Expanded polystyrene painting: how and how to perform

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Expanded polystyrene than to paint

Expanded polystyrene than everyone thinks to paint, who wants to make such an option for decoration. After all Styrofoam and products from it are widely used for external and internal decoration of premises, including for insulation.

It perfectly absorbs sound and retains heat, so polystyrene is a favorite material in the construction of walls, partitions, interior ceilings. In addition, decorative foam parts serve as interior decoration.

In many cases, finishing work requires polystyrene staining. How to paint polystyrene foam and how this is done, we will consider below.

How much paint is needed

The question may arise, is it possible to paint polystyrene foam?

After all, this is a porous material, but there are two reasons for carrying out such a procedure:

• Giving the room compositional completeness, coherence of all its parts. The interior is perceived as a whole if all the components of the decoration are well combined with the room as a whole and with each other. After all, it is no secret to anyone that polystyrene in its natural form does not look too presentable: a white porous mass or a plain tile. And I want the decoration to be attractive, consistent with the appearance of the room and its style. However, it is worth considering that expanded polystyrene is a cheap material that is easy to work with, and this is its advantage. Therefore, do not rush to refuse such fertile material. One has only to cover it with paint or varnish, as he immediately begins to look different, more advantageous.
• Implementation of the protective function. Any material is affected by unfavorable external factors: temperature fluctuations, squally wind, precipitation (rain, snow and others). If you do not apply a protective coating to the foam, in just one season it will deform strongly and the product’s service life will decrease.

Attention: The conclusion from all of the above can be drawn as follows: decorating expanded polystyrene with the help of paints and varnishes is an integral part of the finishing work.

What polystyrene products need to be painted

Construction foam has many advantages that make it universal. It is valued for its low thermal conductivity, it is difficult to come up with the best material for building insulation.

Expanded polystyrene is affordable, since the sum of the costs of its production is extremely small. Great for decorating the room, as well as for facade decoration.

Attention: Coloring of polystyrene foam is not only done to determine the design, but it will also be a protective layer against moisture penetration. And this is a heat saving.

Most often, the following types of foam products are used in interior design:

• Expanded polystyrene ceiling tile. Looks great in any room, and the cost of its purchase is minimal. Due to its moisture resistance, it is suitable for rooms with high humidity (these include the kitchen (see Modern kitchen finishes: making a choice), bathroom). Indisputable disadvantages of ceiling tiles include low strength (the probability of accidental damage is very high) and the ability to fade in direct sunlight, becoming yellow.
• Foam panels for wall cladding in residential buildings. The use of panels as thermal insulation of the facade of the house is the most common and preferred option.Foam sheathing is subjected to a strength test every day: all natural disasters fall on it, starting with frost and ending with torrential rains and solar radiation. Easily collapsing panels require increased accuracy when mounting them. And, of course, in conditions of prolonged use, treatment with a special paint composition is indispensable.
• Ceiling baseboards. A common option for the final decoration of the premises today. Skirting boards are usually available in white, and it does not fit into every interior. Another significant minus of white is impracticality: dust and dirt are more noticeable on light and must be wiped more often. Sometimes products have surface defects that are noticeable to the naked eye, especially under electric lighting. So, one of two things remains: either do all the work again by changing the baseboard, or simply repaint the existing one. It is clear that the second is much easier to implement. In addition, staining will hide all the flaws, hide the putty at the joints, make the baseboards stronger. Finally, force majeure cannot be discounted in the form of, for example, a ceiling flooded by neighbors. The consequences of what happened cannot always be eliminated, and unaesthetic dark spots remain. But instead of buying new skirting boards, you can simply update the paint on the old ones.

What should be the foam paint

There are many types of polystyrene, and paint for polystyrene foam is selected for each of them. After all, not all coloring compounds are compatible with polystyrene.

This is explained by the reaction of expanded polystyrene to organic solvents, which are a component of many varnishes and paints. To get an attractive surface appearance, rather than shabby finishing elements, you need to know which substances are “friends” with polystyrene foam and which are not.

Caution: Polyfoam does not react with most chemicals (bitumen mixtures, aqueous lime, water based dispersion paints). But ethyl acetate, toluene, acetone and similar substances contained in some types of paints adversely affect this material. Organic solvents deform the foam, it becomes soft, decreases in size, and then completely dissolves.

To prevent any troubles during painting, paints and varnishes for polystyrene materials must meet certain conditions:

• The composition should not contain substances that dissolve foam;
• Paints and varnishes should have the best adhesion to the surface of the foam (thermal insulation material) and PSB (no-foam polystyrene);
• Must have high resistance to the damaging effects of the environment, including sunlight;
• Should provide a beautiful appearance, elasticity of the coating.

Staining technology

To coat the foam, paints based on a water emulsion and a suspension of acrylic are mainly used. Interior and exterior decoration require the use of different types of paints, so the final choice is determined by the location of the foam products (in the interior or exterior of the room). All work can be completely done with your own hands and then the price of decoration will not be large.

Attention: If you have a large coverage area, then it would be better to purchase a spray gun. After all, then you apply the coating quickly and evenly. Instructions for its use are included.

Indoor painting

The low cost of water-based paints, the lack of moisture resistance makes them an excellent choice for finishing the interior of the building. In addition, they have the ability to absorb dust and dirt, which automatically excludes their use outdoors.

Foam inner painting

So:

• Water-based paint is very well applied, and the layer is even and thick enough to fill all the pores in the decorative elements. Do not forget about cleanliness. Before you start staining, you should erase the dust and remove the cobwebs from the tiles, skirting boards, sockets and other decorative details.
• In order for the color of the ceiling plinth to turn out to be uniform and saturated, and to paint with quality, you need to prepare the surface for applying paint. Seal technological joints and joints, if necessary, seal them (for this there are special mixtures on sale). The coloring composition is best applied in several layers - so the color becomes more intense. Before continuing with the work, let the previous layer dry well.
• A brush and a roller are used as tools, and a spray gun is suitable for elements with a complex texture and a bizarre shape (see Types of spray guns: how to choose the right) - it is easier to achieve uniform coloring of parts. If you need to paint, for example, cornices or a baguette, you should do this before installing them. So the wallpaper will remain clean.

Painting the exterior of the building

For work from the outside of the house, acrylic solutions are used. They are characterized by increased resistance to external harmful influences, but their operating time is much shorter. Therefore, periodically you will need to restore the paint layer. The price of acrylic paints is higher than water-based paints.

Outside painting scheme

Attention: Since the walls of any building are exposed to atmospheric precipitation, temperature fluctuations, coloring mixtures must be ductile and maintain their qualities under any circumstances. This is especially important for polystyrene insulation boards.

So:

• The range of varnishes and paints for outdoor work is quite large. Unfortunately, among the components of many paints and varnishes available on sale, there are those that destroy polystyrene foam. However, the use of such compositions is quite possible if you first apply a solution of alkali metals of silicic acid to the foam plastic (it is also called liquid glass among specialists).
• Prepare water glass for work is not difficult. The mixture is diluted with water or a primer, gently mixing until there is no lump left and the mass becomes homogeneous. This provides improved elasticity of the composition.
• Instead of liquid glass, ordinary putty is suitable (see Types of putty: we will understand everything) applied in a thin layer. After waiting for the putty to dry, you can start painting without fear that the surface will be damaged.

Little tricks when painting:

• If painting with a brush, always drive it in the same direction. So you will avoid stains and sloppy drips on the foam. And you do not have to do double work;
• New wallpapers are already pasted, and the skirting boards are mounted, and they require painting? Masking tape will help not to splatter the walls when you paint the baseboard;
• What to do if only paint with aggressive solvents or gasoline is available, and work still needs to be done? Coat the foam with a layer of plaster and caustic substances will not enter the product.

Expanded polystyrene painting is not difficult, but responsible. First, choose the option of coloring and your design.

To do this, you should watch the video in this article and the photo. After that, make a work plan and you can proceed. For work, use only high-quality material and this will be the key to the durability of the coating.