Wet-chemically precipitated anatase coatings on muscovite are investigated by high-temperature as well as high-resolution X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray diffraction detects intrinsic macrostrains in the as-prepared samples. Their temperature dependent reduction can be correlated with thermogravimetrically determined mass loss. Application of X-ray line-broadening analysis in combination with TEM lends to a deeper insight in the evolution of microstructure. The combination of these methods and the complementary information they provide proves crucial relations between microstructure, strain and impurities.