Architects choose architectural EPS for a variety of reasons. It is less expensive to install. It is weather resistant. It offers soundproofing and energy efficiency benefits. But one of the main concerns that people have about using a product like architectural EPS – even though our architectural EPS is cement coated – is durability.
EPS is a lot stronger and more resilient than people realize. That is why it is used not only inside of properties, but outside as well. Indoors, there is less risk of damage from the elements, but what about indoors, where people are moving around may come into contact with the material?
Durability and Longevity of Architectural EPS – and How it Compares
Cement-coated Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) has an impressive lifespan when used in interior architectural applications. Unlike uncoated foam, which can be vulnerable to dents, abrasion, or UV degradation, cement-coated EPS has a hardened outer shell that significantly enhances its impact resistance, structural stability, and surface durability.
When installed correctly and protected from direct physical abuse, interior EPS elements can last the lifetime of the building. The cementitious coating shields the core foam from contact, compression, and most environmental changes. Indoors, where there is no exposure to UV light, rain, or freeze-thaw cycles, the EPS itself undergoes virtually no chemical degradation over time.
Laboratory and field testing have shown that EPS retains its compressive strength and dimensional stability for several decades — often 50 years or more — without significant loss of integrity.
Performance Under Everyday Conditions
In interior settings, cement-coated EPS easily withstands normal human interaction and movement. Wall trims, mouldings, columns, and ceiling features experience little stress beyond incidental contact, which the cement coating can absorb without visible damage. The surface hardness of most architectural coatings ranges from 5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, comparable to gypsum or plaster finishes.
In fact, when compared to gypsum or plaster ornamentation, cement-coated EPS offers greater resistance to cracking and chipping. Because the EPS core is lightweight and slightly resilient, it absorbs minor impacts that would otherwise fracture a more brittle material. This elasticity also helps reduce cracking due to building vibration or thermal expansion in the surrounding structure.
Comparing Interior EPS to Other Architectural Materials
When compared with plaster, MDF, or wood-based decorative materials, cement-coated EPS offers a balance of longevity, weight, and resilience:
- Versus plaster – Plaster provides a hard, detailed surface but is brittle and prone to cracking. Cement-coated EPS achieves similar precision with better resistance to impact and vibration.
- Versus MDF or wood – EPS does not warp, swell, or rot under humidity. It is also immune to termites or biological degradation, making it suitable for interior environments with variable conditions.
- Versus traditional precast – Precast materials provide exceptional hardness but are far heavier and require substantial anchoring. EPS achieves similar architectural profiles at a fraction of the weight, reducing load on the structure.
Heavier materials come with their own problems. The material itself may not damage easily, but can put considerable pressure on the material behind it, increasing the chances of some type of damage. The light weight of architectural EPS makes it far less likely that the weight damages any part of the property.
Expected Service Life
With proper installation and normal maintenance, interior cement-coated architectural EPS can easily exceed 40 to 50 years of service life — and in many controlled environments, it will last indefinitely.
Because both EPS and cementitious coatings are inert and stable, deterioration is more likely to come from external damage than from age. When protected from impact and moisture, the material will maintain both structural and aesthetic integrity for as long as the surrounding construction remains intact.
A Long-Term Interior Material
Architectural EPS lasts. Indoors, outdoors, doesn’t matter – this lightweight material is built to last most common environmental interactions. If you would like to learn more about interior or exterior EPS products, please reach out to PW Profiles, today.
