# Two painting questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-painting-questions/380146 "2006-11-12T20:55:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-painting-questions/380146/1 "2006-11-12T20:55:06Z")
In repainting a room, is one or two coats of enamel generally put on trim. The rest of the room, first painted when the house was buillt ten years ago, has been repainted with a coat of primer, and a coat of flat. I thought I read somewhere that repainting trim required only one coat in general. Is this true? I also need to repair a small hole in the wall, and the original tinted paint was not properly sealed and while not dryed out, it is thickened. How can I thin a tiny amount of latex to repaint the injured area after I repair it? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-painting-questions/380146/2 "2006-11-12T21:18:40Z")
In my experience, everything requires two coats. And why do you think you need enamel for the trim? What you need is semi-gloss or “satin” latex. And you can thin latex paint with water. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-painting-questions/380146/3 "2006-11-12T21:25:26Z")
When I repainted my living room, I used two coats on everything - flat latex for the walls and semi-gloss for the trim.