1 coat of prime + 2 coats of paint?

[MiamiCuse]

I have always done a single coat of prime - usually I go with Benjamin Moore's Fresh Start then two coats of paint, and that worked well.

Now I need to paint some exterior fascia, and soffit ceiling on the exterior eave areas. The fascia is high up so I have to paint on a ladder, and the soffit ceiling is T4 T&G so I have to use a roller from the ground and then get up there with a paint brush to make sure I get everything in the grooves. It's 90 degrees out in Miami FL and this is pretty brutal.

So...I am thinking of some shortcuts.

The soffit ceiling is T4 T&G boards, the fascia is 4 cascading layers of 1x6 PT.

Can I do two coats total instead of one? Say I tint the white primer to the top coat color, then apply top coat, is that ok? or better bite the bullet and do it right?

Thanks,

MC

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I'd go with the tinted primer and one coat over it.

[Norminn]

Wait until October - cooler, dryer :o) We had our condo painted in 2001

- contractor recommended primer plus 2 coats. Conc. block and stucco, wood fascia and soffits, cement board ceiling in atrium. Didn't want to pay for 2 coats, he said one would be ok. Two weeks prep, pressure washing and patching to get rid of remnants of previous horrible paint job. It's been 7 years, paint in perfect condition. With good prep and proper coverage, why not? If you are changing color, you may need two coats of paint to hide old color.

[Tomes]

Me too. I might also suggest duct taping a brush to a pole to get into the grooves without using the ladder. Tomes

[DL]

Why not 1 coat of BM self priming solid acrylic latex stain, and be done with it?

It's about $39 a gallon if you don't have a contractors discount, or if its not on sale.

[DerbyDad03]

re: the soffit ceiling is T4 T&G so I have to use a roller from the ground and then get up there with a paint brush to make sure I get everything in the grooves.

Can you spray it?

[ransley]

90s are the limit and maybe to hot for latex painting, it cures to fast.

[RicodJour]

Primer is not paint and does not wear as well as paint. You will get much longer life out of your paint job if you do primer plus two coats of paint. I don't understand why you'd roll from the ground then go up the ladder with a brush. If it's low enough to be rolled from the ground, can't you rig up some plank scaffolding? If it's too hot now, wait a month.

I don't know why you used pressure treated for the fascia, particularly 4 layers of 1x6. PT wood is not the best choice if you want paint to stick. Using an expanded PVC product like Azek would cost a bit more initially, but it takes and holds paint beautifully. Azek also starts out white - if there's white trim you don't necessarily even have to paint it.

R