# Hanging sheets of foam board?



## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

This isn't really a prop question, but we don't have a forum established for set design, haunt construction, building a facade, etc.... (Hint, hint )

In the past I've used black plastic or scene setters to cover my white walls in my garage. Last year I developed a no solid black wall approach to my haunt so I went with the scene setter stuff. It works, but has never been a realistic look or something that I've been completely happy with. 

This year (if I don't go the charity haunt route) I'm considering taking sheets of 1" foam and carving/texturing one side and then hanging them on the wall. 

I was thinking about using liquid nail and securing a 1"x2" to the foam and then attaching wire to hang them similar to a picture frame. 2 nails and hangers per panel.

What do you think?


----------



## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Just in case, make sure you use the liquid nail that is for foam board. As for the hanging method, your plan sounds ok but it puts all the stress on the foam board to hold its weight and stand up to any movement. If it were me, I would go with a strip of 1x3 across the top at the very least or maybe even go all the way to framing the foam board all the way around so all the foam board has to do is hang in the frame and the frame takes the load and stress. 1x2's might work just as well. I am not sure how much of a weight load the foam board can take before it snaps or cracks. Going that little extra and making a frame for the foam board might make a big difference. Try a couple of methods before you do the whole thing. Let me know how it goes, I am looking at the same thing for next year.


----------



## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

I'd feel better gluing the whole sheet down to a sheet of hardboard/masonite so the foam takes no stress of any kind. Then reinforce it along the edge with 1-by or something for hanging. Of course the price goes up as you add more stuff, but, hey, better sets cost more, unless you have the time to papier mache rock textures onto entire walls. Although I believe Heresjohnny did exactly that, doing stone walls out of papier mache on layered corrugated board.


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

I think your picture hanging method is pretty good.

Anytime you use panels you have to watch out for warping. Adding a frame or a backing or a frame might make it feel solid, but if that frame or substrate is prone to warping, you just making it worse. If you do make frames, you'll need to make a system of keying them to each other, so that they can keep each other in register.

One way the boards are going to warp is improper storage. You need to store them flat or standing straight up with a some snug support.


----------



## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

I don't see how the foam board is going to be stressed that much? It will be pretty much flat against the wall and possibly resting on the floor on the bottom edge.


----------



## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

Maybe I should get some heavy duty cloth material (enough to cover the wall) and then cut pieces of smaller foam in the shape of bricks and glue them to the material leaving space between them to represent the grout areas.


----------



## deathstaste (Apr 20, 2007)

what about no frames and attaching straight to the wall put a 1x2at the top and bottom and screw threw the wood, foam and into the wall


----------



## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

That would work, but I rent where I'm at, and I'm trying to avoid screwing, bolting, nailing to the walls as much as possible.

I was hoping I could just use something like this (2 per sheet) :


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

joker said:


> Maybe I should get some heavy duty cloth material (enough to cover the wall) and then cut pieces of smaller foam in the shape of bricks and glue them to the material leaving space between them to represent the grout areas.


Sounds like a lot of labor!

I think the 1x2 at the top and bottom is good idea. Using a level put two screws in to the wall for each board then hang the board from the 1x2. Measure the distance from the board edge to the strip of wood to keep it consistent and you'll keep a lot of the headache out of the process.


----------



## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

I always thought about using velcro strips to attach foam to the walls in my garage. Just put laun on the back of the foam using foam glue, then use long strips of velcro to keep them in place. You could maybe attach the velcro to 1x2s to attach to the wall with a couple screws.

Good luck.
.


----------



## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

That's a good idea Fright. With cloth or hanging a board, I would worry about movement, even in a garage. If north Texas is anything like Oklahoma, Halloween night can get pretty windy and be really hard on the props.


----------



## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

Front Yard Fright said:


> I always thought about using velcro strips to attach foam to the walls in my garage. Just put laun on the back of the foam using foam glue, then use long strips of velcro to keep them in place. You could maybe attach the velcro to 1x2s to attach to the wall with a couple screws.
> 
> Good luck.
> .


Great idea FYF. Initially I thought about velcro, but figured that it would peel the paint of the wall. Putting it on 1x's or whatever and then attaching them with a couple of screws is an excellent idea!!


----------



## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

I think devils chariot has the plan i would go with. I think you would have to have some type of framing even lightly to give a bit of support. Of course i think all the methods mentioned would work well, it just seems for me personally, i like to have things built more soundly than not. That is really how i do everything though so it's prolly just my way of doing things i guess.
I just always feel that if i am going to take the time to build it and spend the money on the supplies, i want to get a good solid prop that i know is going to hold up with no problems or constant repair.


----------

