Painting - 1 coat or 2?

[plucka]

I've always thought you should use 2 topcoats (internal walls). Our house builder is trying to tell us that the BSA acceptable standard is 1 topcoat on top of 1 coat of tinted undercoat. They reckon that will give the best result but I get the feeling they are skimping. Do you think this is acceptable or should I be demanding 2 coats?

Cheers
Plucka

[Termite]

Check your contract and specification. I don't know what the BSA standard is but I'd want sealer/undercoat and two top coats. What is BSA? Bull **** association?
Kind regards
Termite

[Christopha]

LISTEN to what our friend of the Isoptera order is telling you, your painter is trying to white ant ya!

[bitingmidge]

I have actually witnessed a painter rolling UP (one coat) DOWN (two coats).

Check the specification and manufacturer's recommendations for the actual paint used. Some have more pigmentation than others. Some painters are able to lay an opaque coat in a heavy coat.

I have also seen painters who have used three coats of a good quality paint and failed to get coverage.

While number of coats is a bit of a guide, it is really the thickness of the coating that matters (along with the surface texture).

If the finish is opaque (you can't see through it) and of consistent texture then it will probably be OK... but you will need a painter who is a first grade magician to achieve it!


P

[plucka]

Thanks for the reply's.

The builder tells me they are using something callled Taubmans Ultraprep undercoat/sealer which I checked the specification and it does indeed allow you to use only 1 top coat as long as the undercoat is tinted. Also they are spraying so I assume this will give a good result.

[GeoffS]

Look at the 'finished' result. If it is OK I guess you can't complain - too much.
Some years ago my sister had some extensions painted by someone who claimed it could all be finished with one coat.
In the toilet one morning I counted more than 20 paint runs on the architraves. That was just the toilet!!!
There are limits on how thick a coat can be so have a good look at any work that the painter claims is finished.
There should be no runs and you shouldn't be able to see through it.
Cheers

[simon c]

Taubmans have a range of good undercoats that have good filling properties and dry smooth. With a good base, one coat of decent paint is probably enough.

Most of the replies have been to do with coverage but the number of coats of paint also affects the quality of the finish. Most people don't know that brush stroke and other marks left on a painted finish normally come from the undercoat and not the topcoats. So getting the undercoat dead smooth is essential which is where a good undercoat like Taubmans comes in as it fill fill imperfections and dry with a smooth finish. If they are spraying you should get a dead smooth job.

Simon

[Markw]

Have just completed some renovations an used Taub. Ultraprep tinted to 75% of finish colour then used a single coat of Kahki coloured Dulux 101 as the top coat. This adequately covered a duck egg blue internal gyprock wall without any bleed through.

In my case as I was doing this myself, I felt that the single top coat was fine considering that the room is an office and therefore not subject to any abuse such may be expected in a childrens play room or kitchen. For a kitchen or bathroom - both areas being a more damaging environment to the painted surface, I would not consider less than 2 top coats.

[soundman]

If they were putting it on with a roller or brush I'd say not a hope!
The might be able to lay it on real thick if they are spraying with an airless.

:confused:

[Marc]

I say if it is your house, 3 coats. If it is someone elses, (the painter's for example) just 1.

[Markw]

To Soundman & Marc

Gentlemen,
My painting was performed using a roller - best quality lambs wool, with only one undercoat and one top coat. There is no bleed through, and the top coat fully covers the undercoat.

It is essential that the undercoat be tinted to close but not the same as the top coat.

The surface is as smooth as can be expected when rolling paint and I defy either of you to fault the painting result (not necesarliy my adeptness with a brush at cutting in).

Suggest you two try the products before you make your arbitary comments

[Marc]

When my comment was clearly a joke, your response wasn't, so here goes my answer.

Question: Why do you need to tint the undercoat, in a one coat cheap job?
Answer: so that the bleed true from the insufficient single coat cannot be seen. If one coat is sufficient then you could have yellow undercoat and then blue (magic) one coat paint and no yellow undercoat should be able to be seen.
The reality is that your "perfect" job is a mixture of undercoat and a poor patchy starving single coat but you have no way to know because the tint in the undercoat acts as camouflage.

The purpose of paint is not only the colour but protection and the chance to clean possible stains or marks, something the undercoat is unable to give. What will resist better an attempt at cleaning touch marks? one coat or two?

Still one coat is OK in quick jobs for tenanted apartments or for sale.
Of course there is an even cheaper solution:
Say you want a room to be green, paint your glasses green and voilá one coat does it all.
Different colours in different rooms can be achieved by hanging with a nail (just one nail will do) from each door, a pair of glasses with the colour of choice to be used in that room.

Disclaimer:
If you choose to paint your glasses, you do so at your own risk. This is a purely arbitrary post.

[Markw]

Marc
It's the nasty sarcastic remarks like yours that makes me and possibly a number others reluctant to post on this bulletin board. I don't need this sort of public ridicule, as I only posted the results that had worked for my situation. I can take a joke but I object to pointed sarcasm.

I have no overwhelming need to post, as I am satisfied to just sit in the background and learn from others whilst you employ your substantial wit to flame someone else. (yes I can use sarcasm too if I lower myself).

[antman]

Late post here. We have just finished extensions and while I used an undercoat/sealer and two top coats, the builders made such a mess of the skirting boards, lights and air con ducts(blame myself for those) and other various marks, I am going to do another light coat to clean up the surface and finish it nicely.
Maybe the thing to do is to look at the final result and decide whether it is enough then. While it might cost extra (which the builder won't miss you on) to get another coat at the end, you don't want the final result to be less than ideal as you will need to look at it for a long time!
My 2c worth....
Anthony

[Marc]

Mark from Mt Druitt, when throwing a punch it is usualy wise to expect one back.
When I enjoy debating and using as much humorous remarks as I can, this is a rare ocasion in a technical forum. I certainly did not intend to offend you and if I did I apologise, clearly your opening by calling my post arbitrary was too much to resist. (Honestly I hoped you had the sense of humour to responde in a similar vein.)

So lets close this with another joke:

A painter had won the contract for a large tract of homes. Half way through the project he realized he had underestimated the amount of paint needed.
In an effort to remain solvent (pun intended) he resorted to thinning his paint.
Months later while asleep, he was tossing and turning. In a vision an angel came to him.
"What do you want of me" asked the painter.
The angel's only reply was, -"Repaint you thinner." ...