Should you always do 2 coats of paint?
The general rule is that you should use two coats of paint. However, this rule changes based on the color, quality of the paint you use, whether or not you used primer, and the type of surface you're painting.
Is one coat paint any good?
Your surfaces will be better protected One coat of paint just won't stand up to daily wear and tear as well as two coats. Plus, an interior or exterior wall with two coats of paint will be significantly easier to clean.
Can you paint with just one coat?
You Won't Have to Limit Your Paint Color Choices In reality, one coat may be sufficient if the two colors are similar, but if not – or if you are painting over white – you will need a second coat of paint to stop the base color from either showing through or altering the real shade of your new paint.
Is one coat of wall paint enough?
If the new color is “close” to the existing color, then generally only one coat is needed, even in the case of darker colors. Creating a substantial color change, or painting over white usually requires a second coat to prevent the underlying color from “peeking through”.