How to use polyurethane foam without a gun. How to use polyurethane foam - sealing with and without a gun How to foam with polyurethane foam

How to use polyurethane foam without a gun. How to use polyurethane foam - sealing with and without a gun How to foam with polyurethane foam

From the article “Mounting foam: advice from a professional,” you have already learned how to choose a quality product. The only thing left to do is to use it correctly. In this article, we will help you choose a mounting gun and reveal techniques for economical use and removal of foam residue from hands and clothing.

Despite the fact that polyurethane foam is in demand during construction and repair, we should not forget that it is far from a universal insulating material. It all depends on the size of the cracks and voids that need to be filled:

· Small cracks up to 1 cm are best eliminated using sealants or putties. They are more flexible and will not give a side effect in the form of secondary expansion.

· It is recommended to fill holes more than 10 cm wide with static materials - brick, wooden blocks or insulation (for example, polystyrene foam), and then additionally treat them with polyurethane foam.

· To insulate medium-sized cracks, it is optimal to use polyurethane foam - household or professional.


Polyurethane foam sealant (spray foam) has excellent adhesion to the vast majority of building materials, but there are cases when it is useless: the foam will not stick to various types of polyethylene, Teflon, silicone, as well as to any greasy or dusty surfaces. These nuances must be taken into account to obtain effective insulation.

Foam with a tube - threat of expansion

The main disadvantage of household foam with a straw is significant secondary expansion. When hardening, it can increase several times, so it is extremely important to comply with all conditions of use.

Instructions for using household foam can be seen on the back of the cylinder, but let’s look at it in more detail and step by step:

· Surface cleaning and preparation. Before applying the foam, you must carefully check all cracks and holes for the presence of small debris and, if necessary, degrease the surface with acetone.

· Surface moistening. Polyurethane foam requires contact with moist air to harden, so before using the can the surfaces need to be moistened - a regular spray bottle is quite suitable for this purpose.

· Preparing a foam bottle. A little trick - before using the foam, you need to hold it for several hours in water with a temperature of about 20 ° C - after this procedure it will lie down better. Before starting work, shake the container for a minute so that all components are evenly mixed - this will ensure maximum foam yield.

· Attaching a tube or gun to a cylinder. The tube is simply screwed onto the valve, but with a pistol the situation is somewhat more complicated - we will consider the issue of its selection and use below.

Working with foam. Using the correct technology, polyurethane foam is applied in small sections (about 10 cm) in the direction from bottom to top - this helps to avoid unnecessary spreading of the material. It is necessary to ensure that the gap is not filled by more than 50% - during hardening the volume will increase greatly, which can lead to damage to the structure being treated. It is extremely important not to touch uncured foam - any physical impact and disruption of the structure worsens hardening and negatively affects volume and density.

It is necessary to ensure that the cylinder is always in the “upside down” position - this will ensure the most complete consumption of foam.

Difficult moments:

Problem when using

How to solve

Foaming hole wider than 3cm

Polyurethane foam must be applied in several stages, waiting for each layer to harden. Before reapplying the foam, be sure to moisten the hardened base.

Through slots

Under no circumstances should such holes be filled with foam on both sides - this can lead to severe deformation of the structure. Foam is used on one side only, the other side is usually filled with silicone sealant.

Installation of door and window frames

To reduce the pressure on the structure, it is recommended to use dowels and additional spacers (they are removed after hardening). Otherwise, the foam, expanding, can seriously distort the frames of doors and windows.

The container of household foam must be used completely, otherwise the composition will harden during storage and will be unsuitable for use. With professional foam such problems do not arise, but there are some nuances.


Mounting gun: price or quality

A professional gun ensures accurate and dosed application of polyurethane foam, reusable use of the container and accuracy when working. There are many modifications of such a tool, but the design of the device and the principle of operation are approximately the same:

· The tip of the gun - as a rule, its diameter is several times smaller than the diameter of the tube itself. This feature allows you to repeatedly increase the pressure when foam comes out, which, in turn, guarantees a good volume.

· The barrel (tube) is the channel through which the foam comes out. It can be one-piece or collapsible (in two parts), which simplifies the maintenance of the instrument.

· Adapter - adapter for connecting to the neck of a foam bottle. In high-quality models it is coated with Teflon.

· Adjustment unit - allows you to dose the foam output and its pressure.

· Fastening nut - with its help the barrel is attached to the handle. This design allows the tube to be removed for cleaning or replacement.

· Trigger - serves to adjust the supply of polyurethane foam.

· Handle - made from various types of plastic and metals. Aluminum handles are considered the most reliable and comfortable.


The operating principle of the mounting gun is based on simple mechanics: after attaching to the cylinder, the foam passes through the supply valve into the barrel, where it remains until the trigger is pressed. Pulling the trigger opens the valve on the tip, releasing the foam. The regulating mechanism allows you to control the volume of foam supplied.

Since there is nothing superfluous in the design of the pistol, choosing such a tool is quite simple. There are just a few factors to consider:

The quality of the materials from which the gun is made. It is better if it is made entirely of hard metals. There are high-quality models made of plastic, but this is very rare.

Collapsible design: monolithic guns are cheaper, but the price of a collapsible tool will pay for itself many times over when cleaning and replacing parts.

Working pressure in the gun. This characteristic cannot be checked in a store, but there is a little trick. When buying a gun, immediately purchase a can of cleaner (it contains acetone). At home, you need to screw the gun onto a bottle of cleaning liquid, press the trigger to release it inside, then remove it and leave it for a couple of days. If after this time the acetone fires when the trigger is pressed, the pressure is normal. If not, you can return the low-quality product to the store; acetone does not leave any traces on the surface of the barrel.

Gun foam - professional use for beginners

Having chosen the right gun and related products (foam remover/cleaner and technical petroleum jelly), you can get to work.

Initial gun installation

To install the gun, you need to unscrew the mounting screw all the way, lubricate the socket with technical petroleum jelly and secure the cylinder. It is important to ensure that the adjustment unit is set to the minimum foam flow rate. Then the cylinder is turned over into the working position (upside down) and the supply of the composition is adjusted - a couple of test presses are made to release excess air and check the pressure.


The rules for applying foam remain the same: in small stripes in the direction from bottom to top. However, professional foam has virtually no secondary expansion, which makes calculating the required volume much easier. The main thing is to ensure that the cylinder is not in a horizontal position both during use and during breaks.

Replacing a foam bottle

Before installing a new cylinder or putting the gun into storage, you must thoroughly clean all surfaces from the remains of old foam. For this purpose, a cleaner (wash) is used:

· to release the pressure, pull the gun trigger;

· attach the cleaner bottle to the gun;

· turning the cylinder over, press the trigger for 10 seconds;

· repeat several times until clear liquid comes out of the tube;

· lubricate the gun parts with technical petroleum jelly.

When storing the mounting gun, it is necessary to repeat the lubrication procedure approximately every one and a half to two months.

When working with foam, it is important to take into account such points as its chemical composition and increased “adhesion” to different surfaces. Therefore, it is extremely important to use protective equipment - a work suit and gloves.

Covering our tracks

Polyurethane foam is one of the most difficult materials to remove: once it gets on fabric, leather or other surfaces, it is quite difficult to clean them. But it's worth a try.


Surface

Fresh foam

Cured foam

Skin of hands

Carefully remove with a sponge, the residues are removed with improvised means - scrub, acetone, solvent, gasoline, saturated saline solution

Can only be removed mechanically. Usually loses its properties and falls off after 2-3 days

Textile

Collect with a stick, residues are removed with a cleaner.
Important! When processing the fabric, stains may remain!

Large pieces are cut off if possible, and the remains are treated with a special solvent for hardened foam, white spirit or gasoline. Appearing stains are removed with stain removers.

PVC (frames, window sills)

Carefully remove, wipe the surface with a special cleaner for PVC

Carefully cut off, the surface is wiped with a special cleaner for PVC (usually marked - for installing windows)

Flooring (linoleum, laminate, parquet)

Remove the foam with a spatula, and collect the remaining residue with a sponge moistened with cleaner. Spots may appear! They are removed from wooden surfaces by sanding, but varnished coatings cannot be cleaned - they will have to be replaced.

After cutting off the foam, the remains are carefully dissolved with a special cleaner or the drug “Dimexide” (sold in pharmacies). It is necessary to wear gloves when working with such substances - potent components can cause burns!



As you already know, polyurethane foam is not intended for sealing holes smaller than 1 cm in size - it is better to fill such cracks with silicone sealants.

Alexander Birzhin, rmnt.ru

http://www.rmnt.ru/ - website RMNT.ru

In the modern world it is used in almost all types of repair and construction work. It is used during the installation of doors, windows and window sills, and plumbing fixtures. This building material has also found wide application as insulation - it is used to seal cracks and cracks, sandwich panels and various insulation materials are made from it.

The main advantage of polyurethane foam is its convenience and ease of use.

Types of polyurethane foam

In order to figure out how to use polyurethane foam correctly, let’s look at its varieties. Today, modern industry produces three types of this material: professional and household cylinders, as well as two-component polyurethane foam (we will not consider it in this article, since it is used only in production conditions). What is their difference? Which type should you prefer? How to use a balloon with polyurethane foam The main criterion for choosing this material is its purpose.

Foam for professional use (gun)

This material is sold in cylinders starting from 1.5 liters and is distinguished by the fact that it can only be used with the help. It is used, as a rule, by professional builders, since this design allows the work to be done easily and quickly.

Using a gun makes dosing the material much easier. For one-time work in domestic conditions, the material is not very convenient, because after use you need to wash the gun, and this is an additional financial cost. There are manufacturers that complete the cylinders with a spray tube. But applying professional foam from it is not economical, since strong pressure increases its consumption.

Foam for household use

Sold in tubes with a capacity of 0.6-0.8 liters and equipped with a straw. It is intended for one-time use. Convenient for filling small spaces and correcting various installation defects. Household polyurethane foam has the same properties as professional use. The kit must include a tube. If necessary, you can use both a cylinder and a gun.

The cost of professional foam is much higher than household foam, and this is mainly due to the difference in their volume.

Pistol design

Before we learn how to use a spray foam can, first let's look at the design of the gun. Regardless of manufacturer? its structure is the same and quite simple:

  • If household foam is supplied through a PVC tube, then in a gun it is supplied through a metal tube with a special tip - a nozzle. The tip hole is 5 times smaller than the cross-section of the supply tube, thereby increasing the working pressure of the mixture.
  • The cylinder is connected through an adapter, which is attached to the gun body.
  • The purpose of the adjusting screw is to dose the mixture output.
  • The handle of this tool can be made of aluminum or plastic. It is attached to the barrel with a nut. Thanks to the dismountable design, the gun is easy to clean from frozen residues.
  • The trigger is used to supply the mixture from the cylinder.

How to install a cylinder on a pistol

In order to learn how to properly use a foam gun, let’s first consider how to insert it:

  • The first thing to do is to warm the foam canister in hot water to room temperature and shake thoroughly for 20-25 seconds to bring the polyurethane foam substance to a homogeneous state. The foam will come out with a uniform consistency and in full volume.

  • The container is closed on top with a protective cap, which must be removed before installation. Then place the gun with the handle down. When connecting, hold the device firmly by the handle with one hand, and screw the cylinder onto the adapter with a rotational movement with the other. Evidence of connection will be hissing, which indicates the arrival of foam. If there is no sound, this indicates a malfunction of the inlet ball valve or the expiration date of the foam itself. To fix this problem, the gun will have to be disassembled and cleaned of dried old material.
  • After shaking, the device is placed in the working position with the handle down. The adjusting screw is turned a quarter turn and the trigger is pulled, pointing the barrel into the bag. When the consistency of the foam is normal, start working.

Polyurethane foam: how to use a spray can with a gun?

Working with polyurethane foam does not require any special skills. It will be enough to try to foam something once or twice, and everything will work out. Let's consider the order of work and some nuances:

Polyurethane foam is a material sensitive to ultraviolet rays, which, under their influence, is destroyed, changes color and crumbles. If used outdoors, then after complete drying and removal of excess, you need to cover it with cement mortar.

How to use polyurethane foam with a tube?

If a gun is not provided for the cylinder (in household foam), then instead the kit includes a PVC tube that is screwed onto the adapter. The operating principle is identical to professional foaming. It is not always convenient to work with such a cylinder, but it is great for one-time use. This option will be ideal in a situation where you plan to seal small seams.

So, what are the disadvantages of polyurethane foam? We have already figured out how to use it. Now let's look at the disadvantages of this material:

  • It is impossible to dose the contents of the container, which increases the consumption of polyurethane foam.
  • Inconvenience of working with this tool. Holding the balloon upside down by hand is quite tiring and even uncomfortable. The hand often gets tired and constant breaks are needed.

Using polyurethane foam without a gun or tube

Sometimes professional polyurethane foam can be used without a gun. How to use the balloon? In this situation, you will have to choose a tube to release the foam yourself and figure out how to press the valve. This process can be represented figuratively as follows: you need to release the air so that all of it can get to the desired point without getting caught in your hands.

In this case, choose a tube of 3 parts: the first and third are flexible, and the second is hard. The middle part presses the valve, the first prevents the foam from spraying, and the third brings it to the treatment site.

Conclusion

So, we examined polyurethane foam. We also studied how to use such material. But do not forget about protecting your hands and face, since the foam is quite difficult to wash off. It is much cheaper to buy an extra pair of gloves than to buy solvent or walk around with dirty hands.

When there is a need to fill cracks, holes, seams, and various voids, polyurethane foam is first used during repair or construction work. This material is widely used as insulation. Polyurethane foam can be used in conjunction with almost any material: stone, iron, wood, plastic. We will consider instructions on how to use construction foam and its properties in the article below..

Properties of polyurethane foam

The main properties of the substance, which ensure its widespread use, are a high degree of filling and excellent adhesion. The expansion coefficient varies from 10 to 60%. Hardening occurs due to the interaction of the material with moisture and air. Gas is also added to the cylinder, which creates pressure to displace the substance. The main components are methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), polyol, blowing agent, and catalyst.

Varieties

The material can be divided into one-component and two-component, as well as household and professional. The quality is not much different from this, but the way the foam comes out of the container is different. When using professional cylinders, a mounting gun is required: a device that controls the flow of the substance. While household ones are equipped with PVC guide tubes, which are sprayers. In addition, the material has differences in application temperature:

Disadvantages include sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, under the influence of which it is destroyed and a long hardening time. The setting time of a substance is characterized by the duration of polymerization and depends on the volume. The hardening period ranges from 8 to 12 hours.

Proper Use

A container with household polyurethane foam is intended for one-time use, so it is worth thinking about its effective use, since unused material will be lost. Polyurethane foam is usually produced in cylinders, tubes, on the surface of which information is applied about the conditions of use and preparation for operation.

The capacity is 600-800 milliliters. The non-professional cylinder comes with a disposable tube with special PVC notches. Thanks to the notches, the length of the tube can be shortened, and in case of hard-to-reach places, an extension adapter in the form of a flexible hose is put on it.

Before starting work, shake the cylinder vigorously and remove the cap, which serves as a kind of fuse. Then all that remains is to screw the plastic tube that comes with it and has an internal thread onto the threaded part of the cylinder.

It is important to note: the straw can be used several times. It has a collapsible design and can easily be cleaned with a cleaning rod or a piece of thick wire from foam frozen in it.

To improve the degree of expansion of the solution and its hardening, the required amount of moisture contained in the air may be insufficient, so additional wetting is used.

How to use polyurethane foam without a gun? Let's consider the recommendations:

The process itself goes as follows. The edge of the tube is placed approximately five centimeters from the place that needs to be filled. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that about half of the required volume is filled due to the expansion of the substance. The material is squeezed out using wavy movements. As the substance increases in size, excess is formed, which is cut off with a sharp knife after hardening.

Precautions for use

Construction foam is a difficult material to use. Since it contains toxic substances, the work area must be well ventilated. This is a flammable material and should not be exposed to flame. When applying it, it is necessary to regulate the force of pressure; it is necessary to press evenly so that the contents come out in an equal amount.

Once the substance gets on the surface, it is very difficult to remove and can subsequently damage the coating. If it gets into unwanted areas, you must wait until it hardens, and only then attempt to remove it. Residues can be removed with acetone, and on solvent-sensitive coatings, treated with special detergents.

It is extremely important to protect the organs of vision. To do this, wear clear glasses. Gloves are used to protect hands, as the foam has excellent adhesion to the skin.

Disadvantages and advantages of household construction foam

The following can be noted:

  • increased material consumption due to the impossibility of accurately dosing its output;
  • difficulties during work: the cylinder has to be held upside down, by the girth, which puts stress on the arms and leads to fatigue;
  • the cost is usually cheaper compared to professional;
  • satisfactory work result.

Thus, if there is no mounting gun available, then there is nothing left but to use mounting foam with a tube. The video process of the work can be viewed on numerous sites on the Internet dedicated to construction.

The problem is how to competently use polyurethane foam without a gun over time can become relevant for everyone. This question arises very acutely when the time comes to renovate a dilapidated building or build a new one. During this period, very often there is an urgent need to remove gaps and cracks if there is a need or doors. Polyurethane foam is the best remedy that copes with this problem.

Polyurethane foam says no to cracks!

Among the various types of sealant, polyurethane foam is the most popular. This material will help very well in walls, cracks and joints that are more than three centimeters wide.

The packaging in which the foam is sold is an aerosol spray can made of metal. Despite the light weight, the concentration of contents inside is very high. From the container of one package you can get more than 40 liters of foam to seal various cracks. With the help of video instructions, you can gain skills in competently working with this sealing agent.

Before you start using polyurethane foam without a gun, you need to take into account that this substance becomes hard under the influence of a humid environment, and also noticeably increases in volume after using the balloon. It has a porous structure and has excellent thermal insulation properties. Due to the fact that foam has a possible long service life, its indispensability in repair and construction work is explained. With its help, you can seal cracks, fasten structures, secure joints, heat and sound insulate these places.

This solution has several categories - semi-professional using a plastic tube and professional (pistol type, you can read in detail), winter, summer and all-season. This cylinder device was invented with the goal of easily displacing foam from the cylinder with a special gas. As a result, a liquid polymer is formed, it hardens and polyurethane foam is formed.

So, polyurethane foam is a universal product that has heat and sound insulation properties, connects, fastens and glues different parts, is convenient for installation work, and has practical packaging. When it expands, you can qualitatively seal joints and seams; after hardening, you do not need to pay attention to it in the future.

Previously, an alternative to this material was cement mortar, but its production is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. Due to its simplicity, convenience and combination in working with metal, wood, concrete and stone, you can give preference to a foam solution.

What you should pay attention to when purchasing polyurethane foam:

  1. First of all, attention should be paid to ensure that the product does not turn out to be a fake. The main criterion here is the country of origin.
  2. When purchasing a product in a store, you need to pay attention to the production date and indicated shelf life.
  3. You need to check the weight of the cylinder before you buy, as well as the cleanliness of its valve, in order to avoid purchasing a used product.
  4. The purchase of polyurethane foam depends on the time of year.
  5. It must be taken into account that the volume of substance released from the cylinder has the same dimensions and does not differ in consistency.
  6. The main criterion for a good product is that after it has been applied to a vertical surface, it should not slide off walls and window surfaces.
  7. The sealant is applied to the surface by uniformly squeezing out the substance and at a constant speed.
  8. Foam is sold in aerosol cans made of metal. They are lightweight, easy to use and have a high concentration of content - more than 40 liters of foam are obtained from one package when used.
  9. This design was not invented by foam manufacturers by chance - with its help, the material comes out when there is a special gas inside. As a result, the polymer successfully hardens at the gaps and joints and a fairly rigid base is formed.

Working with polyurethane foam is a process that does not require much effort. It is simple and convenient. But in order not to deteriorate the quality of work, you need to know certain subtleties.

  • Firstly, installation work is carried out in the absence of low temperatures. According to expert advice, the hardening process occurs more efficiently at temperatures from plus 5 to plus 30 degrees. Such work is carried out from mid-spring to mid-autumn. The exception is winter types of foam.
  • Secondly, you only need to carry out the work while wearing gloves. They allow you to avoid contamination of your hands and, as a result, a long process of cleaning from the foam solution. Workers often miss this rule, which is quite dangerous. Therefore, questions often arise.
  • Third, don't try to work with foam everywhere. If you need to fill a gap with a width of 1 to 8 cm, then using polyurethane foam is acceptable and approved. In the case where the gap size is larger, it is better to use alternative materials, such as plastic, brick or foam. If less than a centimeter, you can use putty. It should be remembered that after finishing work with the sealant, the excess amount of foam is cut off with a knife (do not remove the excess with your hands).
  • Fourthly, before applying the foam, it is advisable to water the space to be sealed. Hardening and polymerization of the foam occurs much faster and more efficiently when the ambient humidity ranges from 60 to 80 percent.
  • Fifthly, shake the container well before starting work. This should not last a couple of seconds, but about a minute. This is enough for the solution inside the container to turn into a homogeneous mass.

We take the can in our hands. Before removing the protective cap, first shake the contents of the container. After screwing the supplied tube onto the adapter, turn the cylinder upside down. This is the position in which the cylinder is used during installation work. This subtlety is very important because the gas displacing the foam is very light and the entire mixture is mixed more efficiently when the cylinder is positioned upside down.

Now we apply the foam, taking into account the fact that it increases in volume. Therefore, it is necessary to apply foam into the hollow space no more than a third. After some time, the volume increases another 2-3 times and after that you can cut off all the excess with a knife. When applying foam not horizontally, but vertically, the solution should be directed from bottom to top. This ensures ease of application and the appearance of a base for fixing the sealant that has not yet hardened.

After applying the foam, it is sprayed with water to improve and more efficiently harden the process. When we see a shortage of foam at the joints, we need to wait a little time, about half an hour, for the bottom layer to harden, and then we can add it to the same places. But don’t try too hard; the excess won’t be needed anymore.

In one pass, the foam layer when applied has an acceptable size of three to four centimeters. In the case where the gap is larger, the foam is applied sequentially, layers are applied one after another.

After 8 hours have passed since the foam was applied, it will completely dry. You should not try to start arranging furniture, wallpapering, or installing shelves immediately after applying the foam. Excess foam in sealed joints is removed and covered with leveling agents (the best options are plaster, paint or cement).

You can also use polyurethane sealing tape as protection. This helps to increase the service life and prevents exposure to ultraviolet rays. You can use a spray gun for whitewashing, and then proceed to other stages of finishing work.

Quality check – saving time and money

The foam solution must be elastic and adhere well to the surface being treated. High-quality foam, after it has settled and hardened, will not disintegrate into small crumbs. To avoid unnecessary problems before the material has completely hardened, you must not touch it or start processing it, in order to avoid changes in the structure of the material itself and not to interfere with the polymerization process.

You can only get good quality work done if the material meets the relevant standards. Then you won’t have to redo the work of sealing the joints. It should be taken into account that there are cans on sale in different price categories and which have different foam output capacities. In this case, it is more profitable to purchase an aerosol can at a more expensive price so that it is enough for all the cracks than to buy several cheaper ones.

Polyurethane foam – excellent repair quality

When purchasing foam material, you need to remember that the use of the cylinder is designed for one-time use only. Based on this, there is no need to use the balloon twice. If you know how to use polyurethane foam without a gun, then it is not difficult to calculate the volume required to complete this job. Otherwise, it is better to get advice from those who work in this field, or consult with a salesperson in a store.

Repeated use of a container with foam occurs only when an operation with sealant is carried out after a short time. In this case, upon completion of the first stage of work, treat the tube (gun) and valve with a liquid specially designed for this purpose to remove foam. But, as a rule, this method is not used by workers on construction sites.

  1. To remove excess, you need to prepare a water sprayer and a knife to cut off the excess in advance.
  2. If the foam ends up in unnecessary places, you can remove it with a soft acetone sponge.
  3. Economical consumption of polyurethane foam will help avoid additional costs for cylinders.
  4. The surface must be treated after applying foam after 4 hours. After 7-8 hours it will become more difficult to cut, and the hardening process will be completely completed.
  5. The work should be done using a respirator; it will protect the human body from unnecessary chemicals. It also won’t hurt if the worker has glasses, gloves and overalls. So it's not an easy matter.
  6. You should not wait until the foam becomes dark in color, as this indicates that a reaction to ultraviolet radiation has begun (initially it has a light yellow tint).
  7. It is forbidden to use polyurethane foam near an open fire and store the cylinder in open sunlight (this is a common rule, but often it is not followed and there is a risk of running into the consequences of a fire and the arrival of firefighters). The sealant contains various components that can be flammable. This can lead to very sad consequences. Foam has classes: fire-resistant, self-extinguishing or flammable (this must be found out in advance).
  8. Problems also arise if the foam is applied to a dirty surface. To solve this problem, the surface to be treated is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
  9. If the temperature outside the window is below plus 5 degrees, then the product’s viscosity may not be suitable for use due to non-compliance with standards. Also, the normal structure of the foam can be disrupted by an increase in ambient temperature to 30-35 degrees Celsius (an exception is all-season foam, which is suitable for use at temperatures from minus 10 to plus 40 degrees).
  10. If you take the risk of using summer foam in winter, you run the risk of getting foam that crumbles and has glassy bubbles. It begins to creep down, which means money wasted. For information, the all-season solution has a temperature range of up to minus 10 degrees for the contents of the cylinder and minus 5 for the temperature of the container

Provided that you have taken into account all the tips on how to use polyurethane foam without a gun that were mentioned here, you can confidently begin construction work that involves the use of polyurethane foam. Using foam material, you can carry out work on insulating distribution networks that have seals with different widths of seams and cracks, and it is also easy to fill excess voids in the walls. So you can safely begin high-quality repairs!

Video: HOW TO USE FOAM

In everyday life, the need for special tools does not always arise. If you suddenly need to repair a seal or insulation in a small area, and you don’t have a foam gun at hand, you can try to do without it. This will avoid unnecessary expenses. However, you should first find out how polyurethane foam will behave without a gun and how to use it correctly.

There are two classes of polyurethane foam:

  • domestic;
  • professional.

In terms of technical characteristics, both types of materials are similar, however, differences still exist. First of all, the volume of the cylinders should be noted. Thus, household foam is usually offered in small quantities (up to 800 ml). The kit includes a small piece of tube with a small cross-section. The pressure level in the container is relatively low. This allows you to reduce material consumption in cases where you plan to use a container of polyurethane foam without a gun.

Professional material can be purchased in volumes starting from 1.5 liters; in addition, it is used for large-scale tasks: sealing the seams of window and door openings, sealing large cracks. The foam is contained under high pressure, so it is very difficult to apply it correctly without a gun. There is one more nuance. Thus, the outlet of a professional cylinder is equipped with a fastening element: a threaded cap (bayonet). The gun is installed at this point.


Subtleties of application

First you need to determine what type of material to use: household, professional foam. If you plan to process a large area, you need to take into account the volume of the cylinder. Household-grade products from some manufacturers are sometimes of worse quality than their professional-type counterparts. For this reason, for more serious problems, it is better to choose the latter option. Possible methods of applying foam without a gun:

  • Professional grade material is used, for which a tube is used. You should be prepared for the fact that under high pressure foam will come out in excess.
  • Use household material, attaching a tube to the valve, which is equipped with a cylinder.
  • Professional foam is used by attaching two tubes of different sections: first a larger one, then a tube of a smaller diameter is inserted into it and fixed well. This will reduce material consumption.

Preparing for work

The site that will be processed must be put in order. Having figured out how to work with polyurethane foam without a gun, perform simple manipulations:

  1. Remove any contaminants: dust, dirt. If the gap is quite large, it is pre-filled with foam, which will provide improved thermal insulation qualities in this area and will reduce foam consumption. Using a material such as foam, it is recommended to seal cracks no more than 8 cm in width.
  2. The area is moistened with water, for which it is better to use a spray bottle, then the surface will be moistened evenly.
  3. Monitor environmental conditions. It is better to carry out work at air temperatures from +5 to +20 degrees. The maximum upper limit is +30 degrees. But in cold conditions, a different type of polyurethane foam is used - frost-resistant.

The procedure must be carried out wearing protective equipment. Gloves and goggles are usually sufficient.

Tip: If the material contains toluene, you should also wear a respirator.

Instructions for applying foam without a gun

The principle of performing the work is similar to that when using a special tool. If polyurethane foam is used without a gun, how to properly use the tube included in the kit? Step-by-step instruction:


It takes an average of 8 hours for the foam to completely harden. Do not worry if, after this period of time, swelling appears on the treated area. They can be cut with a stationery or regular sharp knife.

Tip: After drying and removing excess foam, be sure to cover it with putty or other material, since otherwise the composition will gradually deteriorate under the influence of sunlight.

Disadvantages of the foam application process without a gun

When deciding which method to choose, you need to take into account both positive and negative aspects in each case. Of course, using a specialized tool greatly simplifies the task. But the process of sealing using a tube without a gun has its disadvantages:

  • Large consumption of material. It is necessary to control the intensity and duration of valve pressure. Still, significant pressure contributes to the appearance of excess foam. As a result, the area requires 2-3 times more material, while professional foam is consumed less intensively. This factor determines financial costs – they increase.
  • If you plan to use professional foam, you need to remember that it will not always be possible to install a tube. Simply, the container will not produce foam.
  • Time consumption. It will take more time to keep the flexible tube, and with it the cylinder valve, in the correct position. In addition, you need to remember the need to constantly monitor the volume of foam that appears at the outlet. If using a gun makes it possible to complete sealing in 10-15 seconds, independent processing without a specialized tool will take about 15 minutes.

There is one more nuance. Thus, disposable polyurethane foam must be purchased in the required volume, which will avoid unnecessary expenses, otherwise the remainder of the material will simply be thrown away. For this reason, it is sometimes easier to buy a small-volume balloon and fill the gaps with foam using the tube included in the kit.