WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN FOAM WINDOW TRIMS?

Foam window trims are a very popular, and relatively inexpensive, way to add character to any house. Because foam can be cut into any shape possible, the designs are endless. Ranging from standard square foam, to intricate designed sill pieces choosing the right design for your house is the toughest, yet most enjoyable part of the process.

A skilled foam professional will have several samples of each style of foam which include:

  • Standard “Raw” foam
  • Smooth coated foam
  • Sand Stone coated foam
  • Limestone coated foam

Standard “Raw” foam comes as raw pieces of Styrofoam and is usually applied during new stucco or re-stucco’ing of a house or building. This foam is traditionally applied using Poly Prep, or Poly Bond, a high bond adhesive. The Raw foam, up to 8 feet in length, is then wrapped in a fiberglass mesh to allow it to adhere to the wall with as much strength as possible. Another coat of the Poly Prep is applied to create a perfect substrate for the final color/texture coat. These pieces are usually finished with a sand or dash texture and are generally the cheapest of all foam alternatives.

SMOOTH COATED FOAM

Smooth coated foam is Styrofoam that has been wrapped with mesh and given a bath in smooth finish solution, which comes in pieces as big as 8 feet. Once the piece receives enough layers of the hardened smooth finish, it is ready to be installed. These pieces are also installed using Poly Prep and will have a smooth, paintable surface. Although it would be best to install this type of foam when installing new stucco or re-stucco’ing a building, they can also be installed on existing finished stucco or even painted stucco.

Sand Stone and Lime Stone coated foam are similar to the Smooth coated foam, but have a thicker more diverse finish. Whether it is the Sand Stone or Limestone finish, these pieces can be modified to a wide range of colors and finishes, including Travertine. The application process is identical to that of the smooth coat foam. Unlike Standard and Smooth coated foam, Sand Stone and Limestone come in 32” pieces. This creates a sectional look to any window and adds great design detail.

If you are thinking about adding some foam trim to any windows or doors at your house or building, feel free to call Stucco Boy (562) 218-3297 to schedule a free appointment with a foam specialist.