Create the illusion of a poured concrete wall with some filler and a plastic film . With formwork joints and the typical air bubbles. Just one of many options for creative wall designs. When I come into a room like this for the first time, I actually look at the overall picture. And then it's often the case that I think to myself: "Oh, that could be a nice way to showcase the wall." Or: "The entire room would be more comfortable in such and such a color." My main concern is to create well-being. Well, I think that, especially in the private sector, a room like this is always your home at the same time. If you create a unique piece on the wall, people will have a connection and a different appreciation because it is not an off-the-shelf design, but it is simply their wall suddenly. They defined and selected this together with us. It's often the case that people feel a little more comfortable at home afterwards. A house in Mayschoß an der Ahr. It was hit hard by the flood. For us, it's actually always best when all other work is completed. This means that all the preliminary work has been completed, the doors are in, the floor has been sanded, the electrician has been through. It is always very important for us that we can really make sure, especially with complex techniques, that no more damage will occur. We don't have to pay attention to anything else. The craftsman couple Stefanie Teichert and Marcus Hesmert are supposed to give two rooms a very special look at the end of the renovation. (Rustling) It's always easier if the room is already white or has already been completely renovated, I say. If there are even smaller features like the floor, like maybe a favorite piece of furniture, then we can base our design on that and then create a more harmonious overall picture than if we come to a very rough construction site where there is still so much there are no fixed points. Instead of monotonous white, this wall should have a concrete look. Everything is carefully taped off beforehand. The two always want to work cleanly, so they use baking paper for this. (Rustling) Of course we have a discussion with the customer beforehand and ask them a little about the taste. In this case, the office would now like to have something more modern, something industrial. Here you can see that the layer thickness is really a good millimeter to two millimeters. So, a very thin material, which subsequently has the effect of a very solid formwork concrete surface. What's actually very interesting about it is that you can later transform a plasterboard wall into a very solid cast wall, for example. The work starts with a primer. It has to be stirred well. A paint or mortar mixer for the drill saves some energy. Like his partner, Marcus Hesmert is a trained church painter. Both have also completed their masters. The special thing about this primer is that it is actually a kind of plastering primer. This means that there is a quartz sand or fine sand in it which subsequently ensures that this actually very smooth surface that we have here becomes more grippy and therefore the plaster naturally holds much better. In general: A good primer is the basis for every work. In this respect, you should work particularly carefully there. It saves you a lot of trouble later. While Marcus Hesmert is still applying the primer, Stefanie Teichert is already cutting the foil. These will later be pressed into the wet filler. Various manufacturers also offer sets, some of which include the filler, and then simply falls under the concrete look film. A cross-line laser helps with measuring and aligning the films. You have these prefabricated fields, i.e. the size is specified by the slides. And I have to think about how I can divide these fields onto the wall in a sensible and beautiful way. For example, we had six meters ten here. The foils are each one meter wide, if I just put them on one after the other, I'll end up with a ten centimeter long piece, which of course doesn't look nice. That's why we've done it here so that we take about half a strip at the front and back, around 50 centimeters, and can then distribute all of our pieces nicely in the middle. Then the filler is mixed. A lime-marble-flour mixture is used. The two even went through them again beforehand. Small quartz elements, which are often present in the mixtures, interfere with pressing the foils. (Huring) The two of them like to work with the finest possible clay-like mass. The mass is applied with a simple smoothing trowel, about two to three millimeters thick. Having done this two or three times, I have a relatively good feel for it. There is also the option of applying it with other tools, for example a notched trowel. But I notice this mainly when I putty over it again and don't hear any scratches. I also see that the remaining level of the wall is correct. I can determine this by visual inspection. Of course, sustainable building materials are interesting for us, as is the case with lime-marble filler. Lime filler is actually an incredibly old material. Lime has always been used in the construction industry, for hundreds of years. And I find the idea of taking such a material and turning it into a completely modern design very exciting. We don't have any solvents that we ourselves have to be careful of when processing, and of course we simply have a healthy indoor climate for the customer. Then the foil is used. It is pressed onto the thin, damp lime-marble filler. A film exactly simulates a formwork board. (Crackling) The harder I press, the smoother it becomes. So, I can certainly try to rub all these bubbles out. But in itself that's what creates this look, these air pockets are what we call blowholes. And you have that in the right concrete. Little by little the two of them are working their way forward. And before you have even put the last foil on, the first masking tapes are removed, very carefully with the knife. (Crackling) I'm doing this so early because the mixture is still a bit soft. If it continues to tighten, it will become harder, i.e. more crumbly, whatever is still attached to the tape, and this will make it easier for me. After about four hours the last film goes on the wall. (She speaks to him.) Mhm. I have to move a little to the left and it will look good. Yes, like that, yes. The filler must now dry under the foil for at least 24 hours . We have different materials that all need to dry for different amounts of time. That's why I always have to think about it right from the start. If I apply this now, how long will I not be able to do anything with this wall? So it's always a matter of saying, while one thing is drying, I can do the other, or if I do that tonight, I can continue working straight away tomorrow. You definitely have to think a lot about it beforehand. There is already a plan for the next room. (They talk to each other.) Maybe we can see how we can divide it all up. Yes. They should paint a large motif on this wall. The customer's idea. Let's just do this with the lines here, where we can best place the laser. Yes, or we can set it even higher. Then we can sit up on the wall... Yes, then we'll do that first. Again, the laser helps divide the wall. The proportions have to be right later. It should be this mountain landscape. (Stefanie:) So, it's usually the case that the customers have already made a suggestion to us, I would say, or have already seen something about the direction in which such a wall design should go. And using what are often templates, images, based on them or modified, we create our own designs, adapting them to the room in terms of color, but also changing the shape and painting, if it is painting . From the computer to the wall. An exciting moment for the church painters too. The first few strokes when you paint freely on a wall like this are of course always something that you have some respect for. But as soon as the first proportions are right and you know through the clues like the laser that you are hitting these points, then things get better and better. You can orientate yourself little by little. The motif is small-scale. The two of them can only transfer the summit scenery onto the wall freely . The one at shoulder height. Or rather, it could almost be a bit higher. That should work too, I think. Then the swing to the middle so that it would also be about one from the window height, here's the point, I think. The two used templates they made themselves for the many trees in the foreground . They also want to mix colors. This happens in their workshop, which is also on the Ahr. The motif consists of twelve different colors. These are now normal wall paints or emulsion paints, each tinted. And what I'm doing now is I'm basically mixing our background tone, so we have this landscape that consists of two different tones, each layer, and I'm now mixing a lighter light tone into my green tone, which is then called Glaze is still being applied. This is how they later create a spatial effect. Blow-drying ensures that I can see what the color looks like when dry. When wet, the color is always much darker, so I can't really estimate exactly how they come together. That's why I blow dry to control my final color. We keep these cups for a while or the large areas, so you always give the customer something to say that there is always paint there if you need to touch something up. While paint and brushes are sufficient for the areas in the background, Marcus Hesmert takes care of the image elements in the foreground on the computer. The motif is broken down into individual building blocks and then printed out. For our trees, which we have in the foreground, and also this row of trees in the middle of the picture, we have prepared stencils or have individual motifs that we will later transfer to the wall. This means that I have a template that is then traced with the plotter depending on the type of template. (Scratching noises) With this special printer you can also cut templates into a film. A technique that will be used later. The motif is printed out. Marcus Hesmert traces the contours with a tracing wheel. The subject stands out against the light. At the same time, his partner makes a so-called tracing bag. Fill loose color pigments and some cotton wool into a small cloth. So... A little test run in the workshop. When whipped vigorously, the color pigments press onto the surface through the holes in the paper. The motif - traced. Before they start the hole break, the two drive to a second construction site on the Ahr. This wall should have a noble surface. It is already primed. The building material is the same again. This is a lime filler, which consists mainly of lime and marble powder. And the fact that there are basically no additives in it, i.e. no sand or anything like that, results in a very, very fine, haptic like a clayey mass. And then results in very smooth, beautiful surfaces. The lime has the property that it is simply not dense on the surface. The surface is simply open to diffusion, which means that whatever moisture or excess moisture I have in the room, the lime can absorb and release again for a short time. This means that it always regulates the room climate optimally and no mold can form. They are both very meticulous when it comes to mixing. The ratio of water, lime and marble powder is balanced to the nearest gram. If we had just done it free hand, we would sometimes have the problem that it wouldn't set as quickly as we would have hoped. Especially if you have larger areas and have to divide it into several steps, then you always have the same mixing ratio. The lime filler sets a little after about 20 minutes. Marcus Hesmert therefore has to get the mass to the wall quickly. It helps that they do this filling work in pairs. See if that suits you. - Yes, that looks good. Who is on the ladder and who is at the bottom is a coincidence. The two almost always work together, even when things get tight. I think that working together with my partner and spending my entire everyday life is perhaps not something I always imagined years ago. We're basically very similar in personality and that's why we basically harmonize very well now. We have been self-employed for five years. I think it's nice to just build something together. Because of course we always have this exchange privately too. In this respect we can coordinate extremely well. The project and the material determine the timing. With two people you are a little faster and can cover a larger area and don't run the risk of having a root somewhere in the middle that is already drying out. When working with trowels and smoothing spatulas, many job profiles overlap. Of course, these are all jobs that both plasterers and painters do. Of course we church painters too. All very related professions. Spatula techniques are a bit of a part of it for everyone. I'll see if I can smooth it out now. This means that Stefanie Teichert runs the trowel over the freshly filled wall a second time before the filler is completely solid. This makes the surface even more elegant. The two of them see in the reflection of a construction lamp whether everything is nice and smooth. It will take a few days to fully harden. Remove the masking tape immediately. Then it goes back to the construction site in Mayschoß. They had already mixed the colors for the wall motif. The cups for this are labeled precisely so that they are not confused. The wall is worked with a brush and... a sponge. You just have this natural unevenness of the sponge, which can also be used to distribute the color nicely. Dispel, I think that comes from church painter jargon. This simply means creating an outlet, i.e. allowing the paint application to flow upwards. Simply create a smooth transition. The two of them planned around eight hours for the motif. They do everything together. And they often work together. We actually have the advantage that I'm left-handed and Marcus is right-handed, so we're always well prepared. But in this case we are now exactly the wrong way round. Now that's enough. Light tones on darker ones create small reflections of light, create a spatial effect. (They speak quietly to each other.) As has always been the case in painting, you work in several layers in order to create more depth in the picture and not just dullly place one color next to the other. It has to be said that this is relatively simplified . It's more about the effect than anything else. (He laughs quietly.) Even before the hole break is used, the two of them use a film that they have pre-cut with their plotter in the workshop. This is our template for this furthest edge of the forest, so to speak. We decided to make a stencil out of it that we could stick on because we have a lot of delicate, small trees here. It would take too long to draw them all out individually with a brush. That's why the template exists. So, a completely normal labeling foil. This is one with a relatively low adhesive strength so that in the worst case scenario I don't pull the paint down with it. You can definitely buy them ready-made, usually any printing company that prints shirts and so on can do the same. We always do it ourselves because we have the machine to do it. (Stefanie quietly:) Okay. This is actually simply a sponge with a handle, which you can sometimes get from well-stocked craft or art supplies stores. But it always proves to be very, very practical for such purposes. Because I don't have my fingers full of paint, I can just dab it on nice and evenly. In the case of glued-on foil, dabbing is done instead of painting. In this case it is actually a bit safer because by dabbing this way I don't apply as much paint and I don't run the risk of the paint pushing under the foil. This means I have a nicer picture afterwards without having any leaks that end up under the film. This allows you to apply it more evenly and thinner. However, there is no standard. This is a noble motif when you do a bit of an experiment because you see how you can implement structures and shapes. Both in terms of design and somewhere efficient. Of course, it shouldn't take hours to draw or paint any little thing. That's why you always have to be a bit willing to experiment with everything you do, including painting and design techniques . The great thing about color is it's always reversible. So, you basically can't break anything. In the worst case scenario, you paint the wall white again afterwards and that's it. Now the hole break comes into play. Here without that, just over to the left with the tip pointing up. And it has to find its place. I would go a little deeper. - Deeper still? Yes definitely. The fact that it's a bit different with the shape... You can't see that anymore afterwards. - You generally don't see that anymore. So, wiping and beating when pausing has the advantage that by whisking I basically bring the pigment to the pause in the first place. By wiping I can make sure that I get all the holes with me. And so the break afterwards looks good. Yes, that looks very good. The outlines of the individual trees are clearly visible as a dotted line. They paint each tree by hand. Always along the traced points. (Stefanie:) Just looking at the area, I can just work there a little faster. Again it's teamwork, although everyone paints the trees differently. (Marcus:) We have to make sure they fit together well afterwards. I may need to improve mine a bit. But ideally they go well together. It is above all the details that make the motif unique. This also includes the birds over the mountains. Stefanie Teichert drew it by hand. After almost eight hours the time has come. All that's missing are a few brush strokes. Which I pull together a bit. (He murmurs) When is a job like this finished? (sighs:) That's always very difficult. No, I think you're never completely finished with yourself, but it usually helps to take a few steps back and look at the overall picture and then individual things quickly catch your eye or, in the best case, no longer. And then you always reach the point where you say: "It's good now, it's finished now." The large wall motif will now characterize the bedroom. A little decoration completes the overall picture. The same applies to the smoothly filled wall. With a chair and a chest of drawers, they simulate how the wall will later look with furniture. And the wall with the concrete look? The foil still needs to be removed. This is always an exciting moment. Actually, I would say there are definitely dry spots. Yes, very nice. - That looks good so far. Yes. Then we can actually start stripping. Very nice. Otherwise my joint will collapse right away. Mmm. So, in itself the color is still not the final color. This will definitely be even brighter. But from the first impression it looks great. We have a very nice surface shine, which comes from this formwork or the foil. And you have a lot of scattered blowholes, i.e. these air pockets. So, so far I think it's nice. The lime still needs a few days to harden, just like real concrete. A marble, which is actually not a marble stone at all, but a painting, a filler that is directed in this direction, has a lot to do with the fact that you cannot bring every building material to every place. A concrete look, for example, is the case if you have already plastered or wallpapered this formed concrete surface , then it is not that easy to bring it back again. And being able to bring something like that into this room using a painting technique or a spatula technique or whatever, I actually find it to be anything but cheating, but rather an interesting variant. Rooms can be designed in many ways with brushes and spatulas and always look better than simply painted white. Did you like this craftsmanship? Then write us your opinion about the film in the comments. And don't forget: SWR 2024
