How Many Coats of Paint Do I Need?

There are a ton of variables that go into determining how to achieve the perfect finish – things like the existing paint color, the new paint color, the type of paint and much more. Although there might not be just one answer to how many coats of pain you need on your wall, the professionals at Texas Professional Painting want to provide a formula to help determine how many coats are likely needed for whatever your interior painting job.

Primer

Primer is a painter’s best friend. By applying primer to your walls before the new color, you are essentially turning your wall into a blank canvas. I know some of you may be thinking, “but that’s just extra coats I have to paint.” Yes and no. While primer may be an extra coat or two, it is preventing you from having to paint coat after coat of your color – and primer helps avoid walls with streaks. So how many coats of primer do you use? Here is your answer:

• One coat if:
  • The primer you’re using is tinted
  •  You are painting over a white or very light current color
• Two Coats if:
  • Current paint color is darker than the new paint color
  • Wall you’re painting is unfinished wood
  • Wall you’re painting on is unfinished drywall or plaster
• No Primer if:
  • Paint is 2-in-1 or self-priming

Paint Color

Once you have primed your walls, now you are ready to consider how much paint you will need. Depending on your paint’s finish and the surface you are painting, even with primer you may need more paint coverage or less. The key to painting perfection is to first paint to achieve the coverage desired and then you can fill in again for the color saturation that you are seeking.

Paint Finish

Paint finishes like gloss and satin may require a few more coats to ensure the proper saturation is achieved. Matte with its low luster and shine applies much more smoothly and there is a high likelihood that you will need less paint to get the job done.

Surface Texture

The texture of the surface you are painting can matter nearly as much as the paint and primer you ch0oose. If the wall is textured or made of a material like stucco, then you will need more paint to cover the porous nature of the textured walls. Smoother walls will likely require fewer coats to cover the space and will be easier to achieve the correct level of color saturation.

As you can see, the workload involved in your next painting project depends on your current paint color, the wall texture and even the paint itself. Once you are all primed up, it should typically take one coat of the new paint color to achieve the flawless finish you are looking for, as long as you are using quality paint.

For more information about achieving an even finish for your next painting project, call Texas Professional Painters!