paint

[rubiks]

It has been mentioned throughout forum about using certain types of paint inside enclosures acrylics seem to be the way to go, went to home depot they have acrylic latex is that good and cannot seem to find paint that is not mildew resistant seems to be added to all paint or is it some say it and some don't is it okay if the paint is mildew resistant, tree frogs would be in the tank that i am building. thanks

[froggsong]

No latex paint. Just plain acrylic, like you'll find in the craft section.

[rubiks]

I am trying to paint the great stuff foam using the acrylic paint, Went out and purchased it, went to paint a test piece and waited 30 min and licked my finger and it wiped right off am i missing something, Does this paint not like water, seen it used on water falls and things and not come off. Not using it for water fall but will do background and will most likely be misted with water and will run fogger from time to time. So it will get went. Please help. Thanks

[Epiphile]

You'll have to wait until the paint dries fully to really test it out- give it at least a day or two, at least.

[froggsong]

You also need to sand the skin off of the foam, otherwise it won't stick.

[paludarium freak]

Also, I think your suppose to put cement and then paint it, or is that for styrofoam?

[froggsong]

Originally Posted by paludarium freak

Also, I think your suppose to put cement and then paint it, or is that for styrofoam?

That's one method. A less common method is to just paint the foam. If you want an example of that, it's what I just finished doing on my CWD topper. I'll have the pics up here shortly...

In case you are wondering the best way to actually paint GS, here's what I did:
I carved what parts of the foam I wanted carved, then used drywall sandpaper to sand the skin off of the rest of the topper. (this is very important to ensure good adhesion of the paint)
Then I did a base coat of matte black Krylon Fusion.
Next, I pretty heavily sprayed brown stone look paint onto the foam and stippled it with a rag (the stone look paints are safe for foams because they don't use solvents in the can).
I sprinkled white sand on the paint, then dry brushed it to remove most of the sand and blend the colors (I didn't like the way the brown looked... It doesn't look very natural, the grey is much better). I didn't like the white sand as much, so I used some grey sand afterwards and dry brushed it as well.
After it was all said and done, I lightly sprayed a clear matte paint over the foam.
I set fans up to dry it, and a heater on low to make the paint cure more quickly (be sure to keep a close eye on it if you try that, it's very dangerous); after all, I needed it done so I could put the CWD back in her enclosure. Turns out I'm still not quite done now at 3:30am... It's ok though, she's having a sleepover with Franky (the beardie).

All of the paints I used today are safe for foam, and safe for animals once cured. The clear paint has a distinctive smell (almost as if it's scented with a sweet scent), which is why I used it. I wanted to be SURE I could tell when it was cured.

[aquaman]

"I lightly sprayed a clear matte paint over the foam. "

Could you be more specific with the matte paint. I'm new to the paludarium realm and was simply going to leave it painted stone without sealing. Is that okay too or do I have to seal it with the matte paint. A water fall will go down it, but I have no dry sections behind the BG to worry about if it permeates through. Did you seal for water-tightness or animal protection?

Separately, I painted the entire background with stone (without skinning half of the GS). I had planned to do the silicone-coco fiber on the other half (already painted stone).

BTW the grey stone looks awesome on my BG.

[froggsong]

Part of the reason I used the clear paint was to protect the finish, and part of it was to help stick the sand a little more permanently to the foam. I think that with the foam sanded down so that the paint can absorb, it's not necessary. Under your waterfall, I'm not sure. You might need to use something stronger than some clear paint, otherwise the paint may wash away.

I quite love the look of my painted BG, I bet yours looks great too!