Attaching PVC foamboard to a wooden board

[jassa]

The backstory: I'm currently constructing a makeshift projector screen for my home theatre. I have purchased a sheet of foamboard cut to a size of 2080mm x 1560mm to use as the screen itself, but as the board is only 5mm thick it bends and flexes a lot when stood up against the wall. I want to keep the foamboard as straight and flat as possible, but my current residential arrangement isn't permanent so I don't want to attach it directly to the brick wall in my home theatre room.

The ideal solution would be to build a wooden frame and attach the foamboard to the frame, however I'm quite terrible with woodwork and don't have the confidence or time required to build a straight and solid frame. Instead, I thought an alternative would be to obtain a large sheet of a more solid material (ideally wood) and attach the foamboard to that. It will make it a lot heavier and thicker, but it will suit my needs just as well.

The problem lies in attaching the foamboard to the backing board. Given the surface of the foamboard will be used to project images onto, I don't want to have to mark it if at all possible.

My question: Is there a type of adhesive I could use to attach PVC foamboard (which is technically a plastic) to a wooden board? Would this adhesive be suitable for such a large project?

If needed, there's a little more info on PVC foamboard in the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-cell_PVC_foamboard

Thanks in advance for the help

 

[JohnD]

have you considered hanging it from the wall like a mirror or picture?

also, if you want to attach it to a flat surface, isn't expanded polystyrene available in slabs in your country? They weigh almost nothing and are rigid and flat, available in 25mm/50mm/150mm thick

used for building insulation.

Lighter and easier than making a wooden backboard.

 

[jassa]

I have, but I don't really think it would be a feasible option in this case - the board is simply too huge and too thin to attach a wire strong enough to hold the weight. Plus I imagine this method would also cause the board to bend outward, though I could be wrong about that.

Edit: The expanded polystyrene idea is intriguing. I'll see if they stock any at the hardware store when I go there tomorrow. Though I would still need some way to attach that to the foamboard

 

[JohnD]

how about fixing a wooden batten to the wall where you want the top of the screen to be (a few screws) then fasten the screen to that using a grabbing adhesive or small pins/screws that you can hide with some edging trim

It will hang straight down

edited
Also look at mirror fixings that screw to the wall

 

[jassa]

Also an interesting idea... though I'd really prefer to avoid anything with that level of permanency. I want to be able to take this screen with me when I move house in a year or two, and if I end up in a rental place I won't be able to make those sorts of modifications.

 

[breezer]

use genuine silicone sealant, sticks to most things and leaves no marks (only suitable for light weight items)

the problem with big sheets of polystyrene is the wind, i got one took it from the store to my car, a guest of gentle wind came along and snapped it in half

 

[jassa]

Ah, right. This foamboard isn't too heavy (considering its size) so it would probably be ok to use silicone sealant for this. I was planning on applying it in a grid pattern (lines of adhesive every 400-500mm both vertically and horizontally), and then laying the two boards flat on the ground, weighed down by whatever heavy objects I have on hand, until the adhesive dries. Would this be ok, do you think?

It's pretty windy here, so I'll keep that in mind if I end up going with polystyrene.

Thanks to both of you for your help so far! I'm going to catch some shuteye now (it's getting close to 3am here) but I'll check back when I wake up.

 

[breezer]

do it tomorrow night and put it under the matress

 

[jassa]

I ended up buying and using Liquid Nails. Finding the wooden board wasn't too much of a problem... they didn't have any polystyrene in stock though. I ended up getting a 2400mm x 1200mm sheet of 12mm thick MDF. Solid, flat, and relatively inexpensive. Unfortunately with the foamboard screen being 1560mm tall, it's not entirely supported by the MDF. I think it'll do though. It's currently being weighed down by various items of furniture and should be almost done drying.

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[foxhole]

A bit of velcro would have sorted it , easy to remove and would keep screen flat to wall.

 

[Symptoms]

So would 3M's Display Mount (spay can) - fantastic contact adhesive that'll stick anything permanently, designed for the graphics/display industry who use tons of foamboard (Kappa-board). They also do a a Photo Mount - can be unpeeled later, great for temporary work. These products project a fine (adjustable) spray of adhesive which lightly covers the surface evenly. Bit late for jassa, as is the news that you can get bigger sheets of MDF than 2440 x 1200.