Any experience with expanding foam sealants?

[MDS]

As part of finishing up my laundry room, I want to seal everything up tight and was wondering about the foam sealants (like Great Stuff, Dap) for sealing around the dryer vent and gas pipe.

I bought some Dap and it is latex based, unlike Great Stuff. The only thing that concerns me is the caution to turn off all possible sources of ignition, like the water heater pilot. The gas valves are all closed already.

Anyone ever used that stuff? I'm a little skeered about blowing the house up.

 

[Gizmologist]

Stuff works quite well

I have used a lot of it, especially on older homes with large unsealed areas around outlet boxes, etc. Remember it will expand to about 2.5 times the original volume. Do NOT get it on you or anything of value as it will not come off. After it fully cures (a few hours) any excess can easily be trimmed off with a skill knife. Try to use the entire can at one time so map out all the application areas.

 

[j_garcia]

The main thing is don't get any on your SKIN. It will be there for days. I am using it to seal up all of our pipes in the laundry room as well, as we have had a rodent problem in there. Depending on which you choose (large gap, etc...) it will expand more or less. I like Great Stuff, works great. Just be sure you know everywhere it is going to go and use it then, because you sort of can't use it twice. Once you are done using it, the nozzle & tube won't really work again. I have cleaned one out one time, but it isn't fun and isn't worth the hassle.

 

[TLS Guy]

As part of finishing up my laundry room, I want to seal everything up tight and was wondering about the foam sealants (like Great Stuff, Dap) for sealing around the dryer vent and gas pipe.

I bought some Dap and it is latex based, unlike Great Stuff. The only thing that concerns me is the caution to turn off all possible sources of ignition, like the water heater pilot. The gas valves are all closed already.

Anyone ever used that stuff? I'm a little skeered about blowing the house up.

They work fine. However if the gap is typical then silicone sealants are fine and easily worked into the gap.

The expanding ones work great up under siding to keep out wild life.

 

[3db]

The main thing is don't get any on your SKIN. It will be there for days. I am using it to seal up all of our pipes in the laundry room as well, as we have had a rodent problem in there. Depending on which you choose (large gap, etc...) it will expand more or less. I like Great Stuff, works great. Just be sure you know everywhere it is going to go and use it then, because you sort of can't use it twice. Once you are done using it, the nozzle & tube won't really work again. I have cleaned one out one time, but it isn't fun and isn't worth the hassle.

Yup..I can vouch for that. Got it on my skin and it took me a week to get it off. Everytime I peeled it off, it take a layer of skin with me. Its fairly adhesive. Rubbing alcohol is useless as well as dish soap. I should have tried some gasoline....but I didn't have any an no place to store it afterwards.

 

[Alex2507]

Acetone is the solvent for Great Stuff. They have a 'Door & Window' one that won't expand so much as to make the jambs prevent normal operation. I wouldn't use any of that around a door or window. It's hard enough keeping them opening and closing without the half gainer thrown in. Silicone caulk is bad news too as it can't be painted ... ever.

I hope that there was enough procrastination going on to prevent permanent damage.

 

[interconnect]

Ive used them quite a bit and although they are flammable, they're not that flammable. I don't think you really need to turn off the pilot and gas and all that, but it doesn't hurt. The only think to note is that they expand like crazy and you don't need much to fill in a small gap. Overdoing it will cause it expand way beyond what you need and it will stain anything it touches, including drywall. Good luck!

 

[Midwesthonky]

Yup..I can vouch for that. Got it on my skin and it took me a week to get it off. Everytime I peeled it off, it take a layer of skin with me. Its fairly adhesive. Rubbing alcohol is useless as well as dish soap. I should have tried some gasoline....but I didn't have any an no place to store it afterwards.

It's also very effective at removing wanted/unwanted hair! I wouldn't recommend it for a bikini wax but it was great at creating several bald spots on my arm and hand where I pulled the dry blobs off. Like bandaids, just pull fast.

You may want to mask off anything that you definitely want to protect. It doesn't fly around or anything, but it can produce gooey strings that seem to fling easily and get onto stuff you didn't want it to like your bare leg, arm, floor, etc. Since it's a room in the house, I would also recommend a bag to put the can in right away or a box when done as the remaining stuff in the nozzle tube will continue to expand out of the tube. Best to plan ahead as I learned it the hard way but it was in an unfinished basement so no negative impact.

I have used the stuff to "fix" a tire on a wheelbarrow that stubbornly refused to hold air for longer than a few days. Got really mad at trying to get the bead back on the rim. So I filled it with expanding foam.