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Painting, just like building a house, is an activity that takes some planning. For instance, you must estimate how many coats of paint you will likely need for your home exterior painting project.
This article will highlight how many coats of paint you will need on the house's exterior. You can also learn what factors affect the number of coats for exterior and interior home painting.
In addition, there are tips on getting the best from commercial painting contractors, coats of paint for residential painting, and how painting contractors can meet your painting needs.
Coats of Paint for Exterior Painting Projects
Regardless of the number of coats of paint you intend to use, you still have to perform a thorough surface preparation for exterior painting projects. Otherwise, the applied coats of exterior paint will not stick properly to the surface and will likely fail.
You may use one coat of paint if you are recoating with the same color. This is the case if the paint is not weathered or peeling out. However, it is recommended to apply two coats of exterior paint if possible.
This will help create a better sheen and color retention. Another reason why two coats of paint should be applied when painting exterior surfaces is that the paint job is more likely to peel or fade off with one coat of paint.
You should certainly use at least two coats of paint if you are painting with a new color. A light color change to a darker one may make do with two coats. However, a dark or bold color change to a lighter one will likely need more than two coats of paint. According to painting contractors, you can apply a tinted primer to help reduce the number of topcoats needed.
Factors Affecting the Number of Exterior Paint Coats
You need to take time to weigh the relevant factors before estimating the number of coats you will use for your paint job. Here are some factors to consider when deciding the number of coats needed for your exterior painting job.
Thorough surface preparation
Your professional painting company or painting contractor will attest to this. A thorough surface prep work is the foundation for long-lasting painting. Surface preparation involves the following:
- Washing
- Patching
- Wood rot repair
- Sanding
- Priming
Quality of paint
It can be challenging to get adequate coverage using low-quality paints. They hide poorly and have poorer pigments, resins, and additives. As such, you will require more paint using low-quality paints. Overall, it is better to use higher quality paints as you would not want to spend so much time applying coats of paint and waiting for them to dry.
The paint specification
Understandably, you have to consider brands, specifications, and types of paint to be used. A standard paint used for residential exterior coating is SuperPaint from Sherwin Williams. You should consider the coverage and wet specifications in terms of mils thickness.
Coats of Paints for Interior Painting Projects
When it comes to interior surfaces, you should be interested in both durability and coverage. Again, applying at least two coats of paint for interior painting jobs is recommended. This is even more so for changes in the color of paints to more vibrant colors. However, painting over the same or similar colors can likely make do with a single coat.
Coats of Paint for Residential Painting Jobs
If you are about to perform a residential painting project, you can consider the following:
Coats of paint on walls
You can follow the two coats paint rule if you want to paint exterior walls. Apply two coats of paint after applying the primer. Do the same for drywalls. Wall repaints of the same color may only require one coat of high-quality paint.
Coats of paint on ceilings
It would be best if you ideally used high-quality paints for your ceiling. For example, you may use Benjamin Moore's Muresco for the best results when getting your ceilings painted. This way, you will only need one coat of ceiling paint after applying the primer.
Coats for cabinet painting
The number of coats of paint for cabinet painting depends on the size and number of cabinets and the paint quality. These factors apply to painting jobs such as kitchen cabinet painting.
When is One Coat of Paint Enough?
You may be asking if you really have to use two or more coats of paint on your exterior. There are certainly some financial savings to painting your home with one coat of paint.
In addition, painting contractors may promise they can get your home looking great with just one coat of paint.
The following situations are more likely to require two finish coats of exterior paint:
- Painting for new constructions.
- When you have to deal with extensive damage to the siding.
- If there are color changes to make, such as a lighter color over darker ones.
- If the paint quality is low.
Situations where two finish coats of paint may not be necessary for exterior house painting, include the following:
- If your house paint is not too faded.
- If high-quality exterior paint is used.
- The condition of your home is perfect.
Measuring Paint Film Thickness
Paint thicknesses that have been applied are measured in mil thicknesses. For instance, you should know that the minimum wet standard is four millimeters. Roller brushes may require two coats to meet the four-millimeter standard, while sprayer cans can achieve a four-millimeter thickness with one coat of paint.
You can utilize a wet film thickness gauge to measure the thickness of paint while it is still damp and before it cures. Alternatively, you may request that your painting contractor show you the measurement after applying the coating.
Getting the Best from Commercial Painting Contractors
When you talk about getting price estimates for outside paint jobs from commercial painters, it's important to ask more questions. Some painters might say they will use two coats of paint, but they could be using a method of spraying and then rolling the paint.
Spraying a porous substrate does not penetrate it but only delivers the paint material to the surface. The technique involves spraying the surface and using a roller to backroll it. This technique is suboptimal if the painter does not wait for at least 4 hours before backrolling. It also does not meet the requirement for a two-coat system.
As such, you need to confirm the curing process of paint coatings from your commercial painting contractor, who is painting exteriors with sprayers. They should allow the paint to cure overnight before applying a second coat of paint. This same consideration applies to house painters offering two coats of paint in their quotes.
Consult With Exterior House Painters
You have read up on how many coats of paint are needed on the exterior of a house, factors affecting the number of coats of exterior paint, and getting the best from commercial painting contractors. This post has also considered spraying and backrolling techniques, coats of paint for residential painting, and times when one coat of paint is enough.
Hiring a reputable painting contractor to do your painting job is crucial. After all, you may not have the time to spend painting outside and inside of your home to give it a professionally painted outlook. Besides, professionals will have painting teams who can provide color consulting and even commercial painting services such as hotel painting.
