Painting: How many coats?

The question of how many coats of paint you need to get a good finish is rather like the 'how long is a piece of string' question. The answer: as many as you need to get the job right. Because the job can vary greatly, here's a few pointers to get you started, and hopefully finished with less coats, less money spent and less work.

Indoor painting

The fact of painting a room well is that well over half of the work, if not most of it, is in the preparation. If you are covering over an old paint job, you will need to start by cleaning the walls with sugar soap or similar product. If the paint is in a particularly bad way, you might need to remove it with paint stripper. The prepared wall should be clean, dry and smooth.

Next cover up any areas that are not intended for painting. Use masking tape for window frames close to the walls and make sure you have ample drop sheets for the floors.

The right equipment is also important if you want to get the job done right. Good brushes reduce the chances of brush fibres making their way into the paint job, and good rollers and roller trays make the job much quicker. If you are thinking of sponging or trying out other creative techniques, speak to your local hardware shop about the best possible equipment for that too.

Now that you are set to paint, your first coat should always be a primer. If you are painting straight onto plasterboard this will make a big difference to how many coats you will need, and if you are going from a light to darker colour, the primer can be tinted to aid the transition. Primer is usually much cheaper than the topcoat, so don't make the mistake of using your good paint as a primer!

Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next one. If you use a primer, most rooms will only need 2 coats for a great finish, but some newer paints have been formulated to only need one coat. Allowing it to dry first will let you see if you need another or not.

Exterior painting

The harsh conditions of Australia normally brutalise outdoor paint jobs, so the preparation time can be considerably more for the outdoors. Don't be tempted to shirk the work, though, because plenty of things can be going wrong under the old paint job. Weatherboard homes can rot, metal fixtures can rust and render can crumble. Make sure all areas are scraped clean, sealed and covered, as with indoor work.

Primer is especially important for outdoor paint jobs. Special metal primer can help to reduce rust and primer for wood helps to reduce the topcoat soaking into the timber. Once the primer has dried properly you can begin applying two coats of topcoat. Try to get a paint that is also UV resistant, as this will save you having to do the job again for some years to come.