# how to finish a foam backgrounds



## Gecksta (Oct 9, 2011)

i am making a foam background and would like to know how to finish it. do i just use paint?


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## hurcorh (Oct 9, 2011)

grout, paint, pondtite. make sure the products you use are not toxic.


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## geckolover07 (Oct 9, 2011)

yep, i used grout on mine. mixed some paint through the grout making each coat darker. 
To seal, I mixed PVA glue with water in a spray bottle. Stops from getting that shiny look.
Hope this helps and remember, you cant have too many coats.

I have a thread I posted regarding mine. 
DIY Hide/Basking spot!


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## Gecksta (Oct 9, 2011)

is there any special type of grout of just the type you use for tiles?


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## geckolover07 (Oct 9, 2011)

I just used off white tiling grout from bunnings.
8 bucks for a kg bag i think it was
Plenty to do the job.


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## mattyg (Oct 9, 2011)

i used craft non toxic acrylic (2.50 at bunnings) and mixed it with plain white acrylic silicone also 2.50 at bunnings. i got two paint tubes since their small so i got one which is raw umber and one that is black, just mix the raw umber and with a little bit of black to make it darker then mix it with the white silicone, their both acrylic and mix well together and sets hard and wont eat the foam.
i did a fair few things and a big rock wall background with 2 tubes of silicone and 2tubes of paint making a total of $10 and thats including using the silicone to glue some stuff on.


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## Trouble (Oct 9, 2011)

There's a thread on here (I can't remember by who) Dry Brushing and on page 2 or 4, they have a how-to on how to do Dry Brushing. It's an awesome effect.
I used grout 2-3 coats depending on how big the snake is, or if it's a lizard, 5-6 coats of grout, again depends how big the lizard(s) is. then, put a base coat of paint on - I used Dulux suede effects, it has a nice rough feeling to it. Once the base coat is done, start the dry brushing with acrylics from your local art store or $2 shop. Go over that with a lighter coat of your base coat. Once all that has had time to thoroughly dry, go over it with 2-3 coats of pondtite (aquatic sealer) let that air well, and ta-da, you're done


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## J-A-X (Oct 9, 2011)

Geeze, you've got a short memory Trouble ! ! that was Treg92's thread

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/diy-zone-5392/productive-evening-164996/

its a great source of inspiration.

as for grout, i tend to use the acrylic render. $10 for 20kgs it a lot cheaper than grout and a lot stronger too. you can add acrylic colours to it if you wish, i've built up a stock of cement oxides for colouring. hunt through the diy threads and you'll find quite a few tips on how to cover/paint your foam. The DIY group has got a lot of discussions on grouting/painting etc, so make a coffee and go and do a bit of APS surfing....... if youre not inspired by the time you've finished reading then you weren't looking in the right spot.


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## Trouble (Oct 9, 2011)

:lol: That's the one!! Good work, Jax  haha and yes, I do! it's the old age hah.


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## Treg92 (Oct 9, 2011)

> its a great source of inspiration.


awww shucks jax, i am now all embarrassed, it really wasn't that good. wait untill you see the latest, i have 3 cages on the go atm, am super keen to finish them, but time is hard to find nowadays. my rat breeding is taking up most of my spare time


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## J-A-X (Oct 9, 2011)

I was just thinking its been a while since i've seen anything from you ! ! dont forget the progress pics  any hints on the themes or are you being a secret squirrel too !

@ gecksta, make sure you read up on the render/grout application, you'll need some sort of bonding agent in the first couple of layers, to help it stick to the foam. most use either bondall or pva glue.


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