How Do You Paint Foamed Polystyrene Exterior Trim?
Foamed polystyrene is a foamed plastic known for its low cost, grease resistance, and heat and sound insulating properties. Foamed polystyrene is used for exterior trim because it’s cheaper than cellular PVC. The drawback is that in time the foamed plastic degrades with exposure to UV light. To keep it as long as possible, it’s important to keep it properly primed and painted. Clean the foamed polystyrene exterior trim before you start to paint. Purchase a resin or silicone primer, an exterior grade paint that’s compatible with the primer you choose and a respirator or face mask designed to filter out harmful paint fumes. Put the mask on and use a paint or foam brush to apply one coat of primer to the foamed polystyrene. Let it cure or harden. Rough up the surface of the silicon primer with fine sandpaper so the surface has some texture to help hold the paint. Otherwise the surface texture resembles glass and has such a smooth surface that paint easily chips and flakes off. Wipe any sa
