How To Use Great Stuff Window & Door Spray Foam, by Borsellino Home Services on YouTube. 3 min 52 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 52 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Check that each gap is about 1 inch wide or less. This foam is low-expansion and made for small joints. For wider gaps, push backer rod in first.
Clean out dust, loose wood and old foam, then mist the gap lightly with water. The foam cures faster when moisture is present.
Put on nitrile gloves, safety glasses and old clothes. Cured foam is very hard to get off skin or fabric.
Shake the can hard for about 30 seconds, screw on the straw nozzle and keep the can upright as you work.
Push the straw into the gap and lay a bead that fills roughly half the depth. The foam swells as it cures.
Work along the frame in short passes instead of one long bead. Stop if the foam starts to push the frame outward.
Let the foam skin over, then trim the excess flush with a utility knife after about an hour.
Cover the foam with trim, drywall or paint. Sunlight breaks it down, so never leave it exposed on an outside wall.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not use the red Gaps and Cracks can around frames, it expands much more and can bow the window.
Keep the can upright and the straw clear, and give it a quick shake if the flow slows.
Fill deep gaps in layers of about 2 inches instead of one thick shot.
Wipe foam off your hands with a solvent cleaner, water will not shift it.
Questions
How long before I can cut the foam?
It skins over in a few minutes and is firm enough to trim in about an hour. Let it cure fully, around 8 hours, before painting over it.
Will the foam bend my window frame?
Not if you use the Window and Door version and avoid overfilling. It expands far less than general purpose foam.
Can I use it around wiring or a fireplace?
No. Electrical penetrations and fire-rated areas need a fireblock foam, and a chimney or stove needs a heat-resistant sealant.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
