# Basement Backdrop Advice



## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

I am planning on having backdrop murals for my basement layout and am hoping that others on this forum can offer up some suggestions or alternatives as to what to use for the actual backdrop material.

The basement walls are concrete and below grade. The surface of the walls, while flat and relatively smooth, has too many small voids and protrusions to just apply paint. I have thought about filling all of these voids by applying a parge coat but I doubt that my skills with a trowel will result in a reasonably flat paint ready surface. 

Though the basement stays dry it’s still below grade and I am still concerned about moisture or the possibility of mold on the backdrop’s surface over the long term. This being the case I am staying away from organic materials like masonite, dry wall (Sheetrock) and the like. There is also an access issue where getting typical 4x8 sheet goods down the stairwell uncut is probably not going to happen. I also wish to minimize any potential seams.

So, you may ask, what is my proposed solution? I plan to use artists canvas stretched between the top of the benchwork and the ceiling ( 57” high), sort of like a really big painting. I have found a non-organic canvas, Fredrix Red Lion Polyflax Canvas, that appears to satisfy my needs. It comes in relatively long rolls so vertical seams will be minimal. Being artists canvas it will obviously take paint well and I plan to add a mildewcide to the base color to further resist any potential mold growth. 

Your thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated, thank you.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I think you've found a fairly unique solution, we await progress and evaluation pictures.... not that it applies to many of us outdoorsers... 

I'd just algaecide tempered Masonite.... it will hold a curve lots better than cloth. 

Good luck 

John


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds like an interesting project. I have no experience with indoor layouts so I cannot offer any advice but I see no problem with your proposed implementation. 

Best, 
TJ


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds interesting, I used sheet plywood, one side sanded and then painted. I'll add different levels of detail paint as time goes by. Please post pics when your done.


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## SandyR (Jan 6, 2008)

There's a program on the PBS Create TV channel, called The Best of Oil Painting With Bob Ross. Using his techniques, you can paint wonderful scenery very fast using large brushes. Bob Ross art supplies are still available, though Ross died some years ago. Hope this helps. 
SandyR


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SandyR on 20 Jul 2012 09:07 PM 
There's a program on the PBS Create TV channel, called The Best of Oil Painting With Bob Ross. Using his techniques, you can paint wonderful scenery very fast using large brushes. Bob Ross art supplies are still available, though Ross died some years ago. Hope this helps. 
SandyR 

I know that guy, I irritate my wife every time I see him on PBS by declaring "Spaceballs?"


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

The Spaceballs guy is Michael Winslow, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935498/

I remember watching Bob's paint show on PBS in high school. All of his painting have a certain sameness and his speech pattern is very, very, sonorous; almost hypnotic!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

For younger viewers who may never have seen Micheal Winslow in action, still one of the funniest spoofs ever made.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

i have used canvas paintings for theatre backgrounds and stalls at our rodeo/county fair. 
but i did not use it as background for my layout. the small space between wall and canvas is a big invitation for spiders and other not wanted co-inhabitants. 

what to use depends very much on the situation. 
if there is an eye-catcher in front of the background, the latter needs not to be very sophisticated. 
if you look here: http://kormsen.info/landscape/background/ you can see, what i mean. 
the long bridge is the eyecatcher. thus the background has to provide a general impression only.


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Thanks to all for the responses, even the digression regarding Bob Ross. Googling my brains out I have found others that have used artists canvas for their backdrops, but they were mostly not large scale nor of similar dimensions.

I'm planning on trying to mock-up a section this weekend using bed sheets instead of the actual canvas. If it all works out then I'll pop the big bucks for the canvas and press onward. I'll try to take pictures and post a small write up with the canvas, assuming that its successful, for others should they want to give something similar a try.

Thanks again, Mark.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Find a shop that does the BIG SIGN printing. Like for Billboards and out door signs. They make banners for parades and fairs. They print this on vinyl Comes in lengths up to 80 feet wide or better. See if they have any mill ends.

You can do a lot with the vinyl from the mill ends. Paint on it. and such. 

JJ


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Was reading an article recently - can't remember where right now - which talked about a synthetic material similar to masonite and its use for backdrops. It's the same kind of stuff used for decking today - not wood or a wood product. Waterproof, rot-proof, and warp-proof. Comes in thin sheets like masonite. Someone else will probably know what it's called.


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

I’ve looked at various banner and billboard materials but they appear to be way too flexible (the thin vinyl “film”) or too stiff (the canvas type) and won’t hang or stretch smoothly. The PVC sheeting, such as Azek, appear to be 3/8” minimum thickness and at about $100 a sheet will be way too expensive even without considering all of the seams that I would need to deal with. There is also Sintra, that can be had at 3mm (1/8”) thick but is still about $33 a sheet and has the seam issues as the other sheeting.

I’m still leaning towards the Polyflex since it is relatively stiff (sort of like sewing interface material, ask your wife), comes in the proper width (no horizontal seams) and is really long (minimize vertical seams to two or three). I’m trying to minimize any attachment to the concrete walls so the backdrop will hang from the ceiling and attach to the benchwork. The overall approach is to make it easy for the next purchaser of the house to reuse the basement area for something other than trains (though I can’t imagine why anyone would want to!).

I did my mock-up and it seems that it will work. However there’s a world of difference between stretching a 6’ bed sheet and big roll of 10 oz stiff primed canvas.

Thanks for the additional suggestions, I really appreciate it.


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