Painting 1″ thick letters gatorboard (ultraboard)

[nolanola]

Hello.
We are about to paint some dimensional letters made of 1″ ultraboard.
It's a rush job and we have to paint them with a brush or roller.
The letters are 24″ tall.

Are there any tricks to it?
So far I have learned that we are supposed to use latex primer (2 coats), sand it 220 and two coats of paint, too.
Correct?

Thank you.

 

[Gino]

What exactly is the surface and edges of ultraboard, for those of us who do not use it ??

• Why can't you use rattle cans ??
• Or airless sprayer ??

 

[Joe House]

What exactly is the surface and edges of ultraboard, for those of us who do not use it ??

Expanded polystyrene core with high impact polystyrene faces.

 

[Joe House]

I would give the back side the same treatment as the face side. I'm not sure about Ultraboard, but I've seen other foam boards warp from uneven tensions on the two faces - especially when out in the sun.

 

[Gino]

Excuse me, I didn't see the word 'gatorboard' in the title.

Are these being CNC cut ??

If so, completely premask the entire surface, then cut, then roller coat the edges with a good latex prime like you said and do it twice. Remove the premask and spray coat the surface with something like krylon. Latex will not hold up well on that surface. Also, someone mentioned about where they are going..... ?? You cannot and should not use this substrate outdoors in any kinda climate. Indoor applications, only.

 

[Billct2]

Yes, Interior use right? Why brush or roller.
If the edges are like gatorfoam spraying is really best.
We paint gatorfoam with our HVLP and latex.
You could rent a sprayer at the paint store, HD or Lowes.
If I had to do anything else I'd use a roller, roll the edges and then the face.
Wipe off the bottom back edge for drips.

 

[nolanola]

Thank you!
Yes, CNC cut.
Yes, indoor.

I like the premasking and krylon idea.
What other rattle can paints can I use with that material?

 

[Gino]

What color ?? Unless you make your own cans, they don't all have a huge selection. Krylon sticks the best, but you do need to prime the edges first or the Krylon will eat the foam away, too.

I've already used some of the Rustoleum cans, but they take much longer to dry and harder to shake. I think they use more pigment.

 

[nolanola]

Green and purple.

 

[Gino]

You'll probably find various greens in either brand, but purple is gonna be down to one, maybe two from which to choose. I would not mix two brands.

Like I said, you can mix your own and use one of these................

Get 'em at Home Depot. I get dozens at a time. They're cheap enough and you can use any paint base you want.


Oh yeah, most paints are about 4 to 1, while latex is about 3 to 2.

 

[nolanola]

Great!

Thank you!

 

[nolanola]

If I premask the face and use latex primer for the edges what primer should I use for the faces?

 

[Gino]

I don't usually use a primer on the face. That way it stays completely smooth and I can control it better. You might wanna use 3 coats til you get the edges to blend well. Keep your area clean and you shouldn't have any real dust or dirt buildup at all. You might not hafta sand in between coats. With spraying, you usually can skip all the sanding. Kinda the idea behind it. Nice even coats and no contaminates, unless you allow it. Build yourself a little makeshift booth and control your environment.

I only use the Prevals, when I need a customer color. Otherwise, it's usually Krylon. I know you said 24" letters, but how many ?? You might want to consider a regular sprayer, even an airless one is cheap and will do a nice job.

 

[nolanola]

About 50 letters, 4 sheets 4'x8'.

 

[GVP]

We just use a roller and flat latex - a couple of coats if I recall correctly, and a third on the returns. The picture is a recent(ish) job using 1" Ultraboard - the letters were around 18" high.

 

[rossmosh]

DTM 100% acrylic paint with a 2.5mm tip HVLP gun. You can also get a Graco True Coat which gets good reviews and requires no thinning to spray latex/acrylic paint. If you don't have a decent compressor, it's probably advisable.

 

[visual800]

prime all letters with flat latex and then spray the finish coat since its interior there should be no issues, If the sides are a different color than faces just sprayfaces first and then after drying flip them upside down on flat surface and spraysides

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Test a scrap piece before you start painting your finished letters. I've had paints disintegrate the foam interior of Ultraboard (even though the same paint worked on actual Gatorboard). Also, be prepared to do several coats on the edges. Ultraboard sucks the paint up like crazy, even worse than Gator.

 

[nolanola]

Thank you!
The job is completed.
white 1" Ultraboard
Primed with Kilz2 Latex, sanded edges only 180 grit, two times
Painted with Sherwin Williams flat latex, applied with Graco True Coat
Installed with double-sided tape and silicone

 

[nolanola]

Images attached.