A method for barrier coating a subject, comprising applying a first water-based barrier coating composition comprising: (i) 40 to 95 % by weight of the total weight of an aqueous polymer composition obtainable by free radical (co)polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer blend comprising (a) 0 to 70 % by weight of at least one optionally substituted styrene, (b) up to 100 % by weight of at least one C1-C4-alkyl (meth)acrylate, (c) 0 to 10% by weight of other ethylenically unsaturated copolymerizable monomers, in the presence of (d) 0 to 40% % by weight of degraded starch having a molecular weight M n of 500 to 10,000, wherein the sum (a)+(b)+(c)+(d) is 100%; (ii) 2 to 55 % by weight of the total weight of of polyvinyl alcohol, optionally polymerized together with the components of (i); (iii) 2 to 30 % by weight of the total weight of of a plasticizer; (iv) 5 to 30 % by weight of the total weight of a composition comprising C16-C18 alkenyl ketene dimer, optionally as a mixture with rosin, whereby in the ratio of the C16-C18 alkenyl ketene dimer:rosin is from 100:0 to 25:75, preferably from 8:2 to 2:8; (v) 5 to 20 % by weight of the total weight of of a gelling agent; and: a filler, wherein the ratio of: is from 2:5 to 1:1, to at least part of a surface of said subject to obtain a precoated subject, and then applying a second water-based composition comprising but not, to at least precoated surface of the precoated subject to obtain a top coated subject.: (i) 40 to 95 % by weight of the total weight of an aqueous polymer composition obtainable by free radical (co)polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer blend comprising (a) 0 to 70 % by weight of at least one optionally substituted styrene, (b) up to 100 % by weight of at least one C1-C4-alkyl (meth)acrylate, (c) 0 to 10% by weight of other ethylenically unsaturated copolymerizable monomers, in the presence of (d) 0 to 40% % by weight of degraded starch having a molecular weight M n of 500 to 10,000, wherein the sum (a)+(b)+(c)+(d) is 100%; (ii) 2 to 55 % by weight of the total weight of of polyvinyl alcohol, optionally polymerized together with the components of (i); (iii) 2 to 30 % by weight of the total weight of of a plasticizer; (iv) 5 to 30 % by weight of the total weight of a composition comprising C16-C18 alkenyl ketene dimer, optionally as a mixture with rosin, whereby in the ratio of the C16-C18 alkenyl ketene dimer:rosin is from 100:0 to 25:75, preferably from 8:2 to 2:8; (v) 5 to 20 % by weight of the total weight of of a gelling agent; and (i) 40 to 95 % by weight of the total weight of an aqueous polymer composition obtainable by free radical (co)polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer blend comprising (a) 0 to 70 % by weight of at least one optionally substituted styrene, (b) up to 100 % by weight of at least one C1-C4-alkyl (meth)acrylate, (c) 0 to 10% by weight of other ethylenically unsaturated copolymerizable monomers, in the presence of (d) 0 to 40% % by weight of degraded starch having a molecular weight M n of 500 to 10,000, wherein the sum (a)+(b)+(c)+(d) is 100%; (a) 0 to 70 % by weight of at least one optionally substituted styrene, (b) up to 100 % by weight of at least one C1-C4-alkyl (meth)acrylate, (c) 0 to 10% by weight of other ethylenically unsaturated copolymerizable monomers, in the presence of (d) 0 to 40% % by weight of degraded starch having a molecular weight M n of 500 to 10,000, (ii) 2 to 55 % by weight of the total weight of of polyvinyl alcohol, optionally polymerized together with the components of (i); (iii) 2 to 30 % by weight of the total weight of of a plasticizer; (iv) 5 to 30 % by weight of the total weight of a composition comprising C16-C18 alkenyl ketene dimer, optionally as a mixture with rosin, whereby in the ratio of the C16-C18 alkenyl ketene dimer:rosin is from 100:0 to 25:75, preferably from 8:2 to 2:8; (v) 5 to 20 % by weight of the total weight of of a gelling agent; and: a filler, wherein the ratio of: is from 2:5 to 1:1, to at least part of a surface of said subject to obtain a precoated subject, and then applying a second water-based composition comprising but not, to at least precoated surface of the precoated subject to obtain a top coated subject.