Pre-coated architectural foam shapes

Product & Installation Guide

Specification, ordering, and installation requirements for pre-coated architectural foam shapes. Intended for homeowners, contractors, builders, and architects.

MaterialModified EPS, ASTM C1712
Finish as shippedCementitious acrylic base coat
Standard length8 ft (96 in)
AttachmentAdhesive bond, 3/8 in notched trowel
What this isRead before ordering

Decorative trim, made in a controlled shop

Our shapes are expanded polystyrene profiles (cornices, sills, bands, corbels, columns, post caps) that arrive already coated and ready to hang. You supply the wall, the bonding material, and the finish color.

  • Every piece is coated in our own facility, not on site. Wind, moisture, humidity, dust, and direct sun are the usual causes of coating failure, and a shop takes all of them off the table.
  • Pieces ship with the entire exposed face covered in a cementitious acrylic base coat. They are ready for your color coat or paint. No field prep coat required.
  • A fiberglass mesh flange is left loose at the top edge. That skirt gets bedded into your bonding material during installation and is what ties the piece into the wall system.
These shapes are decorative, not structural. They carry no load beyond their own weight and must never be used as a beam, header, ledger, step, or anything a person stands or leans on. Builders and installers: put this in writing to your customer and keep a copy in the project file.
SpecificationFor plans & submittals

What you're getting

Core material
Modified expanded polystyrene meeting ASTM C1712, with independent third-party inspection at the foam manufacturer's plant. Meets or exceeds accepted industry manufacturing standards.
Density
Standard EPS on most profiles. 1.5 lb and 2 lb densities are available by special request where a job calls for more impact resistance.
Factory coating
A polymer-modified, cement-based base coat over the entire exposed surface, applied to every piece before it ships, leaving it ready for installation and final finish. A double base coat is available by special request.
Lengths
Profile stock and cut stock in 8 ft lengths. Special lengths are quoted separately.
Finished ends
Pieces can be supplied with mitered returns, where the profile wraps back to the wall so the end reads as a finished corner instead of a cut face. Quoted per project.
OrderingPlan your schedule

Lead times and terms

  • Standard trim is usually in stock. Smaller quantities are typically ready to ship or pick up without waiting on production. Ask before you assume a lead time.
  • Standard and decorative trim ships in 1 to 2 weeks on most orders. Build it into the schedule early, because trim is usually wanted the week the scaffold goes up.
  • Large custom orders run up to 5 weeks. Volume and profile complexity drive the number, so ask for a date when you request the quote rather than assuming stock timing.
  • Special lengths, mitered returns, and custom profiles are quoted per project and may run longer than standard stock.
Before you startGather on site

What you need on hand

  • Polymer-modified base coat adhesive (FoamTek), the same material family the pieces are coated with, used here as the bonding coat
  • A 3/8 in notched trowel, plus a flat trowel or knife for keying the flange
  • Chalk line, tape measure, and level
  • Clean mixing bucket and paddle
  • Mechanical fasteners, if you're using them as supplemental support
  • A horizontal 2x4 Douglas Fir board and fasteners, if any piece projects more than 10 in from the wall
Set the pieces out first. Dry-fit a run before you mix anything, and confirm corners and returns land where the elevation says they do. Adjusting layout is free until there's bonding material on the back of a piece.
InstallingOrder matters here

Hanging a piece

Step 1

Snap a chalk line

Mark the bottom edge of the run. Every piece registers to this line, so a run stays straight even if the wall isn't.

Step 2

Butter the back

Pull the mesh flange back out of the way and apply base coat to the entire back surface with a 3/8 in notched trowel. Keep coverage even, edge to edge. Skipped areas are where pieces come loose later.

Step 3

Set it on the line

Bring the bottom edge down to the chalk line and press firmly and evenly across the face. Hold the alignment while the material grabs.

Step 4

Key in the flange

Work the squeeze-out over the top mesh flange and along the bottom edge, embedding the mesh into the material. This is the joint between the piece and the wall, so don't leave it for a later trade.

Step 5

Leave it alone for 24 hours

No finish, no color, no washing down. Let the bond set before anything else touches the piece.

Deep profilesOver 10 in projection

When adhesive alone isn't enough

Projection is measured from the wall surface to the outermost face of the piece. At 10 in or less, the adhesive bond carries the piece on its own (Figure 1). Past 10 in, the profile's own weight works against the bond line all day, and it needs to sit on something.

That support is a horizontal 2x4 Douglas Fir board mechanically fastened to the wall. On a standard profile it sits under the piece and stays visible (Figure 2). On a custom profile we can cut a pocket into the back so the foam wraps the board completely and it disappears from view (Figure 3). Ask for it when you order, because the pocket is cut in the shop, not on site.

10 in or less mesh flange
Figure 1. StandardBonded with base coat over the full back surface. Fasteners optional.
over 10 in 2x4 D. Fir
Figure 2. Deep profileSame bond, plus a horizontal 2x4 Douglas Fir board mechanically fastened to the wall to carry the piece. The board stays visible below the trim.
2x4 fully enclosed over 10 in
Figure 3. Custom, concealedThe same profile with a pocket cut into the back. The foam wraps above, in front of, and below the 2x4, so the board carries the piece from inside and nothing shows.
Fasteners are supplemental, never primary. Screws and pins may be added anywhere for extra hold, but the adhesive bond is what holds the piece on the wall. The same goes for the 2x4 on deep profiles. It supports the bond, it doesn't replace it.
CuringThe step people rush

When you can finish

Two clocks run at once: how long the installed piece has been on the wall, and how long the factory coating has been curing since it left our shop. Both have to be satisfied before color goes on.

0 h

Set

Piece is on the line and the flange is keyed in. Leave it undisturbed.

24 h

Bond cured

The installation has set. Finish may begin once the coating clock below is also satisfied.

3 to 5 days

Coating cured

Total cure on the pre-coated shape. Color coat or paint now.

The 24-hour mark clears the installation, not the coating. Both clocks have to be satisfied before color goes on. Finishing early is the most common cause of callbacks on this product.
Get it rightCommon callbacks

What goes wrong, and how to avoid it

  • Color coat applied too early. Check both clocks: 24 hours on the wall and 3 to 5 days total cure on the piece.
  • Partial coverage on the back. Notch the full back surface. Dabs and perimeter beads leave voids the piece will eventually let go of.
  • The mesh flange left loose. If it isn't bedded and keyed, the top joint is open and there's nothing tying the piece into the wall.
  • Deep profiles hung on adhesive alone. Anything over 10 in of projection gets the 2x4.
  • Fasteners treated as the fix. They're supplemental. A poor bond with screws in it is still a poor bond.
  • Ordering late. Standard trim runs 1 to 2 weeks and large custom orders up to 5 weeks, and rush capacity isn't guaranteed.