Priming & Preparation is the part of your project that no one sees afterwards — and yet everyone notices. Eight items come together here: adhesion primer, filler, two sanding blocks, masking film, paint tray and two roller sets. Work through this line-up, and you'll paint faster afterwards, use less paint, and need fewer touch-ups.
Buy priming and prep accessories: eight parts, one process
This category isn't a range to browse — it's a kit. re-box core is the adhesion primer that goes on before the paint. The Spachtelmasse repair filler 1 kg fills in what wall plugs, picture hooks and the years have left behind. Two grits cover the sanding: the Schleifblock – Körnung 120 for the rough work, the Schleifblock – Körnung 220 for the final pass before painting. The Abdeckfolie 2 x 25 m keeps floors and furniture out of the line of fire.
For the application itself, three items are ready to go: the Farbwanne - klein, the Malerwalze mit Bügel klein - 11 cm and the Malerwalze mit Bügel groß - 25cm. Together, that's the basic kit for a room. Delivery is by parcel within Germany, usually in 3–5 working days from receipt of payment. If you order paint along with it, the same timeframe applies to the whole order — mixing only begins after purchase.
Why half the work happens before the first coat
Paint doesn't hide holes. It highlights them. A wall that's smooth, clean and dry before painting takes the coat evenly; one that still carries dust, cracks or loose old paint shows every one of those flaws twice as clearly once the surface is a single colour.
That's why the same rule applies to every surface: clean, dry, load-bearing and free of loose material. Load-bearing means the old coat sits firmly and doesn't chalk when rubbed. All common interior surfaces are suitable — mineral plaster, wallpaper, existing paintwork. Before you reach for the roller, it's worth a look at our guide Wände richtig vorbereiten; it walks through the process in more detail than a category page has room for.
Repairs: cracks, drill holes, dents
Before any painting happens, filling and sanding come first. These two steps belong together, because filler never dries flush on its own.
Spachtelmasse repair filler
The Filling & Repairing range centres on one kilogram of material, which goes a long way for an average-sized room. Apply the filler thinly, and twice rather than once too thick. Fill large holes in two layers so the spot doesn't sink in. We deliberately don't give a drying time in hours — it depends on layer thickness, room temperature and surface. A visual check is more reliable — the spot is evenly light and feels firm to the touch before you sand.
Sanding with 120 grit
The coarse grit removes any excess: dried filler ridges, edges from old wallpaper leftovers, rough patches in old paintwork. Work with light pressure and circular motions, otherwise you'll dig a dip that you'll then have to fill again.
Fine sanding with 220 grit
The fine grit is the step most people skip — and it's exactly the one that decides the outcome with lacquer. On furniture, doors and door frames, fine sanding makes the surface matte and grippy, giving the primer something to hold on to. Afterwards, remove all sanding dust, wiped down wet, not just brushed off dry.
Primer: the first step before lacquer
For lacquer projects, the order is fixed: first re-box core, then re-box protect. The primer ensures that the satin-sheen furniture and colour lacquer stays exactly where you've painted it on smooth, sealed or already lacquered surfaces. Without this in-between step, even a neatly applied lacquer can give way at edges and handle areas.
On wall surfaces, things are more relaxed. A primer isn't a must there. But it's worth using on highly absorbent or fresh plaster: the surface then dries more evenly, and you'll need less re-box base one (matt), because the wall won't soak up the entire first coat.
Masking, so only the surface gets colour
Masking is the part where impatience costs you the most. The masking film goes over floor and furniture, the tesa® Precision Mask along every edge that should stay sharp: skirting boards, window frames, transitions between two shades. Press the tape down firmly with your thumb, especially in the corners.
Pull off the tape while the paint hasn't fully dried yet, and pull it back flat, not straight up. For how to avoid bleed-through from the start, see Richtig abkleben ohne Farbunterläufe. If there's still wallpaper on the wall that needs to go, Tapete richtig entfernen will help you first.
Roller, frame, tray: the tools of the trade
Two roller sizes cover almost every interior project. Which one you use depends less on the room than on the area lying open in front of you at any one time.
Small, 11 cm
The small roller is for everything that isn't the middle of a wall: alcoves, radiator areas, the backs of cupboards, wall sections between door and corner. It picks up less paint, but doses it more precisely.
Large, 25 cm
The large roller is the working width for walls and ceilings. It carries one pass up and back down in a single stroke, and that's exactly the trick against overlap marks: finishing a started section in one go, without a pause halfway through. You'll find more sizes and replacement sleeves under Malerrollen.
Paint tray
The small tray is more than just a container. It's the offloading surface where you load the roller evenly. An unevenly loaded roller is the most common cause of patchiness in the finished surface.
The order for a weekend
- ✔️ Clear the room, cover floor and furniture with film.
- ✔️ Fill holes, cracks and dents, let cure.
- ✔️ Sand coarse, then sand fine, wipe off dust while damp.
- ✔️ Mask edges, press tape down firmly.
- ✔️ For lacquered surfaces, apply the primer; for highly absorbent plaster, prime first.
- ✔️ Load the roller in the tray, cut in the edges, roll out the surface in strips.
- ✔️ Second coat as soon as the first has fully dried. After about 24 hours, the room can usually be used normally again.
What you need for which project
Repainting a room
Film, tape, filler, both sanding blocks, large roller, tray. You usually won't need the primer here, but it's worth checking the quantity: you'll find how to calculate it next to every container size under the shades in Wandfarben.
Lacquering furniture, doors and door frames
Here, fine sanding is a must, and so is the primer. After that comes a shade from Lackfarben. For edges and profiles, the small roller is the better choice over the wide one.
Older buildings with many previous owners
Expect more filling work than planned, and check the old paintwork before you buy anything. If it's chalking or flaking, it has to come off first — otherwise both layers will later come away from the wall together.
Frequently asked questions about priming and preparation
Do I always have to prime before painting?
No, priming isn't a must with wall paint. It's worth doing on highly absorbent or fresh plaster, because the surface then dries more evenly and consumption drops. Before lacquer, it's a different story: there, the primer is a fixed part of the build-up.
What exactly is re-box core for?
re-box core is the primer applied before the lacquer. The order is always the same: core first, then protect. It prepares smooth and previously treated surfaces so the lacquer can properly adhere.
Grit 120 or 220 — which one when?
120 is for the initial, coarse sanding, 220 for the fine finish just before painting. In practice, furniture and doors need both, one after the other, while a normal wall usually only needs the fine grit to even out filled areas.
How long does filler need to dry?
This depends on the layer thickness, room temperature and surface, so we can't give you a fixed number of hours. Trust what you see: the spot must be evenly light and firm all the way through before you sand it. For thicker fills, it's better to build up in two layers.
Is one roll of masking film enough for a room?
For an average living room, the roll of 2 x 25 m is usually enough for the floor and furniture. It gets tight if you also want to cover a full fitted kitchen or a wall full of shelving — in that case, plan for a second roll.
When can I use the room normally again?
In most cases, after around 24 hours. The wall paints are water-based, low-emission, and free from solvents and plasticisers. Even so, wait until the surface is truly dry all the way through before moving furniture back.
Can I return accessories?
Accessories are covered by the usual rules, which you'll find under Retoure. Paint is different: every shade is mixed individually after you order, so it's excluded from returns and exchanges. If you're unsure about a shade, test it beforehand with the Farbmusterbox 65 Stk in your own light.
