First coat
Bond and coverage
The first coat is doing a different job from the second. It bonds to what is underneath and it tells us where the substrate is still drinking, which is information you only get once paint is actually on the wall.
What this covers
Color Consultation, end to end
Light in a Gulf South room behaves nothing like light in a paint store. Deep porches, oak canopy and a low winter sun all pull color in directions a fan deck cannot show you.
Interior schemes Exterior schemes Matching what you have Sheen selection
How we approach color
Sample on the wall, never on the chip
A fan deck is lit from above by a shop light and your hallway is not, and the difference between those two conditions is bigger than the difference between most of the colors people are choosing between.
We bring samples to your room
Deep porches throw a green cast off the yard, oak canopy takes the warmth out of everything on the shaded side, and a low winter sun through a south window makes a color look nothing like it did in October.
Look at it more than once in the day
A room takes different light at nine, at two and under a lamp in the evening. A color that is right in one of those and wrong in the other two is a color you will get tired of.
Exterior color carries a durability question
A south or west elevation takes far more UV through a Gulf South summer than a north wall, so deep saturated colors fade unevenly around a building unless that is planned for.
In a historic district the palette is part of a review
Inside the Vieux Carre the application has to name the manufacturer, the color name, the color number and the gloss level, so the choice is settled earlier there than anywhere else we work.
Why the quote says two
A coat and a job are different things
Painting a house here is a different job from painting one in a dry climate. Humidity changes how long a coat stays open, and it decides how much film you need on a wall before the weather starts taking it back.
Second coat
Color and film build
The second coat is where the color goes true and the film reaches the thickness printed on the tin. One coat over a sound wall looks fine from the driveway and looks thin on the north side by spring.
Two practical notes
When to have this conversation
Before the estimate
It is most useful before the estimate, not after, since the sheen and the number of coats both follow from what you choose.
Bring what you are matching
A floor sample, a fabric, a tile. A chip or a wet sample is usually enough to match almost any color, and where an exact match is not achievable we say so and talk you through the nearest option.
Choosing a sheen
Flat forgives an uneven wall and marks easily. Eggshell and satin take cleaning, which is why they belong in hallways and kitchens. Trim and doors go glossier again because they get handled.
How a job runs
Three steps, from the call to the clean up
The same three whether the job is one room or a whole elevation.
- 01
Scheduling
Book your free consultation by phone or through the form. Ask for references at any time.
- 02
Free Consultation
You get a project schedule and an accurate quote, whatever the size of the job.
- 03
Work Starts
Your painter starts, keeps you updated, and tidies up when the job is done.
2,500
Jobs finished
12
Cities covered
2
Coats quoted as standard
$0
Cost of an estimate
Rated by our satisfied customers
Questions we get asked
Before you book the estimate
These are the ones asked about color consultation specifically. If yours is not here, ask it on the call.
Not answered here?
Ask it on the estimate call. No charge, no obligation.
Mon to Fri, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Sat and Sun closed.
Do you charge for a color consultation?
It is normally part of the project conversation, not a separate line. Ask when you call and we will be straight about it for your job.
Why does my color look different at home?
Because your light is different. Deep porches, oak canopy and window orientation all pull color, and none of that is present under a shop light. It is the whole reason we sample on the wall.
Can you match something I already have?
For most projects, yes. A chip or a wet sample is usually enough to match almost any color. Where an exact match is not achievable we say so and talk you through the nearest option.
What sheen should I choose?
Flat forgives an uneven wall and marks easily. Eggshell and satin take cleaning, which is why they belong in hallways and kitchens. Trim and doors go glossier again because they get handled.
Where we do it
Color Consultation in all twelve towns
The New Orleans metro, across the lake on the north shore, and up the river as far as Baton Rouge. Which ground you are on changes the schedule more than the size of the job.
Shade keeps moisture on a wall long after the sun has moved off it. Under a heavy oak canopy the recoat window stretches out, and the shaded elevation is the one that sets the schedule for the whole house.
A canal, a levee or a lakefront behind the house holds humidity at ground level. Two ends of one street can be ready to coat at different hours, so the order of the day matters more than the size of the crew.
Old siding, old millwork and old paint mean most of the day goes into preparation. On an older frontage the finish is only ever as good as what was scraped, filled and primed underneath it.
See every townAll twelve towns shown.
Either way
Small room or whole elevation
Whether you have a small interior project or a large-scale exterior makeover in mind, Big Easy Paintings is your partner for the work. Talk to us about the project, get a quote, and we will tell you plainly what it takes.
Free estimate
Tell us where you are and what needs painting
On site or remote, in all twelve towns. No charge and no obligation. If it is quicker to talk, call 504-226-6252 and we will pick up.
- A written quote for two coats, itemized
- The prep spelled out, not assumed
- A start date we can hold
- The same crew from first day to last
Request a free estimate
Or call 504-226-6252
Two coats, quoted up front
No range, no surprise second visit to finish what one coat could not.