October 29, 20214 yr 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!
October 29, 20214 yr Straight from the can or do you use a gun? Much better control and placement with a gun.
October 29, 20214 yr Author 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!
October 29, 20214 yr 11 minutes ago, Carrerahill said: idea of cleaning a gun out just is not for me clean the gun? just leave the can attached and you never need to clean it. ?
October 29, 20214 yr 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!
October 29, 20214 yr 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.
November 1, 20214 yr Never has a job gone from fine to utter (expletive deleted)ing disaster as quickly as using expanding foam for the first time!!!
November 1, 20214 yr 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 November 1, 20214 yr by ToughButterCup
November 1, 20214 yr 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.
November 1, 20214 yr Author 1 hour ago, SteamyTea said: You can wash it away easily with this. Dichloromethane?
November 4, 20214 yr 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.
November 4, 20214 yr Apologies for not referencing my comment above. Here's chapter and verse so you can make your own mind up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichloromethane#Toxicity Edited November 4, 20214 yr by ToughButterCup
November 4, 20214 yr 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.
November 4, 20214 yr 4 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: ... I think the word 'may' is the important one. ... Exactly. That's why it was important for the link to the source for my comment to be published.
November 4, 20214 yr Judging by a random Safety Data Sheet probably not much different to the foam itself...
November 4, 20214 yr Trouble is foam - correctly applied - is so damnably useful. I have come to loathe and love it in equal measure.
November 4, 20214 yr 2 hours ago, ToughButterCup said: Trouble is foam - correctly applied - is so damnably useful. I have come to loathe and love it in equal measure. All you need is expanding foam and ct1 . No need to buy anything else ! ?
November 4, 20214 yr 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.
November 4, 20214 yr DCM is a banned substance in Sweden. Used to get it in paint stripper IIRC. Paint stripper has never been the same since.
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