Foam board questions

[Kimba212]

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Hi haunters,

Yup, I'm a newbie here. However, I've been back and forth to your site reading many of your threads -- admiring your projects and talents, but mostly here to learn about what goes into making one's own props.

I'm going to get to the point, because I have a husband who puts his ideas into action without necessarily making them the best they can be. He gets so excited about getting started (which is usually last minute), but he doesn't put much effort into researching how to do things right the first time.

That said, a few weeks ago my husband came home with sheets of pink insulation boards to make the front of an old stone castle. We've had one for years, but he wanted a new and improved version. So, boards were scored and large stones were shaped out. Everything was basically grey and black. Long story, but I had an old heat gun from my days of stamping, and I warped the "stones" and opened up the lines in between with the heat. I did my own painting this week, and the facade is now painted and good to go.

However, I'm wondering -- with all the painting and time put into these "walls," how does one protect them from rain? Wouldn't all the acrylic craft paint run? As a mom who helps out with school projects, and one who appreciates and saves most of them, I've used spray cans of clear coating on everything from paper mache to posters, but I doubt that would be what's called for out in the elements. I also wonder about all the bubbling that can occur on the styrofoam when using the wrong products.

Can anyone offer me advice on what to use? I'd really appreciate it. After all, according to my husband, this was supposed to only take a couple of days.

Thank you.

[funhousejoe]

well best thing is to use some exterior grade paint that not being the case you can use polyurethane but over time it tends to yellow you can try thompsons water seal i have used it in some cases well or spray with clear coat satin if you are feeling somewhat rich its like 3.50 a can

[Kimba212]

Thank you - I'll mention that to my husband. Somewhere recently I read about Drylock or however it's spelled. Is that similar?

[funhousejoe]

drylok is great and very waterproof but it is a very thick paint with sand mixed in it comes in grey and white so good for the painting process not good as a top coat as it wil cover your work

[Terra]

I love Drylok too and funhousejoe is right, it's thick and has the sand in it but love it for that. It helps give it a grainy-stone appearance. After you paint it you can then paint over it using other colors. Exterior latex paint is great but you can also use acrylic paint. I've done it and haven't had any running issues. If you go this route, be sure to get the latex version of Drylok - not the oil. The oil version eats the foam. Here's a picture of a castle-like gate done this way:

[Kimba212]

That is *really* cool! And I appreciate the comments about Drylok.

[CycloneJack]

If you did use straight craft paint, you will need to seal it. Craft paint does run, very easily, when it gets wet. I found that out the hard way last year when my six foot tall bean bag toss pumpkin got rained on before the party. I had only used staight craft paints.

[SCATALIE]

Thank you for asking this question we were wondering the same thing.

[Mordessa]

Kimba your hubby sounds exactly like mine! LOL I'm all about the structure and making the prop correctly from the beginning so it will last, and he's all about doing whatever to whip something up that looks decent but pretty much falls apart when you look at it. lol

Most of my props are paper mache, and I paint them with poster paint and then seal them by painting them with lacquer and/or waterproofer and I don't have a problem with running paint or melting props that way. I used regular styrofoam for the columns that I made for my cemetery a few years ago, and I painted them with regular paint and then sealed them with lacquer and I haven't had any problems with the paint running on those at all. Might be different with poly foam though. This year I used polyfoam to make the boards on my boarded windows, but I actually ended up using a latex based paint for those, so I didn't lacquer them or anything, so I can't really offer much as far as sealers that work on that kind of foam. Heheh ... Mostly I just wanted to let you know you're not the only one with a hubby that doesn't plan ahead on his props! LOL

[Nepboard]

Ok girls, no more hubby bashing!!!