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Creating Decorative Styrofoam Columns

Bob looks at the exterior design elements on the Punta Gorda house with Jesse Gonzalez of Mercedes Homes. Bob mentions the Tuscan feel evoked by the dormered overhangs with arches and faux columns. Gonzalez shows Bob the support stringers for the soffits that will have a brown finish to match the roof drip edge. They then move to a mirror arch and overhang with bearing posts made with four-by-four lumber. Gonzalez and his crew have pre-formed Styrofoam columns that are made in halves and fitted exactly to the post. The crew fills the inside of the column half with expanding adhesive foam and fits it to the back of the post. They fill the gaps between the post and column with adhesive foam then marry the second half in the same fashion. The two sides are then held together with bungee cords to set for an hour. Styrofoam rings are cut to form decorative bases or capitols for the columns. Two rings are set on the top and bottom with the adhesive foam. The entire column is then sprayed with a textured acrylic that will be painted to match the house. These custom decorative elements only cost about $40 to $50 apiece, but unify the design and provide decorative cladding for the bearing posts. Since they are light and well affixed, these columns are unlikely to break free in high winds but can be damaged by wind-borne debris.

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Clip Transcript For:

Creating Decorative Styrofoam Columns

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Let's let's talk about some of these decorative details -- we're going to be looking at different parts of the house today and on the street facade. What we've got is pair of elements that are very kind of Mediterranean villa -- gives -- this kind of Tuscan flair right and the the arch in the dormer with the corner over hangs it pretty complicated little design statement but all of it is just hollow correct. It is more decorative. There's nothing there and then what's going to happen with the eaves where it is the last kind of unfinished part of the house that we're looking at the outside correct what."

" We have -- there is the overhang right now are bare what we're gonna do is come in and we put day after a two by four nailer on the backside Anaconda against the wall itself correct against the wall and then we come in and we put a few extra stringers all the way down in the past in the traditional -- just been stuck into the lot of failure with that we're putting in the extra nailers and we easily teach your targets aluminum correct. So this is -- When it's finished to just yes a flat aluminum surface up there correct is it paint to -- authority it is credible but it will come in a bronze color to match the it drip edge cement OK so be that dark brownish bronze color. Now since this is not structural these columns are."

" Really just decorative not holding anything up there are decorative and they look like their rough Stucco but there. They're all the problem what do they made up their minutes are Bob. OK so this one hasn't been put up yet right exactly. And here again we've got a similar elements of the the arch and the heavy masonry look but it's all just decorative and it still has to be held up. Correct this is the bearing post right -- before bearing post that will be carrying this load up OK and then in order to make this match over here this is what you use this is our problem our decorative columns. How often do you do that I think that -- They are styrofoam yes and a OK and then they are just sandwiched. Around the just like in Hollywood. Well in terms of the proportions of it I think their little skimpy but I guess once they get. Finished off to match the the cholera how's that disappears how do they glue them together I'm what we use is we use a job. It's not just a construction adhesive oh okay received put it together. So it's like a panel adhesive but it's expanding. Correct. -- we had in their. Wrong orientation. You go. I see so they just kind of hold it together bungee cords while the adhesive sets. How long does it take to set. Probably takes it about 45 minutes to an hour ago nice and firm. And then what about these decorative rings what happened."

" These rings is once we get this column in place and we pull the bindings off of it we -- hair spray that -- an acrylic tend not texture. And then we take the decorative rings and we space them on the bottom and top to match the other."

" All right then these rings are also made of styrofoam. Correct and they take the place of a base. Or -- capital. And just trim out the yeah. The column to give it a little bit of -- cents. And they get glued yeah same adhesive well. On on the end there correct. And the design calls for a double of these on the bottom and a double on the top correct to match the others. All right so now a coating a texture is sprayed on it yet this is an acrylic texture right here that's right don't. And it. It's kind of a thick -- Consistency."

" All right so once they've finished spraying the surface on an indicator come back and with the same color on. On it right correct good what does it cost when these things on the average -- have brought -- about 4050. So it's nothing but it's uninteresting decorative -- what about hurricane winds I would never have. Had one blown off -- hurricane but flying projectiles with wind blowing could damage yet if you could dents on them -- great. What's nice."

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