ground cover

[Kevinkrey]

When it comes to ground cover, I have seen and heard of people who will paint and put down ground foam, and just put down grond foam, thoughd Id make my first poll.

Also please leave comments about what you do, no long tutorials needed though.

 

[trainsteve2435]

Kevin, i use a nice earth colored latex paint because it seems to take less ground cover to cover a spot, plus it makes it look better.

 

[Jim Krause]

If you don't paint, the pink or blue foam or whatever, kinda shows through.

 

[RonP]

I recently heard of using saw dust. In theory it would take a color well. Also after you glue it down whats the differance. You can make whatever color you want.
I think i am going to try that out.

 

[Kevinkrey]

Ok, what about colors, I have a can of moss green, would that work ya think, or should I stick with a brown/tan color?

 

[Jim Krause]

I would use a earthtone color. Flat latex paint. If you look around at your local area, you will find that the dirt shows more than you realize. Only a well manicured lawn is an overall green. Railroad and industrial areas usually have a lot of different shades of dirt, gravel, weeds.

 

[Relic]

All I can do now is parrot what you guys have said,paint before cover with a colour like the cover so the plaster or foam or whatever doesn't show through. Also pre painting will give you an idea of what it's going to look like,you may want to use a different shade.I try and do mine about four feet at a time,and having it painted keeps me from getting discouraged,I don't have to look at an acre of naked plaster.

 

[puddlejumper]

I use whatever brown, tan, or green latex paint is on the "oops" rack at Lowes and sift the ground foam directly onto the wet paint.

Dave

 

[PWRR-2207]

Painting

I tried a couple greens including a gloss Shamrock green. "Green" for me was a bad idea as none of the greens were close to the flock, grass or bush materials I had.

Green Base example


Redone in flat slate brown


I also tried putting grass on a couple areas where the ground was painted gray near the ballast but it looked bad up close so I removed it and painted those areas flat slate brown.

 

[Kevinkrey]

Well, I guess painting first will win. I have a can of moss green, but it doesnt look the best. I might try it, because I ran out of the tan I was using.​

 

[Kevinkrey]

I will also mention, I planned on painting all along, but wanted to see what others sometimes do, but it looks like almost everybody has the same idea.

 

[Kevinkrey]

Here are two options after I ran out of tan, what looks better? Also, what would look better behind a tree line to give the impression that the trees go deeper into the woods?

 

[puddlejumper]

I like the left one. I don't know how dry your climate is, during late summer here my yard looks more like the one on the right.

For deeper appearing forests I would go with a darker ground color to simulate the shadowy nature of lots of tree cover.

Dave

 

[Relic]

I try to use a hill to sort of keep the eye on the front where the action is

 

[brakie]

I paint a area let dry till it becomes "tacky" to the touch and then put down the ground foam and after it dries I spray the usual glue mixture over the ground foam.

 

[MasonJar]

You might be able to convince the paint store to add some red to that green, which will give you a kinda "dirt" colour. As long as you don't need to be too specific, they can be quite helpful.

Andrew

 

[abutt]

Dave and Larry got it right...put down whatever ground cover you chose while the paint is still WET. Most of it will stick (might push it down a bit with your fingers). Then when dry, whisk away what didn't stick. I use mostly beige color. Brown under trees.
Allan

 

[roch]

Paint first in a non gloss earth color.

 

[ocalicreek]

Depends...I voted for "paint first", but lemme 'splain. If you use a 'ground goop' like a sculptamold/glue/vermiculite mix then probably you'd mix some sort of paint, powdered or otherwise, into the goop. Same with tinting plaster. It's coloring the base somehow so that if it chips or cracks it won't be a bare white spot.

But if I were just covering foam, well, definately paint first. And maybe even paint afterward...just depends on the look you want. Who says foam has to stay the color it was when in the package?

 

[roch]

"Who says foam has to stay the color it was when in the package?"

Good point. :thumb: Not sure if you meen the foam base, I ended up with pink. I wanted blue for part of my lake streams and rivers which will be painted and have rocks and twigs anyway. :mrgreen:
I can't wait to get this done, but I can't rush it and hope it looks good. :mrgreen: