Gatorboard - A Good Sign (2024)

FAQs

Is gator board better than foam board? ›

Gator board has a much larger range of uses than ordinary foam board because of its durability and design. While you can still do all the things you normally would with foam board, the Gator Board goes above and beyond to offer you the most versatile product on the market.

Gatorboard, also sometimes called gator foam, is covered in a thin veneer comprised of melamine and wood fiber. This veneer makes gatorboard very rigid, so it's not prone to warping. Ultraboard is covered in a thick layer of polystyrene plastic. Unlike gatorboard, ultraboard has some flexibility.

Foam core boards are popular types of signage due to their availability and ease of installation. The reason many retail sign shops use Foam core is that it is easy to work with and the least expensive way to mount graphics.

Bring to life any retail display or business presentation with our gatorboard signs. Made from a lightweight polystyrene core and high-quality rigid paper faces, our 3/16” gatorboard is the perfect solution for temporary and permanent retail signage, storefront displays, and decorative pieces.

Although gatorboard is pretty tough, it's not indestructible. It's still a good idea to keep weight and moisture off of it. It is more resistant to both forces than foamboard, but too much of either will cause damage. Since gatorboard is a stronger, more durable version of foamboard, it's also a bit more expensive.

A big difference between regular foam board and Gatorfoam gator boards is that Gatorfoam handles moisture and moisture absorption significantly better and for longer then regular foam boards, which would be more prone to holding water (if in a situation where it is near or exposed to it).

Gatorboard, made of a solid foam core with a hard fiber exterior on each side, is rigid and has a coating that makes it resistant to moisture, but it is still not completely waterproof.

Gatorfoam is an extremely rigid lightweight composite display board which combines excellent strength-to-weight values and versatility with archival quality which allows its use for display mounting of museum artifacts and materials requiring a non-acidic environment.

Here are some common uses of Gatorfoam boards:

The smooth surface of the board makes it suitable for drawing, painting, and other artistic techniques. It can be used as a drawing board or as a base for mounting artwork.

While gator board can be cut by hand, the strength of the face surface makes it difficult. If there is very much detail in the pattern to be cut, other methods of machining are more desirable.

How strong is a gator board? ›

The outer surface of Gatorboard is strong and chips unless cut by fine sharp blades.

Gator will not warp, even if you paint one side and not the other. Vinyl will not do it either. Surface tension or whatever it's called is not stronger than the substrate itself.

It can also be painted on directly with oil colour but only if you completely seal the surface as well as the exposed foam sides to prevent any solvent from touching the board.

Gator board prints are lightweight and rigid; they have a solid, dense foam core center with matte clay backing on both sides. Our custom Gator boards are available in 3/16″ and 1/2″ thicknesses; they can be cut to any custom size and can be printed directly on one or two sides using vibrant UV ink.

The strong, flat panels are water-resistant and dimensionally stable. Direct sunlight will cause bleaching and degradation of any unprotected foam. GatorFoam® is not made as an archival product and may emit acidic vapors. The rigid board has very good dent and scratch resistance.

PUR insulation boards

Polyurethane (PUR) is one of the most efficient insulation materials on the market. PUR is available in the shape of insulation boards or foam. However, the boards have a better insulation value than the foam variant.

The best kind of rigid foam insulation is polyisocyanurate, also known as polyiso. It has the highest R-rating of any rigid foam insulation and comes with a reflective foil on both sides, allowing it to act as a radiant barrier as well.

Foam insulation boards, like PIR or polystyrene insulation, can be used to insulate walls. For stud wall insulation, PIR boards are an excellent choice. Alternatively, you can also use insulated plasterboards like Celotex PL4000 or Knauf XPS thermal laminates for internal walls.

Common polystyrene foam insulation board is easy to burn, and toxic smoke produced by combustion. Even adding a flame retardant, the combustion can only reach B grade. 3. Material strength is poor, prone to crack and insulation shedding phenomenon is relatively common.