If your siding is in good shape and all your prep work is done correctly,you should only need 1 coat primer (make sure it is tinted to your paint color)and 1 coat top coat.

Check out www.paintquality.com - follow their advice - you can't go wrong.

Mr. Paint

retisin, I've never heard of having the primer tinted to my paint color. What do you mean?

Hi.......before you go get carried away with one coat outside (tinting the primer isn't the best idea) - remember this.

A coat of paint - properly applied (which few people rarely do) - is as thick as a piece of newspaper.

Now - does it make sense - considering what paint is exposed to outside - to try and "get away with" one coat?

You are already there - might as well make it two - your job will definitely look better and last longer.

Mr. Paint

You could put 5 coats of paint on it isn't going to make your paint last longer if it did we would just paint without priming.
The primer is sealing and protecting your wood at most the 2nd coat of paint will make it look nicer by making it more even if you painted wrong.
Tinting means they add color to your primer it won't be exact as your paint but it eliminates having more uneeded work of putting 2 coats on.
I do this for a living and we use 1 and 1 and I give a written gurantee for 10 years on my new homes.
Go and see some homes that we do.
pictureperfectpainting.20m.com

Thank you everyone for your help. I power washed the house today and tomorrow I am heading back to do some patching, sanding with a wire brush and a little sanding with a sanding block. Then I plan on priming this week sometime.

You have all been very helpfull, any other advice or suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks,
Rob

I agree with MR P on this as when you are doing a new house or one that has alot of peeling or is in other wise bad condition, 2 coats of finish over the primer will last longer than 1 coat over the primer. So that way you do not need to tint the primer as 2 coats should cover the primer unless you are using a very dark color an dthen you will need to find a deep base primer and tint it close to th efinish color and apply 2 coats of finish over this.

Go 5!! You are right on the money my friend!

Great advice - and thanks for the back up!

Mr. Paint

Retisin............I hate to tell you - but you are wrong.

You are right about using a primer - but tinting it to save the second topcoat outside is bad paint science.

Think about it - like I said - a coat of paint is as thick as a sheet of paper - with all that the exterior of a house sees - wouldn't you think that twice the thickness would work better, last longer, be more mildew resistant, etc. ?

Mr. Paint