Post #391624 by kountzyro on Fri, Jul 4, 2008 10:58 AM

Thanks for the kind encouragement, Benzart.

Manokoa-

Foamcoat is fairly durable. But it can be punctured. I am not certain how it would hold up under exterior conditions. The good thing about it, other than it being water-based, is that it has some flex to it. Foam being soft, gives way under most hard coatings upon impact which can cause fractures in the exterior.

I have used fiberglass on some larger projects, but that requires first coating the foam with plaster, or foil. Fiberglass, however, has very little give and cracks rather easily due to the soft nature of the foam interior.

Poly-urea is a rather toxic iso-polymer spray that is used to cover exterior architectural elements. It is very durable and has a good amount of give. But this product is hard to come by unless you have access to those who use this coating professionally.

Of the options fiberglass is the cheapest and most durable. Foamcoat, and a few other specialty products like it, are rather expensive, but provide good results and are easier to work with. I have also coated foem sculptures with a plaster/drywall compound mixture, but that makes for a rather fragile coating.

Foamcoat is available here:
http://www.rosebrand.com/product337/Rosco-Foam-Coat.aspx

-though maybe you can find it elsewhere as well. It retails for just under $50 per gallon.

I have also used a construction industry product called Dryvit which is like a fibrous type of quick drying concrete, but it is usefull only for rough textures.

Hope this is helpfull. I know of some other products as well, and can give you some more finishing tips, dependant upon the product you choose. Just holler at me and I'll be glad to share some more info!