# help with DIY fake wall backgrounds



## Trouble (Apr 3, 2011)

Hi all,

now before you tell me there are a couple of other threads on this, I have looked through them and there are different ways people make them.
I have chosen one method, and I was wondering if I can get some help on how to do it that way...? and I don't want to hijack someone elses thread.

Today I bought some bondcrete, pondtite, and cement colouring.
What I would like to do is -
get a couple of blocks/sheets of Polystyrene or Styrofoam (not sure if there is any difference in the two ) and cut them all down into the shapes that I want the walls to look like, and then hold the shapes together with expanda-foam.
Next, do I mix the bondcrete with the cement colour and apply it as needed, and then seal it with the pondtite, or is there another step that I'm skipping without realizing it?
Also, do I need to mix the bondcrete with cement? (sorry, stupid question, but I'm not good with this side of making things lol)

any other tips/hints would be greatly appreciated 

Thank you,
Trouble.


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## dangles (Apr 3, 2011)

Have heard liquid nails is the stuff to hold the foam together. I'm using cement on a wall ATM and adding oxide to the cement to colour as needed. Bondcrete is a cement additive for use with cement, so mix bondcrete with cement and color


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## melluvssnakes (Apr 3, 2011)

Bondcrete is a bonding agent that you add to the cement to make it stick to the foam. So yeh, you'll need to grab some cement. Don't try to use expandafoam to hold the styrafoam together, like its name suggests, it expands and won't keep the shape you want in the end. Liquid nails is the way to go. 
Make sure you do 3 or 4 good coats of cement, then seal with a couple of coats of pondtite. Allow good drying time in-between all the coats for it to dry properly. Check out the DIY Group, there are heaps of cool people there that have done this heaps of times and can give you all the advice you need


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## dangles (Apr 3, 2011)

Make sure it's cement and not a sand/cement mix. I had issues trying to cheat for texture using sand cement mix.


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## cadwallader (Apr 3, 2011)

i used liquid nails didnt hold well at all i udes glass silicone and that has held for the last 3 years and not showing any signs weakness.


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## Trouble (Apr 3, 2011)

thanks guys  thank you for the tips mel 
what size bag of cement should I get? thanks for the heads up dangles!
cadwallader - does the glass silicone work even when securing it to ply wood? sounds like a better option, thanks.


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## dangles (Apr 3, 2011)

Pretty sure cement only comes in 20kg bags for around $7


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## cadwallader (Apr 3, 2011)

20kg should do 1.4 4ft walls roughly thats what mine works out to be.
liquid nails burns the polystyrene so glass silicon works better just check its not flamable... and yer i do it to ply....


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## dangles (Apr 3, 2011)

That's weird the liquid nails I'm used said if was ok for styrofoam


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## cadwallader (Apr 3, 2011)

true i have used it once foe the reason the styrofoam melted off the ply. but i guess if you read it and it says its for it then that product will work...


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## Trouble (Apr 3, 2011)

okay so liquid nails - no. glass silicon - yes.
I'll be making 3 x 1400 x 600 walls and 2 x 900 x 400 walls. that's alot of cement lol


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## melluvssnakes (Apr 3, 2011)

I've NEVER had a problem using liquid nails. If anything, it sticks too well so you've got to be careful and not make a mistake. Go to bunnings and you can find 5kg bags for about $5. Buy a small bag first and see how you go from there. If you can get hold of it, white cement is brilliant cause it's great to paint over


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## MrThumper (Apr 3, 2011)

Agree with the Liquid Nails to hold together...works great. 

I used a 5kg bag of tile grout mixed with PVA from Crazy Clarks and worked a treat the grout is very flexible but strong. The grout was coloured to the base colour I was after then painted finer details.


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## Just_Plain_Nuts (Apr 3, 2011)

Cement should not be used alone, it needs the sand for the strength. The best to use for that is bags of cement render and add pva or bondtite etc to give it more strength and stickiness and flexibility.


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## J-A-X (Apr 4, 2011)

Oh Trouble.... you're a member of the DIY group... head back over there, theres a heap of info
Here's your basic how to for foam work
http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/groups/diy-enclosures-backgrounds-furniture-225/foamwork-430/

we've been a little lacking in additional info lately I think we've all been busy in the sheds (I know I have got back in there at long last) but the more input we have in there the better, we can always link back to the main forum to make sure everyone gets to share the info.


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## syeph8 (Apr 4, 2011)

i always wondered what exoterra's fake walls were sealed/coloured with as there is definitely no concrete or grout there and they do look very good. is it at all possible to just shape the foam and then paint over it in weather-proof paint and call it a day? what would the issues be with this? i have never tried to make anything out of foam before but have stockpiled it for practice for my future giant display enclosure. been practicing carving to do the patterns on the outside and how to hide your enclosure electronics from sight but maintain effectiveness and ease of maintenance. now I need to learn about the fake rock wall.


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## Trouble (Apr 5, 2011)

Thanks Jaxrtfm  I keep forgetting to head back over there. I headed over there when Mel suggested it, but I had to go out, and never got back to reading in there :lol:
syeph8 - yeah, I've always wondered the same thing ... eh, home made ones look better haha
thanks for all the help guys!


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## J-A-X (Apr 5, 2011)

syeph8 said:


> i always wondered what exoterra's fake walls were sealed/coloured with as there is definitely no concrete or grout there and they do look very good. is it at all possible to just shape the foam and then paint over it in weather-proof paint and call it a day? .


 If it just going to be a flat wall I can't see issues with just painting it, it will probably cope with a small python but don't try it with anything with claws. The Scorsese one seem to be relatively small sizes and I think the reason is lack of strength for the 5ft + size pythons can get heavy and put strain on it. The cement/render/ grout that most of us use add strength for coping as a climbing frame for the larger species


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