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Expanding foam rant...


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I just needed to vent to some like minded individuals, it is not a big issue. I had a bit of a draught from under a skirting, I am going to paint the wall the skirting is on anyway and working from home means maximum procrastination. So I think to myself, remove the still unpainted skirting, drill 2 holes between each stud and blow in some foam, wall is a TF with 100mm PIR and a 50mm gap, the draught is coming up through where the TF meets the floor makeup, not bad, but enough I could feel a cold draught during the high winds.

 

So, I pull the skirting, and drill 18 odd holes or whatever, missing a hole where I know the 2.5mm T&E cables are clipped to a stud - I'll live with a little draught there to ensure my cables are not covered in foam.

 

I pull some sleeve off clear piece of SY cable to make myself a piece of tube about 300mm long that I attach to the foam can tube to extend it a bit. From expanding foam experience I figure that in this situation there is no harm is just blasting a shot into each hole and it will fill up the void at the bottom of the wall, and will fill up all the cracks and my insulation properties will increase.

 

I even masked along the year old Amtico so if any snotters drop I am not onto the floor.

 

So, I empty a can into the wall. Great. I wait a bit and using a torch peek through the gap between the floor and the wall, I can see the foil on the PIR, has all the blinking foam not gone UP the way!!!

 

So I now have a nice insulation band about 60mm and up along my wall! Looks like I will be going to Screwfix later!

 

Typical, blinking typical, that stuff goes everywhere, when you want it to pretty much just fill a void, it goes up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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9 minutes ago, Conor said:

Straight from the can or do you use a gun? Much better control and placement with a gun.

Can, I hate the stuff and try not to use it so the idea of cleaning a gun out just is not for me, in fairness my long-reacha-extanda-tube (patented) gave me all the control I needed, it just decided to be naughty and go up. I had a look 15 minutes ago, with expansion it's looking a little better!

 

 

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1 hour ago, Thorfun said:

clean the gun? just leave the can attached and you never need to clean it. ?

+1.  Mines never been cleaned.  Can changes can be a bit messy, but let any excess go off then scrape it off.  Same with the nozzle; a quick scrape with a Stanley knife blade before use and all's good!

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Expanding foam should only be available from specialist suppliers and with a certificate from an Engineer or Architect. Too easy for a builder to squeeze it in wherever something isn't working out....might hold the building together for a while, and meanwhile expand at random and create other problems. So many issues with it over the years.

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Here's a similar rant from me about  foam : this time it got into my knickers : my trousers still bear the scars

@Carrerahill, @Andehh , you are in good company.

 

Word of warning, though (prompted by the image immediately above). A mate of mine (a submariner - he was on leave) got quite a bit of foam (not my fault luckily). in his impressive beard.

 

A+E pronto: can't remember the severity. He was in agony. Not funny.

Edited by ToughButterCup
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3 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

He was in agony

But a few minutes with the correct solvent, which is not acetone, would have solved it on site.

I have told people what to buy for years, but no, seems everyone wants to carry on using acetone.

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Some might want to read advice given above with caution....

 

Here's advice on a package of Dichloromethane.

'...

Hazard Class:  6.1

Packing Group:  3

Hazard Phrases:  Causes skin irritation. Causes serious eye irritation ... suspected of causing cancer ... Obtain special instructions before use

...'

 

In other words don't use it. I would hate BH to be associated with dangerous advice. 

 

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From the Wikipedia page..

 

 

It may be carcinogenic, as it has been linked to cancer of the lungs, liver, and pancreas in laboratory animals.[28] Other animal studies showed breast cancer and salivary gland cancer. Research is not yet clear as to what levels may be carcinogenic.[1][23] DCM crosses the placenta but fetal toxicity in women who are exposed to it during pregnancy has not been proven.[29] In animal experiments, it was fetotoxic at doses that were maternally toxic but no teratogenic effects were seen.

 

I think the word 'may' is the important one.

Probably get the same warning for acetone.

 

 

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7 minutes ago, pocster said:

All you need is expanding foam and ct1 . No need to buy anything else ! ?

Don't even need the CT1.

 

We made some tooling for emergency housing that were sprayed PU.

Just a dome, on a turntable, and a man with a PU spraying machine.

Great idea.  Small to ship, easy to setup, very easy to manufacture.

Never took off.

 

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