Jeff's mix is really nice! your going to like it. you can save yourself some time and just order a pallet now.

Hi Kenny,

I'm guilty of mentioned "Perlite" lately.  Only as a joke really.  I know it can be used because it is really lightweight, but I have never tried it.  As Jeff mentioned, light weight is not necessary to make something hang on the wall. 

Perlite is just another one of those potential ingredients if one would want something light weight...much like vermiculite.  I'm pretty sure you will lose some compression strength.  I have seen all kinds of styrofoam used in mixes from ground up, beads, packing peanuts, chunks.  It all works depending on what you want the final product to be. 

John

hey kenny! i do know that perlite is designed to attach its self to masonary mixes during the hydration period of curing during masonary drying wich helps the perlight become part of the mix as opposed to just creating esstentialy just filled air space to lighten a mix like liquid foam makes larger air pockets in mixes. i imagine regular styrafoam beads will not adhear to a masonary mix as well if at all as perlight. with this said and with using perlight in my own personal mix it probably does effect psi strength but not as much as something that does not attach itself to the cement in a mix hence why they call perlight an aggregate not a filler or whatever. hope this helps.

I have used foam beads, makes a really lite mix but it does not hide well in the mix, it kind of floats to the surface and stays there. It then needs to be burned outwith a weed burner which if you want that look of tiny holes could be a good thing. This has been my experience.