damned you great gross stuff (foam)

thatswhoiam · Tue Jun 03, 2014 12:23 am

the big hype about spray foam insulation is just that- hype. truth is, it's not as great as I thought it was. I put the great stuff in the exterior walls (boards) in a few places (thank god it was too expensive to put it everywhere) ....about 5 out of the 10 areas where I applied it had soggy wet spots under the foam and what a nasty mess it was to chop , slice and tear it out of there. from now on I will stick to fiberglass and rigid foam.

JeffInFL · Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:18 am

Was the foam making the wet spots, or water from outside? I used spray foam in my kitchen, to seal the 1/2" gap between the new drywall and the floor (mainly to keep the creepy crawly bugs out).

ponch37300 · Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:20 am

Spray foam is great for certain things, it's not a one insulation for all type of thing. I'm not exactly sure where you used. One thing about it is it can trap moisture. So if used in the wrong place it can cause damage. But when used for things like sealing around windows and doors and other stuff like that it's great.

Greg · Tue Jun 03, 2014 7:34 pm

Foam is great for odd size areas and hard to get at spaces. Remember too that putting great stuff up against professionally sprayed foam is one of those apples/oranges deals.

Greg

thatswhoiam · Wed Jun 04, 2014 9:30 am

about six months ago i used it where the bottom of the outside wall meets the floor, where I had pulled the carpet out and had to aggressively yank it out. it created what i thought was a gap so i squirted some spray foam there.

Steve S. · Wed Jun 04, 2014 11:32 am

The problem with that expandable foam stuff is that it requires a lot of planning and learning how to apply it carefully, otherwise it is a big mess/waste. Essentially the product can only be dispensed one time...or it seals itself(straw) and can't be used again. You have to plan for a large application area or multiple spots to use it, and there is a knack to dispensing slowly and uniformly to avoid the stuff over-expanding and making a mess. I don't like the fact that the stuff continues to exit the straw even after your finger is off the trigger...have a rag handy! Otherwise, I have used it with some success...it seems to do better in larger gaps. Between the wall and floor I would use something less aggressive like epoxy wood filler or caulking. All the gaps between my wall and floor are hidden behind 3/4" cove moulding.

ponch37300 · Wed Jun 04, 2014 10:33 pm

thatswhoiam wrote:about six months ago i used it where the bottom of the outside wall meets the floor, where I had pulled the carpet out and had to aggressively yank it out. it created what i thought was a gap so i squirted some spray foam there.

Doesn't sound like the foam is the problem. Did you apply it from the inside or outside? The foam is an insulator and not a water proffer. Taking a guess I would say you have a water or moisture issue and the foam just prevents this from drying out and causing the rot. Could be wrong but the foam usually doesn't cause rot unless there is already a water or moisture issue.

thatswhoiam · Thu Jun 05, 2014 4:45 pm

i sprayed it from the inside of the house. more than likely it had already got wet where i applied it. i guess what i should have said was dont spray this mess where you can't see it. thing is, i have put this stuff in window crevices around the same time....just hoping it isn't rotten there too......but more than likely it is.

About the waste on this foam stuff:
after you are finished using what you need, hold the can to where the straw is pointing straight up and give it a couple short sprays....really quick. what this does is shoots air through the straw and clears out any of the remaining foam in the straw. leave the straw and everything connected to the can, make sure its on there securely. and if you use it again within a relatively short time, (i've gone up to a week) it should work. make sure you store it in a cool dry place.

i've used one can more than twice, even without shooting air through the straw. i just leave the whole thing connected, with the sprayer and straw on snug , not loose. next time i want to use it, i just remove connection and either pull the old dry foam out of the straw or stick a open paper clip in the straw and pull out the foam.

the worst thing you can do is try to re use the can when the foam is semi dry/wet....like anywhere from 10 minutes to a several hours after initially using it.....at that time its almost impossible to get past that sludge or remove it. you have to let it dry 100 percent before clearing the mess out.

ponch37300 · Fri Jun 06, 2014 9:03 am

I guess my point was great stuff can't be used as a water proffer and it sounds like you had a water issue that needed to be fixed before spraying the foam. The foam is an insulation and like most insulations it's doesn't do the best when wet. Foam tends to trap moisture and water and can cause issues like you ran into if water is let get to it. Just like if you use fiberglass insulation and water gets to it then it will mold and cause other issues.

Did you find what was causing the water issue and fix that? Your windows will be fine where you used the foam UNLESS there is a water issue there also. Spray foam is great stuff(pun intended) but like most insulations it still needs to be protected from the elements and shouldn't be used in wet locations. There shouldn't be water in between the bottom plate and floor or between the windows and the rough opening. The foam in these areas is a good idea to insulate and keep air drafts out but not to keep water out. I use spray foam around windows all the time and have never had an issue with it.