Keeping Foamex Flat?

[Fat Bob]

yes martin
using 10 mm greatly reduces the amount of warp you will get

[IAN HARTLEY]

Hi Martin

In this situation we would use a full tube of good quality Hard As Nails, then push the board onto it, it should virtualy grab the board onto the wall then use only six screws to fix it. This method also ensures that the wind does not get behind the sign and rip it of the wall.

[Deleted User]

Some of the cheaper foam boards are more prone to warping due to the higher air content in the foam.
Pick up a sheet of Foamex and compare it to the weight of some cheap stuff!
However, I would say use 10mm stuff, or write on any quote that it may be prone to distortion.
If it does warp they will blame you anyway and say you should have advised them so.

[Martin C]

Thanks,

I’ll try and get hold of some 10mm. Do you know how much I can expect to pay for a sheet?

I’m not too sure about the No nails. This sign is going straight onto Brickwork on the side of a shopping precinct. Just a bit worried if they ever need to take it down whether it will leave bits of Foamex and Glue all over the wall?

[Phill Fenton]

If you’re seriously considering going to the extra expense of using a 10mm board – have you considered that for the price difference between 10mm and 5mm foam board, you can buy a section of signframe anyway – so why not just use it.

Having said that – if using a white board (which tends to reflect most of the heat), and if it’s in a location that is not direct sunlight, you may find warping is failry minimal anyway. In my experience, it’s mainly the darker coloured boards that absorb more sunlight and therfore warp more than lighter coloured sheets.

As Peter says – tell the customer about the potential for warping – this way he knows what he is getting , which is detemined by what he is prepared to pay for 😀

[Steve Broughton]

I would recommend Dibond or similar Martin, tell the customer that unless they want their sign to look like a waffle then thats the way to go.

[Simon Clayton]

I was just about to post the same reply as right signs,

10mm Foamex, all the time spent drilling holes to fit it and stuff like that, just put it in a panatrim frame, it finishes it off.
I think putting up Foamex without a frame just looks cheap and nasty.

Its like spend a fortune on a family portrait and then sticking it in a plastic clip frame from Woolworth’s.

[Martin C]

I guess this is a little bit of apprehension on my behalf? Picture the scene. It’s a hairdressing salon (the third in as many weeks that I’ve done!) The original brief is for a front door sign and some window graphics (they have first floor premises) and to investigate the cost of a hanging sign to the rear.

A modest order from a functional local salon………..

Now however the order is for 2 largish signs, 1 small door sign 3 parking lot signs, 2 small internal signs, 2 A-boards, 5 sets of window graphics, 3 poster displays and as a bit of an afterthought the aforementioned board…….’up there somewhere’!

I think I’m pretty good at reading customers and just feel that the location for this board shouldn’t command top billing. However the nature of this business won’t accept a potentially poor finish. The easy route would be to offer a framed all bells and whistles end product with no comebacks but when I can in instances like this I’ll do what’s best to save the customer a few quid!

I’ll let you know what transpires??? (:) (:) (:)

[John Childs]

I would go with 3mm dibond.

Put a stripe around the edge, to give the impression of a frame, and it will look fine at that height.

No expansion and no discolouring after a couple of years exposure to the elements.

[Glenn Sharp]

We would use a timber subframe.

Nothing spectacular, just 2″ x 1″ with the outside edge painted to match the sign.

It’s a cheap way of adding depth to a sign thats being viewed from a distance.

the timber frame takes up the expansion and contraction of the foamex