If a person types the query “spray foam without a gun how to use” into a search engine, then most likely he has never held a can of foam in his hands. Accordingly, this person did not have the opportunity to read the instructions printed on the cylinder. Well, let's fill this gap in the knowledge of beginners and conduct detailed instructions on the topic “How to use polyurethane foam without a gun."

No super actions are required - everything is extremely clear, simple and understandable.

Briefing

- the area must be clean from dust, dirt and various types of contaminants.

Anything that might fall off is removed. Dust must be cleaned up. It is the main enemy for foam-surface adhesion.

— immediately before applying the foam, the area must be moistened with water. We advise you not to neglect this point and the adhesion will be simply excellent.

— if we are talking about installing windows or doors, then they need to be secured so that the foam does not deform the structure. Spacers must be installed in advance, but not after foaming - polyurethane foam is afraid of vibration until it hardens.

Polyurethane foam has unique properties. Use it without a gun or with it - in any case, you will get excellent results if the manufacturer does not let you down with quality. But sometimes it also happens that the user himself made several or even one mistake, so he will complain not about his crooked hands, but about the brand of foam. Read everything written below and try to remember - these rules, tips and recommendations will be useful to you:

Instead of a conclusion

Polyurethane foam without or with a gun - the main thing is that the rules of use are fully observed. Then the result will be wonderful. As a last resort, if you don’t know how to use it and don’t remember our recommendations and advice, carefully read the instructions on the cylinder - everything is also written there in an accessible manner.

Everyone knows that in modern world Polyurethane foam is used in almost all types of repair and construction work where its properties are required. This building material is used to install doors, windows, window sills; sandwich panels and all kinds of insulation for pipelines are made from polyurethane foam; it is widely used for insulating large containers, such as water heating tanks, and similar products. The main advantage of this building material is its ease of use, which we will talk about on the pages of the site. In addition, we will also answer questions about how to use polyurethane foam, what types of foam are there and how to choose it correctly?

How to use polyurethane foam photo

How to use polyurethane foam: what to choose, professional or household material

Today, modern industry produces three main types of polyurethane foam - professional and household cylinders. There is also the so-called two-component polyurethane foam, which we will not consider in this article for one simple reason - it is used exclusively for production purposes. What is the difference between professional and household polyurethane foam? Which one should you prefer?

The answer to this question lies in the plane of your activity. If, due to the specifics of your work, you are faced with its use every day, then you undoubtedly need to opt for the professional version of polyurethane sealant. Professional polyurethane foam has one significant advantage - thanks to the foam used for its use, the yield of foam from one cylinder is much greater. Thanks to the same tool, a can of professional polyurethane foam can be used for a long time, and it will not dry out. Unlike professional foam, household polyurethane foam is intended exclusively for one-time use - the remains of this material will certainly dry out in the container after just a day.

In addition, when identifying the differences between household and professional foam, you should also pay attention to the characteristics of this building material - the density of the foam in professional cylinders is much higher, and their filling is also greater. The only thing in which household polyurethane foam is superior to professional foam is cost, as well as the absence of the need to use a foam gun for work, which, by the way, is also not cheap.

Gun for mounting foam photo

Now about the quality. As a rule, construction foam sold today can be of different quality, which is quite difficult to assess by the type of cylinder. In principle, you can focus on price, or you can resort to the experience and observation of professionals. The fact is that all the qualities of polyurethane foam can be determined, as they say, offhand: by the weight of the container and how its contents behave when slightly shaken.

A high-quality foam container is heavier, and when shaken, its contents roll heavily from one end of the container to the other. You need to feel it - just take and compare two cylinders of the same volume, but different in price. Believe me, the difference will be noticeable immediately.

Construction foam: how to work with it

It is customary to write instructions point by point - this is how we will answer the question of how to use polyurethane foam correctly.

• It doesn’t matter what kind of foam bottle you purchased (professional or household), the first thing you need to do is heat it up in hot water and shake well. This is necessary in order to mix the gas and liquid component of the foam, thus increasing the yield of foam from one cylinder.
• Next, we screw the tube that comes with it onto the household cylinder, and install the professional one on the gun.

How to use polyurethane foam correctly photo

• Now about the surface on which it is planned to apply polyurethane foam. Firstly, it must be cleaned of dust and dirt. Secondly, moisten thoroughly with water. The fact is that the polymerization process of polyurethane sealant is much better at high humidity. In addition, polyurethane foam adheres better to a surface moistened with water, which is by no means unimportant when blowing out large cracks - the foam does not fall out of them, as happens when working with dry surfaces.
• At this step, we’ll talk directly about the process of applying polyurethane foam. There is nothing complicated here - the only thing you have to do is get used to measuring the amount of foam coming out of the container. In this regard, it is much easier to work with a professional foam cylinder and gun - the dosage of foam output is carried out by a special valve. IN household cylinders this process has to be regulated by pressing force on the cylinder valve. And one more nuance - during the foaming process, the cylinder must be kept with the valve down.

Polyurethane foam: instructions for use

• After this, wait until the foam hardens. How long does it take for polyurethane foam to dry? As a rule, complete polymerization of this building material occurs within 6–8 hours. So, at least, the manufacturer claims, but in practice the situation is a little different - the hardening time of the foam depends on its volume and can reach up to 12 hours.
• When the foam hardens, its excess is cut off with a sharp knife or metal file.
• Polyurethane foam is sensitive to ultraviolet rays material - it is destroyed under their influence, changes color and crumbles. If we're talking about about using polyurethane sealant outdoors, then after drying and removing excess, the foam must be covered with cement mortar.

How to remove polyurethane foam photo

As you can see, the question of how to use polyurethane foam has a fairly simple answer. If you do everything correctly and fully comply with the technology for applying polyurethane sealant, then with its help you can easily fill spaces of any size, including in the ceiling.

If there is a need to fill a hole, seam or gap, polyurethane foam is most often used. This material is used for rough finishing, installation door frames, double-glazed windows, repair of balconies, construction of various buildings (for sealing).

There are several types of polyurethane foam - for different conditions and tasks.

The product is sold in cylinders of different sizes (from 300 ml to 1 l).

Approximate composition (may vary partially, depending on the manufacturer and type):

1. Prepolymers (polyol, isocyanate) are the basis of the foam. Upon contact with air, this component enters into a polymerization process, expanding and foaming.
2. Propellant (propellant gas, a mixture of butane and propane). Displaces the composition from the cylinder when pressed.
3. Additives. Additional components that improve adhesion, regulate the degree of foaming, are necessary to change the operating temperature.

Specifications

Technical characteristics of polyurethane foam:

• Extension. Indicates the volume that the mixture occupies at 2 stages: leaving the container and solidifying. The greater the expansion, the denser the gap (seam, hole) will be foamed. Average figures are 10-60% for household compositions, and 180-300% for professional compositions.
• Adhesion. Indicates the tenacity of the composition with the surface inside the foamed space. The higher the viscosity, the less the foam will slide off. Relevant if you need to foam holes on vertical surface(on the wall) or on the ceiling (from where the foam can drain before it hardens). In numbers, the normal parameter is considered to be 0.4-0.48 MPa.
• Volume in container and volume out. Common parameters: 300 ml (will give about 30 liters of hardened foam), 500 ml (will give about 40 liters of foam), 750 ml (will give up to 50 liters of foam) and 1000 ml (80-100 liters). The volume of frozen foam is given approximately under normal conditions (room temperature).
• Temperature at which foam can be applied.

These characteristics are indicated on the cylinder.

Purpose and scope

Polyurethane foam is used in construction at the following stages:

• Rough finish.
• Installation of door frames, balcony and window frames.
• Communication gaskets (for sealing between water pipes, sewer pipes, ventilation ducts, gas pipelines and walls so that there is no vibration).

Its purpose is to seal holes, cavities, seams and joints between structural elements if their width exceeds 2-3 cm. Previously, cement and tow were used for such tasks, but this method is longer and more complex.

Pros and cons of using foam as a sealing material

The advantages of the application include the following nuances:

1. Easy to use (working with polyurethane foam does not require special experience or knowledge).
2. High speed of application and hardening (a 300-500 ml container can be completely released in 5-10 minutes, it will harden in 3-12 hours, depending on air humidity and temperature).
3. Can be used with any type of material, including metal, plastic and polymer surfaces.
4. Strong adhesion to surfaces (after hardening, it will be difficult to remove the foam, but if necessary, it can be cut off or washed with a solvent).
5. Resistance to moisture (the layer of hardened foam does not rot or mold).
6. Availability of compounds with different characteristics(for different temperatures, with different degrees of protection from open fire).

The main disadvantage is its sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. Under the sun's rays, the foam dries out over time, but it is usually used at the rough finishing stage, and is not left in sight - either sealed with plaster or covered with panels (plastic, for example).

Types of polyurethane foam

All compositions can be divided into:

• Number of components.
• Method of application.
• Temperature.
• Degrees of flammability.

By number of components

There are compositions:

• One-component. Sold in pressure cylinders, they do not require additional components: the composition can be used immediately by spraying it from the container.
• Two-component. Sold in 2 separate containers. The contents of the containers must be mixed in certain proportions, and the resulting mixture must be applied using special devices.

IN construction stores Most products are one-component formulations. Two-component ones are usually used only for industrial purposes, for large volumes of work and, if necessary, to obtain the maximum high performance composition.

By method of application

There are compositions:

1. Professional. The foam is sprayed from a container, which is inserted into a construction gun. More convenient option than spraying with a tube, it allows you to quickly work with a large volume (for example, foaming cracks between slabs).
2. Semi-professional (household). A plastic tube is placed on the container through which the mixture will pass. Suitable for small volumes (for example, to foam a gap when insulating a balcony).

Plastic tube nozzles are sold complete with small volumes. They can be used several times (if the work is carried out in several stages, if several cylinders are used), for which it is necessary to blow out the tube after use (so that the foam does not freeze inside).

Foam guns are sold separately. The minimum cost is about 300 rubles, the average is 500-800. The device is reusable; at the end of work it must be washed with a special cleaner (containing an acetone solution). Even if the foam hardens inside the nozzle, it can be washed off with a cleaner or cleaned mechanically.

According to the temperature at which the foam can be used

By temperature conditions The following types of compositions are distinguished:

• Summer: intended for use at +5º…+35º.
• Winter: intended for use at −18º…+35º.
• Universal: used at −10º…+35º.

The temperature of the surfaces on which the foam is applied is indicated, not the air temperature in the room. Therefore, when working in cold weather (for example, if a balcony is being glazed in winter, or the seams are foaming in a building under construction without heating or without windows), it is necessary to heat not the room, but the surface.

Also, the surface temperature affects the volume of polyurethane foam: the colder, the less ready solution will be the output.

According to the degree of flammability

This is relevant if work is carried out in a room with the possibility of fire (for example, in a bathhouse).

Product classes:

• B1: Fireproof.
• B2: self-extinguishing.
• B3: flammable.

Popular manufacturers

On Russian market There are products from the following manufacturers:

1. Macroflex (Makroflex, Finland).
2. Bison International (Netherlands).
3. Soudal (Belgium).
4. Tytan, Hauser (Poland).
5. Bau Master, Domos (Estonia).
6. Master Gvozd, CHIP, Putech (RF).
7. Ceresit (Germany).

Rules for using polyurethane foam

Foam is used observing the following rules:

• The width of the crack or hole should be in the range of 2-10 cm. Narrow cracks (up to 2 cm) are best sealed with putty or sealant. It is better to seal wider cracks with brick, wood or foam, and foam the remaining leaks.
• When working in cold weather, the foam container will need to be heated: lower it into a container with warm water(up to 30-40º approximately).
• You can cut off the excess only after 25-30 minutes after applying the foam, when it has completely hardened. This can be done with a construction knife.
• The cylinder must be held upside down so that the gas pushes out the foam. If you hold the container upside down, the gas will come out of the container, but the foam will remain.
• After removing the cap and attaching it to the gun (or tube), the can must be shaken.
• A container with “household” foam is used completely in one go - an open container cannot be stored for a long time, it will harden.
• The gap cannot be foamed more than 50%, because when it expands, its volume increases.

Complex nuances

To avoid having to cut off a large amount of foam and redo the structure again, keep in mind:

1. If the hole is 3-4 cm wide or more, the foam is applied in several steps: first 1 layer, after it hardens - the next ones in succession.
2. It is better not to fill through holes with foam. On the one hand, it is recommended to cover them tightly with something (for example, a board), and remove the “lid” only 30 minutes after foaming, when the composition has hardened.
3. When installing door and window frames, they must be secured with dowels and spacers. If this is not done, the expanding compound may warp the box and it will have to be reinstalled.

Stages of work

The foam is used step by step like this:

• The surface is cleaned of small debris, if any.
• The surface is degreased (acetone).
• The surface is moistened (sprayed with water using a brush or spray). Foam hardens faster and better if the surface (or air) is wet.
• If the room is cold, place the balloon in warm water.
• The cylinder is opened, inserted into the gun (or a tube is put on it) and shaken.
• The end of the tube is inserted into the slot, and the foam is supplied in portions, 5-10 cm along the length of the slot, moving from bottom to top.
• After complete hardening (after 25-30 minutes), the protruding pieces are cut off with a construction knife.

Safety precautions when working with polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam - chemical composition, located in a container under pressure. Therefore, you need to work with it, observing safety rules:

1. Do not drop or heat the cylinder.
2. Do not use the cylinder near hot surfaces or open flames.
3. The work is carried out with gloves (if the foam gets on the skin, it will be difficult to clean it off).
4. You need to keep a sponge and a rag at hand to clean off the composition if it gets into an “unwanted” place.

Removing foam from contact with “unnecessary” surfaces

Polyurethane foam sets quickly on the surface, so if it gets somewhere other than the desired gap, it will be difficult to clean it off.

Methods for cleaning different surfaces:

• Leather. If the composition has not hardened, it is removed with a sponge, and the remains are washed with acetone or a solvent. If it is frozen, it is cut off and scrubbed off with a scrub.
• Textile. The uncured composition is collected with any hard object (a piece of a board will do). The frozen pieces are cut off, and small residues are washed off with a solvent. In both cases, a stubborn stain may remain on the fabric.
• Plastic window sills, frames, slopes. Fresh composition is removed with a sponge, the remains are washed off with a cleaner for plastic surfaces. The dried layer is cut off, the remains are washed off.
• Linoleum, laminate. Fresh foam is removed with a hard object (spatula, piece of board), the remains are collected with a sponge soaked in cleaner.

To prevent similar situations In addition to the skin, the surrounding surfaces must also be protected. It is advisable to cover them plastic film, rags or newspapers.

Almost every person has used polyurethane foam at least once - modern means for sealing, repairing, installing windows and doors, sealing cracks and joints. Using polyurethane foam is quite simple. There is a special gun for this, but sometimes it is not big renovation You can do without it in the house. But even simple work must be done correctly to achieve high quality.

Peculiarities

A huge assortment of polyurethane foam in specialized retail outlets makes you think when choosing required material. Each of us wants to choose a high-quality and inexpensive composition. Currently specialized outlets They offer customers two varieties of this material: household and professional. Let's look at the features of each.

Household

The main distinctive features of household polyurethane foam are the volume of the cylinder. Manufacturers produce this material in small cylinders (about 800 ml). The cylinder comes with a small tube with a small cross-section. The pressure level in household polyurethane foam cylinders is low, this is necessary in order to significantly reduce material consumption when performing repair work. To perform them using household polyurethane foam, you can use a special gun. The cylinder valve is designed to fix the tube and mounting gun.

Professional

To install doors, windows, plumbing fixtures use professional variety polyurethane foam. Manufacturers produce this material in cylinders with a capacity of more than 1.5 liters. The sealant is in a cylinder under high pressure. It is recommended to carry out work using professional sealant using a special gun. To make the use of the material most convenient, the cylinder is additionally equipped with fasteners for strong fixation inside the gun. A large number of The sealant in the cylinder is designed for large-scale work.

Sealants of these varieties have similar technical characteristics. When choosing the required material, you need to consider for what purposes the foam will be needed. In addition, the amount of work is also important.

Distinctive feature compositions is the possibility of re-application.

Operating rules

To perform quality repairs or installation work using sealant, you need to know several rules for applying the material.

• The use of a special mounting gun guarantees a better result of the work performed.
• It is necessary to use a professional version of the sealant that has useful property: Quite low secondary expansion.
• It is recommended to carry out installation and repair work in the warm season: this will speed up the hardening process of the foam and preserve all its technical qualities.
• When performing work, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment.

• It is recommended to use sealant to seal minor cracks about 8 cm wide. If the width of the cracks exceeds this figure, it is advisable to use other materials (brick, wood, plastic).
• To seal cracks and crevices less than 1 cm wide, it is more economical and practical to use putty.
• During operation, the container with polyurethane foam must be kept upside down.
• Fill the gap with sealant to one third of the depth.
• After the sealant has hardened, you need to remove excess foam using a special knife.

• After completing all the work, it is necessary to cover the frozen layer of foam with special means to protect it from exposure to sunlight.
• To perform work on the ceiling, you need to use a special mounting foam: such a container with sealant can be used in any position.
• To foam deep crevices or cracks, you need to use special extension adapters.
• During operation, the foam container must be shaken and the nozzle of the mounting gun must be cleaned of excess sealant.

How to apply?

Before you start working with this sealant, you need to learn all the intricacies of its use. Otherwise, the quality of work will suffer, the consumption of sealant will increase significantly, which will lead to additional financial costs. First you need to choose the right mounting foam. The choice of material depends on the volume of work.

If you plan large-scale installation of doors, windows or plumbing, or a large volume of repair work, it is better to opt for professional polyurethane foam. The cost of materials of this kind is much higher, but the result of the work performed will pleasantly please you.

Minor repairs indoors (for example, sealing cracks) involves purchasing household sealant.

Applying sealant to the surface without a mounting gun can be done in several ways.

• For minor repairs, you can do without a gun. A special small tube is installed on the cylinder valve. Next, the renovation work begins.
• Professional foam can be applied using a tube, but this method will result in high consumption material and unnecessary financial costs.
• If it is not possible to use mounting gun when working with professional sealant, you can use two tubes different diameters. To do this, attach a tube to a cylinder with professional foam. large diameter, then a second (smaller) one is connected to this tube and carefully fixed. This method will significantly reduce material consumption and reduce financial costs.

Once you have decided on the method of applying the foam, you need to prepare the surface. In some cases, the sealant surface can become a false wall. The quality of seam sealing depends on how thoroughly the surface is prepared. The surface is thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt. Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to the cracks that need to be foamed. Sometimes the surface needs to be degreased.

Large cracks are pre-filled with polystyrene foam. or others suitable material. Only after this can they be filled with foam. This will significantly reduce foam consumption and increase the quality of thermal insulation. Before starting work, the surface must be moistened. A simple spray bottle is perfect for these purposes.

Now you can start sealing. For correct execution For work, the foam should be at room temperature. Before starting the process, shake the container thoroughly. Only after this a tube or gun is attached to the cylinder. Now you can apply the composition.

If you decide to use foam without a special gun, you need to consider the disadvantages of this process.

• Due to high pressure in the cylinder, the consumption of foam increases significantly (sometimes two or three times).
• The valve design of some cylinders does not provide for the use of a tube.

Carrying out sealing work with a gun saves a lot of time. Foaming the surface with polyurethane foam using a gun is not at all difficult.

It is enough to learn how to dose the foam output. In this way you can glue any objects, not forgetting about preparing the surface. Then we begin to apply the sealant. It is important to remember that you need to fill the vertical gap with sealant from the bottom, smoothly moving upward.

After finishing work, you must thoroughly clean the gun from foam using a special washing liquid. It needs to be poured into the tool. If during work a small amount of sealant gets on your hands, it must be removed with a solvent. Excess foam from contaminated areas must be removed during operation with a sponge soaked in solvent. If the sealant has hardened, you will have to remove it mechanically.

You cannot work with expired foam. The spray can must be handled carefully. You can't bring it near the fire. If the expiration date of the polyurethane foam has expired, the material loses its properties.

When choosing polyurethane foam, you need to remember that the container can only be used once. Therefore, before purchasing, you must carefully calculate the required volume. If you have any doubts about this, it is better to consult a specialist.

Take note of some useful tips.

• Before starting work, you should prepare a spray bottle to spray water on the surface before applying foam; you will need a knife to cut off excess material.
• While doing the work, you will need a sponge or soft cloth soaked in acetone or solvent.
• The correct dosage of sealant will significantly reduce material consumption.

• It is more convenient to remove excess sealant from the surface after four hours after application; after complete hardening, this process will become much more difficult.
• Be sure to use personal protective equipment (respirator, goggles, gloves).
• It is necessary to ventilate the room during work.
• After completing all work, it is necessary to process the frozen foam special means for protection from sun rays. This must be done before the foam darkens.
• It is strictly forbidden to use the cylinder near an open fire.

Polyurethane foam is an excellent sealant and insulation material. It is used both for the installation of such large-scale structures as doors and windows, and for repairing minor defects. This material is used to patch various cracks and crevices, restore tightness at joints, and even make other Construction Materials. Foamed polyurethane is quite easy to use, but you need to follow certain rules for working with it and be quite careful so that the seam is smooth and lasts a long time.

Peculiarities

Cured polyurethane foam is an elastic hard material yellowish-white color. This very light substance has excellent heat and sound insulation properties. It very quickly loses its properties under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, so it is used mainly indoors.

This type of foam has a number of advantages that make it stand out from other materials:

• increased moisture resistance, high levels of sound and heat insulation;
• low current conductivity, which allows it to be used when installing electrical networks;
• many types of foam are resistant to fire, which allows expanding the scope of its application;
• after leaving the cylinder, such foam expands in volume and fills even those microcracks into which it is impossible to insert the gun tube;
• polyurethane can be used to glue surfaces made of different materials, for example, wood or brick;
• The foam is absolutely non-toxic and resistant to chemical attack.

Almost all of the above properties must be indicated by the manufacturer in the appropriate certificates, which can be requested from the seller.

The packaging itself must contain the following information:

• foam expansion volume. It can range from 10 to 300%, but most often the actual foam is still slightly less, since this percentage is indicated for ideal conditions;
• its viscosity;
• the volume of the container itself.

Most often, all these characteristics depend on the type and purpose of the foam, so you need to know which polyurethane it is and what it should be used for.

Release form

All types of polyurethane insulation differ according to several criteria.

Depending on the method of application and form of release, they can be of two types.

• Professional foam is produced in special cylinders that are inserted into plastic gun with metal clamps. This gun allows you to use polyurethane economically and in equal portions. The main thing is to thoroughly rinse the device after use so that any remaining substances in it do not harden.
• Instead of a gun, household foam packages are equipped with a small tube that is placed on the lever. It is not suitable for large repairs, but it will cope perfectly with minor defects.

Depending on what time of year and at what temperature the polyurethane will expand and harden, the following types of polyurethane foam are distinguished:

• summer – used at temperatures from +5 to +35 degrees;
• winter – used at temperatures from -18 to +35 degrees;
• universal - costs much more, but can be used all year round.

It is worth noting that temperature ranges are indicated not for air, but for the surface on which the composition will be applied. The lower its temperature, the less expansion of the finished layer will be.

In addition, foam can vary in type depending on the flammability class:

• B3 – flammable substance;
• B2 – self-extinguishing substance;
• B1 – fire-resistant compounds.

Finally, polyurethane foams vary in composition. They can be one- or two-component. However, the latter type of foam is so difficult to handle that it is practically not used for private construction and when renovating premises with your own hands. Two-component foam hardens in a quarter of an hour and there is practically no time left to eliminate defects, so only experienced professional builders use it.

Scope of application

Most often, polyurethane foam is used in the process of installing windows and doors, laying electrical wiring and pipelines. Due to the high thermal insulation in this way, it is possible to foam seams and grooves in cooling and heating systems, cracks in the roof and when insulating the surface of walls, floors or ceilings. She attaches perfectly Wall panels and foam boards, providing excellent waterproofing. It is applied externally steel baths or cast iron baths to reduce heat transfer from the metal when filling the bath hot water. Using polyurethane, you can insulate the space behind the sheathing of PVC panels. In almost half of the repair processes it remains an indispensable material.

In order to avoid any problems with both small and major renovation own home or apartment, you need to be able to use both professional and household foam. To work correctly with the first one, you must correctly install and use a special construction gun.

Gun installation includes the following steps:

• to begin with, the foam balloon is heated in warm water to room temperature, then shake vigorously for 30 seconds. This will give the polyurethane a homogeneous state, which will allow it to come out of the cylinder smoothly and in full;
• The protective cap is removed from the upper tank of the gun, it is turned with the handle down and the cylinder is screwed into it. The container is screwed in with force until a hissing sound appears, which means that the mixture has begun to flow into the tool;
• if the gun has been previously used and has not been thoroughly washed, then the hissing will not be heard and you will have to purchase a new tool;
• The system of connected elements is shaken vigorously several more times, the adjustment screw is turned a quarter turn and, holding the trigger, they begin to apply.

Working with such equipment does not require specific skills, but it will require considerable dexterity if this is the first time.

Applying foam from a gun is performed as follows:

• first you need to clean it work surface from dust and dirt, then lightly wet it with a regular spray, since the foam interacts better with a wet surface;
• the tool nozzle is directed to the surface;
• foam is fed into the right amount smoothly pressing the trigger;
• to pour the composition into a vertical recess, it must be applied from bottom to top;
• wide spaces are filled with zigzag movements of no more than a third of the volume, since the foam expands greatly in air;
• It is better to replenish the area afterwards than to cut off excess hardened substance.

The gun barrel itself is quite long, but in order to glue the materials into hard to reach places, for example, to fill the voids between a false wall, it is worth additionally purchasing an extension hose that fits over it.

Despite the fact that the packaging most often indicates a hardening time of up to 8 hours, in fact this process can take up to half a day. After complete hardening, the excess is cut off with a regular stationery knife or metal file.

Unlike a convenient construction gun, household polyurethane foam is equipped with only a small PVC tube, which is put on an adapter. In principle, the sequence of work itself is practically the same, however, more effort will have to be made to fill the gap of the same volume. Such a tube is convenient for small volumes of work, because with it it is impossible to release the solution in equal portions. In addition, you have to constantly hold the balloon upside down, which causes your hand to constantly go numb, making it difficult to maintain smooth movements. If a similar tube and adapter were not sold complete with polyurethane insulation, then you will have to buy them separately.

You will learn more about how to use polyurethane foam in the video.

Most often, polyurethane foam is purchased in the required volume for one time and after use, even if it is unfinished, is thrown away. And also it is not bought in advance, as it has a limited shelf life. It is worth considering the nuances described below in more detail in order to be able to save money.

Can it be used multiple times?

There is a widespread belief among buyers that professional foam with a gun can be reused, but household variety with a flexible tube, alas, it is disposable and cannot be reapplied to the surface. Indeed, most often, if you leave the cylinder on the gun and block the trigger with a dispenser, the gun will not allow air to enter the cylinder and the composition will not harden. The next time you use it, it will be enough to remove the remaining frozen foam from the nozzle and you can start working again. However, exactly the same can be achieved from household product. To do this, you need to start releasing the foam from the balloon, but without letting it come out, bend and tie the soft tube with wire. The foam at its end will harden, but the bend will not allow air to penetrate further and spoil the entire volume of the substance. The next time you use it, the cured edge of the PVC tube is simply cut off and the foam is ready for use. The container can be stored in this form for no more than a few weeks.