Second Life
How much passion does it take to wake a dilapidated house from its slumber? Marc Abellàn’s team of painters has plenty of it – to give this house on the outskirts of Barcelona a new lease of life.
An abandoned house becomes a home
The long slumber has left visible traces on and inside this house here in Catalonia, very close to the metropolis of Barcelona: damaged surfaces, old layers of paint and uneven walls. The building stood empty for several years. Now, step by step, it is to be transformed back into a modern home. For Marc Abellán and his team of painters, this is a very special project. It’s not simply a matter of ‘kissing this Sleeping Beauty awake’ – there’s more to it than that. Everyone is working to preserve the building’s original fabric whilst creating finishes that meet the highest standards.
Grinding – from large to small
For a few weeks now, the team from Abellán Pintura Profesional has been hard at work here on various sections of the building. On the upper floor, new plasterboard walls have been erected, filled and sanded. On the ground floor, Marc is working on large areas of walls and ceilings. The PLANEX LHS 2 225 long-neck sander is indispensable for this. It allows him to make rapid progress on large surfaces: it’s energy-efficient whilst delivering a high standard of quality. The integrated LED light ring reveals any unevenness whilst sanding is in progress. This helps to achieve the desired surface finish more quickly and eliminates the need for tedious reworking.
“This is the best PLANEX I’ve ever had,” says Marc. For him, it’s not just about making rapid progress, but above all about achieving a high-quality result. He’d love to sand everything with the PLANEX, because it allows him to cover a huge number of square metres in a short space of time. “But if you value quality right down to every corner and every detail,” says Marc, “you have to work your way from the big to the small and always use the right tool.”
“This is the best PLANEX I’ve ever had,” says Marc. For him, it’s not just about making rapid progress, but above all about achieving a high-quality result. He’d love to sand everything with the PLANEX, because it allows him to cover a huge number of square metres in a short space of time. “But if you value quality right down to every corner and every detail,” says Marc, “you have to work your way from the big to the small and always use the right tool.”
“The PLANEX with the light ring is a significant improvement for us. It enables us to achieve a level of quality that we could not offer without the light.”
Marc Abellán
High standards of quality – right down to the smallest detail
In the entrance hall and on the mantelpiece, it is clear that Marc attaches great importance to surface quality – not just on a large scale, but right down to the smallest detail. Even in places where machine sanding is difficult. With the compact RTS 400 sander, Raquel Febles ensures that corners, edges and narrow areas are sanded cleanly and evenly. Thanks to the small clearance from the edge, she achieves precise finishing right into the furthest corners. “I use the RTS 400 in corners and nooks, where it’s usually darker,” she says, adding enthusiastically: “It’s simply brilliant that there’s now a clip-on light for this.”
Raquel has been part of the team for three years and is the youngest member of staff. But when it comes to precision and attention to detail, she knows exactly what matters. The Granat PROfile soft abrasive, which she uses to sand the edges of the mantelpiece, has been specially developed for the precise finishing of profiles, curves and contours. Raquel Febles really appreciates it when excellent tools make her work easier.
High-quality grinding work requires experience and the right tools
Sanding work can be hard going. But anyone watching the Abellán team at work will quickly realise that it’s easier with the right tools. This also applies to Marc’s father, Manuel. Whilst the PLANEX is used on large surfaces, he focuses on the finer details with the ETS EC 150. With a steady hand, he ensures a consistently high-quality finish on a plasterboard wall under the stairs – the hallmark of the Abellán Pintura Profesional team.
Manuel has been working on building sites for more than 40 years. This makes it all the more important for him to have tools he can rely on. The compact, one-handed sander, the ETS EC 150, fits comfortably in the hand and, thanks to its light weight, really comes into its own during longer jobs. This allows high-quality finishes to be achieved quickly, with precision and with minimal fatigue. You can see the joy Manuel takes in his work. Even after decades in the trade, he’s happy to go the extra mile to make every project just that little bit better. “My father is incredibly hard-working and works tirelessly,” says Marc, adding: “Almost everything I know and can do as a painter, I’ve learnt from him.”
Manuel has been working on building sites for more than 40 years. This makes it all the more important for him to have tools he can rely on. The compact, one-handed sander, the ETS EC 150, fits comfortably in the hand and, thanks to its light weight, really comes into its own during longer jobs. This allows high-quality finishes to be achieved quickly, with precision and with minimal fatigue. You can see the joy Manuel takes in his work. Even after decades in the trade, he’s happy to go the extra mile to make every project just that little bit better. “My father is incredibly hard-working and works tirelessly,” says Marc, adding: “Almost everything I know and can do as a painter, I’ve learnt from him.”
“I bought my first Festool machine twenty years ago. And I’ve stuck with the brand ever since. For me, there’s nothing else quite like it.”
Manuel Abellán
Quality and efficiency go hand in hand in the painting trade
The fact that the name Abellán stands for outstanding craftsmanship in painting and the highest standards of quality applies to the whole team. Customers appreciate this. But for Marc, one thing is also clear: high-quality results can only be achieved cost-effectively when tools, work processes and expertise work together seamlessly: “For me, being able to offer our customers quality at reasonable prices is always a question of efficiency. With our small, skilled team and Festool tools, we achieve both.”
As the tasks grow, so do the demands
Does he have a favourite tool? “No, not really,” replies Marc: “I like every single one of our Festool tools because they’re problem-solvers for very specific tasks that I wouldn’t be able to handle quite as well without them.” Of course, as the tasks grow, so do his aspirations: he’d like to get his hands on the new DTSC 2 cordless delta sander soon – and because Marc, at just 30, is thinking big about the future: a mobile work platform. That’s what he dreams of after a long day’s work. “Vamos a ver,” says Marc with an optimistic wink. Until then, there’s certainly still plenty to do.
As the tasks grow, so do the demands
Does he have a favourite tool? “No, not really,” replies Marc: “I like every single one of our Festool tools because they’re problem-solvers for very specific tasks that I wouldn’t be able to handle quite as well without them.” Of course, as the tasks grow, so do his aspirations: he’d like to get his hands on the new DTSC 2 cordless delta sander soon – and because Marc, at just 30, is thinking big about the future: a mobile work platform. That’s what he dreams of after a long day’s work. “Vamos a ver,” says Marc with an optimistic wink. Until then, there’s certainly still plenty to do.
Products featured in this article
The team at Abellán Pintura Profesional uses these tools
