What happens when you try to paint your carefully built Styrofoam city model with a spray paint that contains solvents? Actually, a lot! - one example being, unfortunately, that the solvent will eat out large craters in your foam. In order to avoid such an eventuality you have to be particularly careful when choosing your paint (see: MARABU SPRAY PAINT) and maintain the proper distance when spraying or, alternatively, you can employ a polystyrene primer beforehand. This will provide the Styrofoam (which was cut by means of a hot wire!) with a once again smoothed out and matte surface. After applying between 2 and 3 coats of this primer you can then use most synthetic resin and acrylic paints for colouring purposes without having to worry about compatibility issues. We have tested MARABU SPRAY PAINTs, AERODECOR SPRAY PAINTs and Dupli-Color paints in this regard and found that they work wonderfully – if you are using other types of paint we recommend a preliminary test.

The surface of the rigid foam you want to paint should be closed-pore and as smooth as possible; like, for example, the way the surface turns out when being worked on with a POLYSTYRENE CUTTER. This is highly recommended because this primer when applied is very thin and not able to correct for unevenness or fill holes. This primer is therefore not suitable for use on an untreated and porous polystyrene surface with the deep “craters” between the cut foam granules that often result from cutting work on such material. Priming courser rigid foam surfaces does indeed lead to a much better acceptance of paint but will not produce a satisfactory result.

One can (150 ml) of primer is enough to cover an area of about 0.2 to 0.3 m².

• EUH208: Contains (name of sensitising substance). May produce an allergic reaction. (EUH08 may be omitted if EUH204 or EUH205 has to be applied.)
• H222+H229: Extrem entzündbares Aerosol. Behälter steht unter Druck: kann bei Erwärmung bersten.
• H336: May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
• H411: Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.

• P101: If medical advice is needed, have product container or label at hand.
• P102: Keep out of reach of children.
• P210: Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
• P211: Do not spray on an open flame or other ignition source.
• P251: Do not pierce or burn, aven after use.
• P260: Do not breathe dust / fume / gas / mist / vapours / spray.
• P403+P233: Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed.
• P405: Store locked up.
• P410+P412: Protect from sunlight. Do not expose to temperatures exceeding 50°C / 122°F.
• P501: Dispose of contents / container to …

• sd10068_-_polystyrene_primer_(gb).pdf