Yes and no. They are essentially the same, except that foam in a can will fill every nook and cranny and bond to the structure. So there'll be no air or water intrusion. While the foam rope is only has good as your fit and cut.
Don't use regular great stuff, you need to use a low expanding foam, to prevent the window sashes from bowing.
Yep, it does sound kind of odd, though the vents aren't exactly air tight when closed.
As I said, we just leave ours open all of the time. Unless we stand directly in front of the window, we can't feel any air coming through the vent even on a cold windy day.
Ironically, most people would probably close the vents in the winter when there's a greater need to bring fresh air into the building (since windows aren't opened as often).
Anthony Watson
glass window closed versus open does not present a big difference in security
it all sounds overly complicated
what ever happened to throwing on a sweater when it gets cold and opening a window for some air
i am now wondering what code hoops you would have to jump through if you want a fireplace to burn real wood
or is that not allowed anymore
i just noticed that this "great stuff" have an expiration date on it and was unplesantly surprised that the date has come and gone
i did not check at the store but i should have i had a few cans of it and the dates were from 6 mos. to more than a year until expiration
the moral of the story is either use poly foam caulk saver rope or buy this stuff they day before and use the whole can
and wear gloves and eye protection
Electric Comet wrote in news:ml5ek7$f34$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
I've always considered the stuff to be one-time use. The little cans may cost more per ounce, but are cheaper considering the waste. The foam always sealed the nozzle shut and if you removed it would seal the can itself shut.
I'd keep more of it around if it wasn't for that problem.
Puckdropper
I use cans for multiple uses by cleaning out the nozzle and tube with brake cleaner. It's dissolves the stuff on contact.
Small vents to let fresh air in, a small fan to push stale air out, and a timer to make sure it isn't turned off. Seems rather simple to me.
We had no problems with our woodstove permit and installation.
Other than the usual distances from combustible materials and clearances for the chimney, the only requirement was a separate air intake for the stove. Basically so it pulls in outside air instead of pulling air from the conditioned space. All that took was a small metal duct and a hole in the floor to our crawl space.
Anthony Watson
As I mentioned in another post, if you clean the nozzle and application tube with acetone you can use the remainder of the can at another time.
Acetone is great for a number of things, you just have to be careful as it can melt certain materials. For example, it can soften the surface of some plastics such that the material looses its shine and smoothness after it dries.
Here's a compatibility chart for many solvents vs. various plastics.
As with any type solvent, it is prudent to read the precautionary information on the can. Acetone is used in womans nail salons. Brake fluid was mention in another post, it will damage paint in a heart beat.
I wouldn't use acetone around paint, either. That's what it's removing in those salons. :-)
I like brake cleaner because the tube goes down into the spray foam tube. I keep brake cleaner around for its many other uses. It's a superb degreaser, among other things.
now i know but there's no mention of that i could find on the can
and the problem of the expiration date
i took the can that was clogged to see what happened
i put it inside a clear trash bag and punctured the can they are under much higher pressure than a spray paint can
but the interesting thing was that it did spray out some foam but a lot that came out was just liquid so i think it really was expired
this was before i noticed that they had an expiration date on the bottom
will try this next time
do you know if you have ever gone past the expiration date
just more stuff to break
there is hope then
Assuming you are talking about Great Stuff...
I don't have a can to look at, but their website is pretty clear about the one-time use aspect - not that I'm suggesting that users should have to go to a website before using a product. I agree the label should list this ver y important fact. I've included some quotes below, but first there is this from:
"ACCESSORIES Using one of several PRO Series foam dispensing guns simplifies the applica tion of GREAT STUFF PRO(tm) Window & Door. In addition to enabling pinpoint application control, an airtight and moisture-tight seal between the gun a nd the can prevents the foam from curing and blocking the dispensing valve, allowing a can to be reused. GREAT STUFF PRO(tm) Gun Cleaner simplifies cl eanup of uncured polyurethane foam from dispensing guns."
If a consumer has a lot of gaps to fill and can't get them done in a short amount of time, perhaps buying a gun might offset the cost of throwing away cans that are only partially used.
e.g. eBay carries a "complete set" for $92 - 6 cans of Foam, a gun and a ca n of cleaner
As far as the one-time-use "warnings" these are from the Dow websites.
"Can will seal itself shut if allowed to sit unused for over two hours and may not be restarted. Expect one-time use."
"Can I store GREAT STUFF(tm) if I don't use the whole can? The GREAT STUFF(tm) foam straw will seal itself shut if left sitting for mo re than two hours after its last use. Inserting a pipe cleaner sprayed with oil lubricant into the applicator straw may prolong the life of the produc t. But it's better to plan ahead, identify and list all possible applicatio ns before using the can. The Air-Seal Audit Checklist can help."
If that info is not on the can, it should be.
OOPS! yeah sorry, I read brake cleaner as brake fluid. Totally agree with brake cleaner working also. I finally quit working on my own vehicles some years back and no longer have brake cleaner on hand nor do I often visit an automotive supply store or department.
There is a good chance that the product mixes as it exits the container. Puncturing the can probably released one of the parts that might mix, hence it did not foam. I have had cans last for years if properly cleaned after use. Not totally unlike two part epoxy.
I do not recall.
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