Replies

1. 
   popawheelie | Nov 14, 2009 08:08pm | #1

   From what I've gathered. Even if you are real carefull you will miss spots with one coat.

   So two coats is minimum. I've tried to paint large areas with one coat real carefully and I just miss spots. In order to see them I wear magnifying glasses and real good light. They are there if you look hard.

   The same could be said for two coats if you are in a hurry. Sometimes redundancy is your friend.

   There is something to be said for multiple coats. They dry in between. And if you are spaying, rolling, or brushing, the coats overlap.

   One thing you can do is to pay special attention to any areas that have sharp edges.

   Do those areas first and then coat them again when you do everything.

   When you coat sharp edges ( outside corners ) the paint film will always be thinner right at the corner.

   And that is where there will be more wear on the paint film as well.

    

   "There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."
   Will Rogers

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/14/2009 12:09 pm by popawheelie

2. 
   Piffin | Nov 14, 2009 08:21pm | #2

   with good prep and good oil paint, we used to get ten years here on a two coat job.

   Still processing changes in the paint industry so I don't hace the answers for latexes

    

    

   Welcome to the
   Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
    where ...
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3. 
   BillHartmann | Nov 14, 2009 09:01pm | #3

   Interior, exterior?

   On clean fresh base?

   Big color change? If so what direction?

   Smooth, lightly textured, heavy texture?

   Those all make a difference.

   .
   William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
4. 
   Geoffrey | Nov 14, 2009 10:08pm | #4

    

    Paint coats should be applied "thinly" rather than "thickly", as already mentioned, you will get "misses" when you do 1 coat,  2 coats ensures a minimum 1 coat of  protection.

   Covering with too many coats, or applying the paint to heavily will/can contribute to early failure of the paint, in other words you can put too many coats of paint on the wood surface, which is why,eventually, paint jobs on older homes fail prematurely, even though a good quality paint may have been used. 

   In order to get the longest life from a paint job, your best bet is to prep, prep and prep again. Then apply the paint sparingly (thin coats rather than thick coats). A goood paint job is 80% prep, 20% painting and you should get 10 yrs. easily from a good paint job.

                                                                            Geoff  

1. 
   seaviewhandyman | Nov 14, 2009 10:21pm | #5

   Thanks Geoffrey, I think you answered my question. I know about why more than one coat, prep and the rest, but I wondered , why not three or even four light coats. I am doing new Face Comb trim around windows in a pacific coastal climate. Lots of rain, high winds and storms. I thought that perhaps more coats would be better, but as you point out perhaps too thick is not good either. Anyone else care to comment on extra coats. Also I should mention this is a two story plus house and I am pre-painting the trim inside the shop. I would rather do extra coats here than do two story re-coats off a high ladder.
   Seaview Handyman

5. 
   DonCanDo | Nov 14, 2009 10:42pm | #6

   I think that's a great question.  Rather than just doing it "the way it's always been done", it's good to ask why.

   I agree with the other posters about missed or thin spots, but I painted my own house 3 years ago with 1 coat and it still looks as good as when I first did it.  And I didn't even prime first.  However, the paint job was still in good shape (having been painted about 10 years before that) and I only painted it because I wanted to change colors.  I also washed everything first with a stiff bristle brush and soap and water.  I did not use a power washer.

   Since you mentioned primer, I'm assuming that you're painting a new surface.  In that case, I think it's more important to use 2 topcoats for additional thickness for protection from the elements.

1. 
   seaviewhandyman | Nov 15, 2009 12:47am | #7

   Yes! Actually, I never considered less than two coats plus primer, but I was thinking maybe primer plus three or four top coats might be better. I know thin coats are better than thick so I thought------ maybe more.
   Seaview Handyman