How to Use Foam Boards Foam board or Foam core board is a strong and lightweight material that is easily cut and commonly used for various domestic as well as commercial purposes such as mounting of prints and photographs and as backing in picture frames.
Unique Structure and Properties One of the reasons this material has so widely come to use is that it is easily formed into shapes that can be used for interior design and architectural models. The structure that forms this material is made with sturdy layers usually consisting of three parts, an inner layer of polystyrene or polyurethane foam that is sandwiched between two layers of bleached, semi-gloss white clay coated paper. For high-end conservation framing, a further barrier of cotton rag boards or alphacellulose boards should be placed between the foam board and the original artwork.
Varieties and Sizes Foam boards have now become a popular backing in picture framing, with archival-quality variants now available through several manufacturers. The product, available at FoamBoardSource.com, is ideal for screen printing, die cutting, mounting, framing and prototypes and is available in various sizes for your subjective requirements. Other than that, you can find all the basic foam boards including FomeCor, Acid-Free foam bard, self-adhesive foam board and many other varieties. From this source, you can get any foam board of your choice either with self-adhesive (pressure sensitive) or heat-activated coatings, which will make your task of mounting a cakewalk.
Using Adhesives An issue with certain foam boards such as the clay-coated foamcore is that it does not accept certain types of paint and some glues such as superglue, which is not suitable for bonding. Using such products to bind certain foam boards should be avoided as solvents used in some paints and glues can dissolve the foam center causing weakness and breakdown of the structural integrity of the foamboard. Water-based glues can warp the fibers in the outer layers upon drying causing warping. This can be addressed by adhering a layer to the reverse side. Best results are typically obtained by using double sided adhesive sheets or by using pre-coated self-adhesive foamboard, in case you want
to dry mount your prints and photographs. After having mounted your photograph or print onto self-adhesive foamboard, make sure to allow some healing time during which you keep your mounted work flat to ensure it does not warp before you assemble the image in a picture frame. For temporary mounting applications, use a plain foam board and then apply re-positionable spray adhesive to one of the surfaces, either the back of the image or the front side of the board. Whatever the final purpose, foam boards serve as a long lasting material for both your indoor and outdoor your projects. For more information on varieties and sizes available, visit www.foamboardsource.com.