Covering material is the part of a renovation nobody notices afterwards. And yet it's exactly what decides whether the line between wall and ceiling is straight, and whether the floor still looks the same in the evening as it did in the morning. Two things are enough: a sheet that stays put, and a tape that comes off again.
Buy covering material for painting: sheeting and precision tape
This category holds two items, each with a clearly separate job. The Abdeckfolie 2 x 25 m protects everything that lies flat: floor, skirting, sofa, removed door leaves. Unrolled, that's two metres wide by twenty-five metres long — enough, depending on room size, for the floor area plus a few pieces of furniture. The tesa® Precision Mask – Präzisions-Klebeband takes care of the vertical: door frames, skirting boards, switches, window frames. It draws the edge that everyone looks at first, and comes off again without leaving residue.
The paint itself isn't part of this category, but belongs to the same project. All re-box wall paints are mixed individually to order, only after you place your order, in three sizes — 2.5, 5 and 10 litres — and available either matt as re-box base one (matt) or silk matt as re-box silk matte WEISS (seidenmatt). If you order both together, covering material and paint arrive in one delivery: 3 to 5 working days from payment, within Germany.
What sheeting and tape actually do in the room
The obvious benefit is protection. The bigger one is speed. A room that's properly covered can be painted quickly, because you no longer have to watch every move. You set the roller down without thinking about the skirting board with every stroke. That very freedom from worry is why covered walls end up looking more even than carefully painted ones.
The second point is the edge. Freehand lines look tidy from two metres away and much less so from half a metre. And the third point is the floor: paint splashes are no drama as long as they're wet. Once dry, they become work.
The two items in detail
Abdeckfolie 2 x 25 m
Lay the sheeting out from the skirting board and pull it into the room, not the other way round. Fix the edge at the skirting join with tape, otherwise the sheeting shifts as you walk on it. Large furniture staying in the room moves to the centre and gets its own strip of sheeting over the top.
tesa® Precision Mask – Präzisions-Klebeband
Tape is applied in short sections, not in one long run across half the wall. Short strips follow the surface better and don't ripple. Then press firmly along the edge with your thumb or a spatula. Most of the result depends on this one movement: wherever air stays trapped under the tape, paint creeps underneath. You'll find the full details in the magazine under Richtig abkleben ohne Farbunterläufe.
What else you should have within reach
- 2 Stk. Nitrilhandschuhe — for everything you'd otherwise touch with paint on your fingers, door handles for instance.
- Mikrofasertuch 40x42 cm — for the splash that happens anyway, while it's still wet.
- Spachtelmasse repair filler 1 kg and a Schleifblock – Körnung 120 — for drill holes and cracks that need closing before you tape.
- You'll find all other tools under Farbzubehör, and cloths and brushes for afterwards under Reinigung & Pflege.
The order that saves time in the end
Covering up isn't a single step, it's a position in a sequence. Stick to it, and you tape once instead of twice.
- Clear and clean. The surface must be clean, dry, stable and free of loose material — that applies to the wall just as much as to the area the tape will later need to hold on.
- Repair. Fill holes and cracks, sand, remove dust. What's involved is listed under Spachteln & Ausbessern.
- Tape up. First frames and trim, then switches, and last the ceiling or wall edge.
- Lay out sheeting and fix it with tape.
- Paint, usually in two coats.
- Remove the tape and gather up the sheeting.
The most common mistake happens at step two. Taping over loose old paint or dust means taping onto a layer that isn't holding itself. When you pull the tape off, it's not the tape that comes away, it's the surface underneath. You'll find out how to prepare walls properly in the magazine under Wände richtig vorbereiten.
Where in the house you need to cover how much
Living room
This is usually where the most delicate flooring is, and where the biggest furniture stands. Anything that fits through the door goes out, the rest moves to the middle of the room under its own sheet.
Kitchen
Fronts, worktop and the joint between the tile splashback and the wall are the critical spots. The worktop gets sheeting plus tape along the edge, otherwise the cover slips the moment you lean on it. If you're tackling the whole kitchen, cover the extractor hood too — spray mist settles there stubbornly.
Bedroom
Usually the simplest room: little fitted hardware on the walls, lots of open surface. Remember curtain rails and blind boxes — they're regularly forgotten.
Hallway and staircase
The hallway packs the most edges into the fewest square metres: door frames, fuse box, handrail, skirting board. Expect to use more tape than sheeting here. On the staircase, also cover the steps — but only the ones you won't be stepping on, and always fixed in place. Loose sheeting on a step is dangerous.
Doors, frames and radiators
If you're painting with lacquer rather than wall paint, you cover differently: in smaller sections, with more tape and less sheeting. The build-up is different too — first re-box core as an adhesion primer, then re-box protect as a furniture and coloured lacquer in satin gloss.
Surface: what the tape needs to hold on to
All common, stable interior surfaces are suitable — mineral plaster, wallpaper, existing old paint. What matters is the condition, not the material: clean, dry, stable, free of loose material. On strongly absorbent or fresh plaster, a primer is recommended before painting. It ensures even drying and also lowers consumption; what's suitable for this is listed under Grundierung & Vorbereitung.
Freshly painted surfaces call for patience. A coat that only just looks dry isn't yet ready to release tape without damage. In most cases, the room is back to normal use after around 24 hours — plan the taping of the next surface accordingly, and it's better to work wall by wall than tackle everything at once.
And after that: matt, satin matt or lacquer
Once everything is covered, the next decision comes up. Matt absorbs light and so looks calm — the classic choice for walls and ceilings. Satin matt is especially hard-wearing and very easy to clean, which matters in kitchens, hallways and children's rooms. With wall paints, the price depends only on the quantity, not the finish — so you can decide by room rather than by budget. The full range is under Wandfarben, and the shades for furniture and wood under Lackfarben.
As a rough guide, coverage is around 6 to 8 m² per litre and coat. With two coats, 2.5 litres cover approx. 8 to 10 m², 5 litres approx. 15 to 20 m² and 10 litres approx. 30 to 40 m². On dark, strongly coloured or uneven surfaces, you'll need more. The best way to settle on a shade beforehand is with the Farbmusterbox 65 Stk, viewed in your own light. Custom-mixed paints are excluded from returns — but a sample only costs you an evening.
Common questions about masking film and tape
How much masking film do I need for a room?
A roll of 2 x 25 m is enough in many rooms for the floor area and a few covered pieces of furniture. For very large rooms, or if a lot of furnishings stay in place, plan for a second roll.
When should I remove the tape again?
Ideally while the paint hasn't fully dried through yet. That way, the fresh film won't tear at the edge. Pull the tape off flat and in one steady motion, not jerked straight away from the wall.
How do I stop paint from bleeding under the tape?
Press the tape edge down firmly along its whole length before painting, using your thumb or a spatula. Apply the paint thinly at the edge, working away from the tape rather than towards it. A fully loaded roller pressed straight against the tape is the most common cause of bleeding.
Can I mask a freshly painted wall?
Wait until the coat has properly dried through. Fresh layers of paint are soft, and the tape will lift them off when removed. If you're working with two colours, apply the second one the next day.
Does the tape hold on wallpaper too?
Yes, on wallpaper that's firmly attached and load-bearing. On old, loose or repeatedly overpainted wallpaper, the top layer can come away when you remove the tape. If in doubt, test on an inconspicuous spot — or remove the wallpaper altogether, as described in our magazine under Tapete richtig entfernen.
Do I need masking materials if I'm only painting the ceiling?
For the ceiling, you actually need more coverage than for a wall, not less. Every drop falls from above with momentum, and the roller spreads a fine spray across the whole room. So: cover the floor completely, protect the furniture, and tape off the wall edges.
How quickly will the masking materials arrive?
Allow 3 to 5 working days from receipt of payment. Delivery is within Germany, with no additional shipping costs. If you order paint along with it, everything ships together in one parcel — dispatch begins as soon as payment has been received in full.
