EPS Figure Coating Hillsborough: Forest Park, Northern Ireland
This EPS figure coating Hillsborough project protected large themed figures for Hillsborough Forest Park in County Down, Northern Ireland. In 2025 the figures were coated with Krypton ProLine 60 EPS, a hard, flexible polyurea designed for expanded polystyrene.
01 · Project overview
What are the facts of this EPS figure coating in Hillsborough?
| Project | Themed figures for Hillsborough Forest Park |
|---|---|
| Location | Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |
| Year | 2025 |
| Product line | Protective coatings |
| Use | Theming: large figures for an outdoor park |
| Substrate | Expanded polystyrene (EPS) |
| Product | Krypton ProLine 60 EPS |
Hillsborough is a historic village in County Down, best known for Hillsborough Castle, the official royal residence in Northern Ireland. Next to it, Hillsborough Forest Park has woodland and lakeside walks.
Krypton Chemical was trusted to protect the themed figures that bring the park to life. It is a different kind of project from a roof or a car park, and it shows how far Krypton’s polyurea technology reaches: from waterproofing to theming.
02 · Challenge
What did the Hillsborough Forest Park figures need?
The job covered several large themed figures in a natural outdoor setting. Expanded polystyrene is light and easy to carve into animals and shapes. However, bare foam dents, breaks and crumbles at the first knock.
Also, figures in a public park face rain, frost, sun and curious visitors every day. Northern Ireland’s weather is wet for much of the year. So the foam needed a hard, tough, waterproof skin that follows every facet and edge of each figure.
03 · Solution
Why Krypton ProLine 60 EPS for these figures?
Krypton ProLine 60 EPS is a fast-curing modified polyurea made by Krypton Chemical. It is designed for impact protection of EPS and other polystyrene foams. It cures into a hard but flexible membrane, so the figures resist knocks without cracking.
In addition, it is sprayed on site in one coat. It gels in about 7 seconds at 25 °C, so it builds on curves and vertical faces without running. Once cured, it is hard enough to walk on, which gives a large safety margin for figures that visitors will touch and lean on.
04 · Application
How is Krypton ProLine 60 EPS applied on foam, step by step?
On foam, preparation is simple but strict. The sequence is as follows.
- Clean the foam. The surface must be free of dust, dirt, oil and grease, because adhesion decides how long the skin lasts.
- Abrade the surface. Next, the foam is abraded mechanically for better adhesion. On polystyrene, no primer is used.
- Mix and pigment. Both components are homogenised. Then the Spray Pigment goes into component A, and both are heated while they recirculate.
- Check the weather. Wind over 25 km/h can cool the spray mist too much, which affects curing, texture and overspray.
- Hot-spray one coat. Both components run at 70 °C and about 130–150 bar. As a rule, 2 kg/m² goes on, with short pauses between passes.
After that, the coating is tack-free in 15 to 20 seconds. It can be sanded after 10 to 15 minutes to refine details, and takes light foot traffic the next day. Full cure takes about 5 to 6 days. Aromatic polyureas change colour in sunlight, so a Krypton UV-stable finish can go on top where the colour must stay exact.
05 · Results
What does the EPS figure coating in Hillsborough deliver?
As a result, the Hillsborough Forest Park figures carry a hard, seamless polyurea skin over the foam. As typical data, the coating reaches 65–70 Shore D hardness and 25 MPa tensile strength. So the figures resist knocks, weather and frost, while the light foam inside keeps them easy to install.
Overall, this EPS figure coating Hillsborough job shows how a sprayed polyurea protects light foam shapes outdoors. See also theme park lake lining in Madrid and pipe lining in Colombia.
06 · Products
Which Krypton product was used?
Krypton ProLine 60 EPS
Role here: Protective coating on the EPS figures. Hard modified polyurea membrane, hot-sprayed (TDS).
- Hardness: 65–70 Shore D (TDS)
- Tensile strength: 25 MPa; elongation: 15% (TDS)
- Tear strength: 83.3 N/mm (TDS)
More in our Knowledge base
Read more about this coating, its uses and its data in our Knowledge article Krypton ProLine 60 EPS.
07 · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a primer needed on polystyrene?
No. On polystyrene, no primer is used. Mechanical abrasion of the foam gives the adhesion instead.
How hard is the coating?
Krypton ProLine 60 EPS reaches 65–70 Shore D, with 25 MPa tensile strength and 83.3 N/mm tear strength.
How much coating goes on per m²?
As a rule, 2 kg/m² in one coat, sprayed in passes with short pauses.
How fast does it cure?
It is tack-free in 15 to 20 seconds, can be sanded after 10 to 15 minutes and reaches full cure in about 5 to 6 days.
Does the colour change outdoors?
Aromatic polyureas change colour in sunlight. Where the colour must stay exact, a UV-stable Krypton finish goes on top.
Will the coating stand up to visitors touching the figures?
Yes. Once cured, the coating is hard enough to take light foot traffic, so hands and knocks do not mark it.