How Many Coats of Paint Do You Need? Undercoat Advisor

What are you painting onto?

Pick the surface as it is right now, before any prep. This drives the whole coat schedule.

SubstrateThe surface under the new paint
Interior or exterior

The colour change

Colour direction is the single biggest reason a job needs a third coat.

Existing to new colour
New colour familyStrong reds, yellows and oranges use low opacity pigments
Sheen changeMoving from flat to low sheen, or low sheen to semi gloss

Undercoat quantity

Optional. Give us the area and we will work out the undercoat litres and cans.

Area to undercoat, m2Leave blank if you only want the coat schedule
Undercoat spread rate, m2 per litreDefault 14. Check your own tin and change it if it differs.
Your coat schedule
2 topcoats

Coat by coat

Product classes, not brand names. Any of the trade ranges will have one.

Get a painter to price it Call 1300 044 206
What this advice assumes
  • The surface is clean, dry, sanded and free of loose or flaking paint before the first coat.
  • Coat counts are for a quality trade paint applied at the maker's spread rate. Over thinning costs you a coat.
  • Undercoat litres use one coat over the area you enter, at the spread rate shown, with no waste allowance.
  • Litres are rounded up to the Australian can ladder of 1, 2, 4, 10, 15 and 20 litres.
  • Exterior work needs dry weather and the recoat times on the tin, which stretch out below 10 degrees Celsius.
  • Product classes only. Ask your paint shop for their equivalent in Dulux, Haymes, Taubmans, Wattyl or Resene.
Your coat schedule
2 topcoats
Get it priced
Dulux
Haymes Paint
Wattyl Solagard
Taubmans
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