Blog 2 - Prep Your Wall + Mix & Apply Your Ferrous Coats

1. Introduction

In Blog 1, you chose your wall, picked your magnets, gathered your supplies, and ordered your Hooked on Paint additive.

Now it’s time to start the real project, prepping your wall, mixing your primer and additive, and applying the ferrous coats that give your wall its magnetic strength.

This guide walks you through each step to ensure a smooth, strong, and consistent magnetic surface.

2. Prep Your Wall

Before painting, take a few minutes to properly prep the space. This makes the final wall smoother and helps your magnetic surface stay consistent from top to bottom.

Prep steps:

• Lay out a drop cloth to protect the floor.

• Patch any holes and let them dry.

• Lightly sand the patched spots and any other imperfections to ensure the wall is smooth.

• Wipe the wall clean with a damp cloth, then allow it to fully dry.

• Tape along the baseboards, trim, outlets, and switches.
  This keeps everything clean for both primer and topcoat.

Proper prep keeps everything looking clean and ensures the magnetic primer lays down evenly.

3. Set Up Your Workspace

A little setup goes a long way:

• Keep your paint, additive, bucket, roller, and brush within arm’s reach.

• Make sure you have good lighting (it makes it easier to see roller marks).

• Keep plastic wrap or a bag nearby to cover your roller between coats so it doesn’t dry out.

Once your area is ready, you’re set to start mixing.

4. Mix Your Ferrous Primer System

Mixing your primer and Hooked on Paint additive properly is the key to getting a strong, consistent magnetic wall. Each quart bag of additive is designed to mix with 1 quart of primer, so if you're working with a gallon, you’ll have 4 bags of powder.

How Much to Mix at a Time

You can mix in different sizes depending on your bucket:

• Smaller bucket:
  Mix 1 quart at a time using 1 bag of powder.

• Larger bucket:
  You can mix the full gallon at once, but we recommend mixing in half-gallon increments (2 quarts of primer + 2 bags of additive).

Mixing half-gallon batches has two big advantages:

1. It makes blending the additive more consistent.

2. It gives you more flexibility. If painting takes longer than one day, you only need to apply the primer that’s already mixed. Any unmixed primer (still sealed in its original can) will last much longer, while mixed paint must be used the same day.

How to Mix

1. Pour your primer into the bucket
   (one quart or half gallon, depending on your bucket size).

2. Stir the paint with a stir stick while slowly adding the powder.
   This helps keep clumps from forming.

3. After half the powder is in, mix with a drill if you have one.

   • Using a drill with a mixer bit makes the blend smooth and consistent.

   • If you don’t have a drill, keep mixing with a stir stick; it works;[An1]  it just takes more time.

4. Add the second half of the powder and mix again.
   Continue until the texture looks even and there are no dry pockets of powder.

5. Give the mixture a quick stir right before pouring it into your roller tray.

Important Mixing Tips

• Stir before every single coat.
  The iron powder naturally settles to the bottom, so remixing is essential for even strength.

• Keep your roller and tray covered between coats.
  Use plastic wrap or a plastic bag to prevent the paint from drying out.

• All ferrous coats should be applied the same day.
  If you must continue the next day, the paint must be fully sealed airtight, so it doesn’t dry out.

Following these steps ensures that your magnetic layer goes on smooth, strong, and consistently.[An2] 

5. Apply Your Ferrous Coats

Once your mixture is ready, it’s time to start painting the magnetic layer. Each coat builds strength, so apply them evenly and take your time.

How to Apply Each Coat

1. Cut in around the edges
   Use a disposable brush to paint along the border of your wall and around outlets or switches.
   (Typically, only needed on the first coat and the final coat.)

2. Load your roller well
   Stir the mixture, then load up your 1/4" foam roller and begin applying.

3. Start halfway up the wall
   Roll upwards and downwards to spread the paint smoothly.

4. Work left to right
   Move across the wall in even sections.

5. Overlap each pass by about 1 inch
   This prevents striping and keeps iron distribution consistent.

6. Apply light pressure on the right side of the roller
   This helps avoid harsh roller lines on the edges of each pass.

7. Allow each coat to fully dry
   Follow your primer’s listed dry time.

Before Your Final Coat: Check the Wall Strength

After your third coat is fully dry, you can do a quick strength check to make sure coverage is even:

• Take one of your Hooked on Paint magnets

• OR screw the magnet onto a small frame or block to make it easier to grip

• Place the magnet on the wall in different spots

• Pull it straight off the wall to feel how strong the hold is in each area

You’re not looking for perfection, just checking for noticeably weaker spots.

If you don’t have your magnets yet

No problem. Simply move on to the final coat.

Apply Your Final (Fourth) Coat

When it’s time for your last coat, remember that you may not have enough paint left for a full, traditional “wall-wide” coat, and that’s totally okay.

This final coat is meant to:

• Use up all remaining mixed paint

• Even out the wall

• Focus extra attention on any areas that felt weaker during the strength check

If the paint starts to run low as you’re finishing your final coat, don’t worry; that means you’re doing it correctly. You’re supposed to get all the mixed primer onto the wall, even if the last coat doesn’t cover the entire wall the same way previous coats did.

Just:

• Make sure every weak area gets a solid pass

• Spread whatever paint is left as evenly as possible

• Roll the rest normally until the bucket or tray is empty

Using every drop ensures the wall has the proper amount of iron and the strength you expect.

6. Wrap-Up

That’s it, your magnetic base layer is complete!

You’ve prepped your wall, mixed your additive correctly, applied all your ferrous coats, checked the wall’s strength, and used every drop of paint just the way the system is designed. Your wall is now fully primed and ready for color.

If you have any questions about painting, mixing, or troubleshooting, head over to our FAQ page[An3] , where we cover the most common tips and answers in detail.

Next up: adding your topcoat and bringing your magnetic wall to life.

👉 Continue to Blog 3: Topcoat, Decorating & Using Your Magnetic Wall

 [An1]added a colon but im not sre on my grammer in this instance!

 [An2]added ly

 [An3]added the word page