats of paint do you need? ›

How many coats of paint do I need? Generally, you will want a minimum of two coats of paint – this is a good rule of thumb for any wall or ceiling you're painting. You'll rarely get a seamless finish from just one coat of paint, and even if you do, coverage isn't the only goal when it comes to painting a room.

Using two coats of paint is our industry standard.

You will want between two and three coats of paint depending on the situation. After the first two coats are applied and dry, take a look to see if the old paint is showing through. You may just need to touch up a few areas, or if lots of paint is showing through, you'll need an entire third coat.

How many coats of paint does it take to change colour? As a general rule of thumb, you need two coats of paint to change the paint colour of your surfaces.

Always do two coats. The second coat will give a professional level of coverage, will use less paint and be quicker.

Adding a Second Coat

After your first coat of paint is dry, it's safe to recoat typically after four to six hours. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least three hours to recoat your paint or primer if it's water-based. Waiting 24 hours is best for oil-based paint and primer.

What happens if you apply a second coat of paint too soon? Applying the second coat of paint before letting it dry will result in peeling, clumping, and bubbling that can be time-consuming and expensive to repair. It can also result in an uneven colour, ruining its appearance.

Priming is not generally necessary if you use Duration or Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint Exterior Latex. Use one coat of Duration or two coats of SuperPaint.

You want to paint a strip that will allow you to get close enough to the adjacent side with your roller but isn't too wide that your wall dries patchy and with visible lines. Make sure that you cut in on every coat of paint that you apply.

Patchiness usually happens if you don't use enough paint, or apply it unevenly. Using a touch more paint, and painting in small sections one at a time, usually does the trick. Also, rolling in a grid fashion will get you an even finish too. But, sometimes, changes in the gloss level leave things patchy.

Is it better to touch-up paint with a brush or roller? ›

Use a roller, if possible — A roller will give you better quality and blending than a brush. The preferred roller is a "weenie" roller with a good, quality synthetic cover.

You probably don't need a primer. If the current wall is smooth, clean and covered with the same type of paint (both are oil-based for example), you can head straight for the paint. You need to fill holes, spackle and sand*, maybe even cut a new piece of drywall in to the existing wall.

Without reloading the applicator, feather the edges by making light strokes that extend slightly past the edge onto the surrounding wall. Feathering creates a less noticeable transition between the new and old paint, which will help the touch-up spot blend into the wall.

For example, if you have prepped, primed and painted your living room walls with a standard matte paint of some kind, you probably won't need to sand again before the second coat. Unless stated otherwise by the manufacturer, chances are the second coat will adhere just fine to the first coat.

When you're waiting to apply your second coat, leaving paint on your brush or roller can cause them to dry out and become unusable. Save time washing them out – instead, wrap up your tools in aluminium foil between coats. This will keep the paint on your brush and roller fresh for a long period of time.

What might take three or four coats of paint can be accomplished with one coat of primer and maybe two coats of paint. Don't even think about painting wood paneling without a few coats of stain-blocking primer. Without a good primer, it could take upward of six coats of paint to cover the wood grain.

Paint quality: Higher-quality paints generally require fewer coats than lower-quality paints. If you're using a high-quality paint, you may be able to get away with just one or two coats. However, if you're using a lower-quality paint, you may need to apply three or more coats to achieve the desired results.

One-coat paint is not guaranteed to be one coat, even in favorable conditions. Manufacturers' one-coat paint guarantees often exclude repaired surfaces, porous surfaces, surfaces that have previously been uncoated, surfaces that contain tannins (such as cedar), and surfaces with aggressive stains.

A second coat of paint is important to ensure even distribution on the walls. Two coats also ensure the paint is more durable, making it resistant to chipping and fading.