One Coat Paint vs. Two Coats Paint – How to Choose

One of the biggest debates in the paint contracting world is whether to provide one coat or two coats of paint to the exterior of a house. In my 25 years plus experience in the paint business, I have found the number of paint coats depends on the current color, the color selection (for the new paint job), the age of the house and how long the customer wants the paint job to last.

The “Bare Minimum” Paint Job: Typically when the exterior of a house is in outstanding shape, the paint color is remaining the same, and the previous paint job was recent and has remained in good condition, then paint contractors can recommend spot priming the house and applying one top coat. This is the ONLY time I would ever recommend spot priming and one coating the exterior of a house.

The “Two Coat” Paint Job: Normally when it has been several years since the exterior of a house has been painted or customers are changing colors then we recommend two coats of paint. First, apply one coat of primer that is tinted to the finish color and one top coat. However, if the customer has a dark color selection (Dark green, dark brown, etc.) and we cannot tint the primer color close enough to top coat color then we recommend to spot prime peeling areas and apply two finish coats.

The “Best of the Best” Paint Job: When a customer is looking for a long-lasting paint job or switching from a dark color to a light color (Black to white) then we recommend one primer coat and two top coats. First, apply one coat of primer that is tinted to the finish color and then apply two top coats.

In general, we always recommend at least two coats of paint for the exterior of the house. Two coats will provide proper paint coverage and durability for your money. Normally, most of your paint costs are invested in proper painting preparation, which is why it is extremely important to ensure that the contractor you hire takes the time and effort to thoroughly prepare your house before painting. Customers often think it is just about the paint, however, if a house is not properly prepped then the paint job may not turn out as dreamed.