Foam letters

[signkrazy]

I have a customer that wants foam letters on the exterior of his building. He used to have them for another business he had and they lasted around 15 years and still looked good. He showed me one he took down and it looks like the blue foam board used for insulation and they just painted it with a latex paint. Can anyone help me figure this out? I mainly do acrylic plastic letters and I'm not sure of what foam I should be using.

Thanks,
Skeeter

 

[fixtureman]

It may be HDU foam that is what I would use. I prefer Duna but Signfoam is easier to find. You could use the blue or pink foam from on of the Borgs.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I've made them with 1.5" gator foam. have lasted so far 7 or 8 years, still look great...quite a few coats of paint they should last a long time

 

[Terremoto]

He showed me one he took down and it looks like the blue foam board used for insulation and they just painted it with a latex paint.

Done many of them using the blue foam and the pink foam - buy at the local building supply. Cut them out with a scroll saw - paint them with a good quality latex paint - stick 'em on with PL400.

A word of warning though. Some colours (that's the way we spell it up here) seem to attract woodpeckers. They can sure do a number on a foam letter. Can't be too healthy for the woodpecker either. One thing the though - the foam really mutes the rat-ta-tat-tat!

Dan

 

[Mosh]

+ be sure to use laytex paint.

I have cut them with a hot wire.

 

[Joe Crumley]

I agree with the product as EPS insulation foam.

You can get several thicknesses of this material from your wholesale insulation supply. Although we cut ours with a CNC, there are lots of good options to for cutting letters.

Letters cut from this material will not last for years without a good hardcoat. One of my favorites is a stucco texture concrete mixture. Birds aren't a problem with this coating.

Good look with this project and let us know how you do.

 

[Typestries]

I know of quite a few sets of insulation foam letters throughout the Florida keys....high winds, rain, very high UV, picky birds, etc that are going on over 10 years installed. Still look great. Big thumbs up for insulation foam and a good latex paint finish!!!

 

[signkrazy]

Thanks everyone for the help! That's what I was thinking but you guys helped me remove the little bit of doubt I had. I just wanted to be sure.