Foaming Around Windows and Doors
Our polyurethane gun foam sealants are excellent for sealing out drafts around windows and doors.
Polyurethanes are flexible, don’t age harden, don’t shrink, are weather resistant and paintable. Polyurethanes have high thermal resistant factors, are structurally strong and stop the passage of air.Polyurethane gun foam is a professional and inexpensive way to improve the energy efficiency of the structure you are foaming.
There are some foaming tips to assure precise placement of the foam around windows and doors. Please review the following steps:
- Never use straw dispensed foam around windows and doors, these products are hard to control and the polyurethane can post expand after being applied.
- Only use gun dispensed foam, these guns have a set screw in the back of the gun to control the bead size that is dispensed.
- Before foaming practice laying down beads, in most applications a 1⁄2 inch bead of foam will be enough to seal the gap and stop the drafts.
- Can prep: before foaming, warm the can to room temperature, shake the can well.
- Surface prep: make sure the gap is clean of debris, if needed, sprits a little moisture around the
window to assure proper curing. - Worker prep: Please wear goggles and gloves when foaming; never foam near an open flame and never smoke when foaming. The area should be well ventilated.
- Foaming: place the foam as close to the exterior wall as possible, use only enough foam to bridge
the gap to fill the void. Do not overfill the void, a 1⁄2 inch bead will stop the draft and match the R factor of most energy efficient windows. Polyurethane is not an insulation material where more is
better, foam is intended to bridge the gap and be an air barrier. - Carefully foam each window, let the foam cure and then review each window to assure all voids are sealed. Re-foam if necessary.
- Structural foaming: if desired, foam the 2 bottom corners of the windows with another 1⁄2 bead to
support the corners of the window, do not overfill these elbow corners. - Post foaming: wipe the tip of the dispensing gun, place mounted system carefully in our green plastic carrying case for proper storage.
- ALWAYS LEAVE A CAN ON THE GUN, NEVER TAKE A CAN OFF THE GUN without having a new can to replace the expended one. We do not recommend the use of gun cleaner.
Using polyurethane foams is more and more an accepted practice around windows and doors. The benefits are enormous. The key is to have the installer properly understand the gun system and the role of polyurethane foam sealant around windows and doors.