Painting Extruded Polystyrene...?

[PatrickW]

Will paint stick to extruded polystyrene...?

I'm considering using some of that pink extruded polystyrene that comes in sheets to insulate the areas above my garage doors.

I'm thinking about putting up about a 2' by 30' strip of the stuff across the entire front of my 3 car garage (over top of the existing sheetrock) and if possible I'd like to paint it the same as the rest of my garage...

Thanks for any comments.

- Patrick

 

[Krodad]

Extruded Polystyrene can be painted with a waterborne paint. Make sure you use a simple latex house paint and nothing with emulsified alkyds and the like, or you could run into a little melting.

As said, it can be done, and if nothing bothers it up there, it should hold up okay, but you still have a tender strip up there. Also, unless your shop is mouse proof, you will find that the little buggers just love the stuff. They will chew/dig their way up little caves that they make, leading to a little hollowed out ball. A great place to raise a litter in the winter, though the styrenes sometimes kill them before they throw a litter. I would consider covering the insulation with something like the inexpensive plastic liner sheets you can get at the big box home centers. Take the panels right up to the studs/headers, and caulk with a urethane sealant. It will make it hard enough to send most of the mice on their way, but easy to inspect and see a problem if you get a really determined rodent.

 

[justinmc]

Will paint stick to extruded polystyrene...?

I'm considering using some of that pink extruded polystyrene that comes in sheets to insulate the areas above my garage doors.

I'm thinking about putting up about a 2' by 30' strip of the stuff across the entire front of my 3 car garage (over top of the existing sheetrock) and if possible I'd like to paint it the same as the rest of my garage...

Thanks for any comments.

- Patrick

If you don't feel like painting you can always just hang banners and signs up to cover the pink! Unless you want to embrace the pink instead haha.

 

[Hackerbill]

Hopefully you won't be doing any welding anywhere near it?
If you are then it might not be a good idea!

 

[PatrickW]

Glad you guys gave me some good ideas. I was going to try painting it with the paint I have (I'll have to read the label and do a test piece), and if that didn't work my wife was wanting me to put some kind of fancy wallpaper over it.

Don't know if I could live with leaving it pink or not. My garage is actually turning out to be like another living room, except with cars and tools in it. Pretty nice place, actually. Some of the friends and neighbors are now fixing up their garages, too, after seeing mine.

Here are some of the things I did to fix it up:http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1086

- Patrick