How Many Coats of Paint Do I Need?

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Will one coat of paint cover interior walls completely? Behr’s TV ads guarantee one-coat coverage by its Marquee Interior Paint and Primer. At E. Robinson Painting, we don’t buy it. We hope the bold marketing ploy doesn’t leave Behr with one coat of egg on its face. After one coat of paint, you’ll see roller marks; dull areas where you patched; brush marks where you cut in along the ceiling, corners and baseboards; and spots were the paint just doesn’t look smooth enough. Sorry, Behr. Even with top-quality paint, you need two coats for a uniform finish. That’s why our interior painting estimates always call for two coats.
Primers contain extenders such as clay that allow them to hide whatever is underneath. It sounds like a great idea to save a step and add the primer to the paint. However, the paint actually dilutes the primer, making it less effective. Stains and patches--and previous colors--show through.
If you paint over the same color, you might get away with one coat (the “holidays” will be camouflaged). If you obsess over every roller swipe, you might get away with one coat (of course, it will take you as long--and nearly as much paint--as applying two coats). But if you apply one coat the way most people (or most professional painters) do, you’ll apply to Behr for a refund (and apply a second coat).
A second coat of paint fills in empty areas, levels rough spots and hides the transition between brush and roller strokes. It covers patches completely. Whether you are painting with flat paint, eggshell, satin or semi-gloss, the second coat smooths out the surfaces. It leaves your walls beautiful. And isn’t that your goal?

Ed painting an office

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