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Feature: Why you need two coats of paint... |
In almost all cases, paint manufacturers specify two top coats of paint. This is because they know how paint spreads and coats at a magnification your eye may not perceive at first glance.
Once coat creates peaks and valleys.
The first coat spreads evenly and appears to cover the underlying surface when wet, but as it dries it spreads out as moisture is evaporated, leaving "pin holes." If you could tilt the wall sideways and look across the surface with magnification, you would see hills and valleys - spots where the paint is higher and covering fully, and spots where the paint is lower and barely providing coverage. If you look carefully at any surface after one coat of paint, there is a slight mottled appearance when applied with a roller, or streaks if applied with a brush.
The second coat fills the valleys.
The second coat "finds" these valleys created by the first coat and fills them, leaving a more even surface that is ready to withstand years of service without fading and losing the carefully chosen color that makes painting so rewarding in the first place.
Be aware.
Many painters are "one coat wonders" or, as we say in the business, "blow and go." In both cases this means it looks good when they leave, but down the road the paint fades in interior applications and flakes off easily under the added strain of exterior conditions.