i used the usual low expansion foam from a can and was reminded my love hate relationship of that stuff
my first mistake was to not use up the entire can at one time and i tried using it the next day but no go
tried with a new nozzle from another can too
the job is done now but i wonder if there are alternatives to this foam the product was a dow product
i would not mind something that expanded really slow or even a two part solution from cans or tubes
I don't fill it, no point, covered up by the casing.
Before there was spray foam, folks used to simply insert minimally compressed insulation material into the gaps. Not as absolute a seal as foam but, if done properly, it can minimize heat flow pretty effectively.
A touch of acetone will clean the product out of the application tube and the tip coming out of the can before it cures. Very similar as cleanup of polyurethane glue.
No point? Unless you are caulking both your interior and exterior casing so completely as to create a dead air space, you have no insulation. You actually have a bunch of holes in your house.
Am I missing something?
They do sell long ropes of differing sizes of foam. I like these. One can purchase at a less expensive cost. They store. You use a larger that "crack size" and stuff it in. If the space is bigger you can double it up. It tears with a quick rip. I get tired of these miracle foams and sealants that seem to always end up on your pants, window, or tools. Yes, the low expansion product is better. I believe they have a water clean up foam also. The cans only hold so much.
John
i used the usual low expansion foam from a can and was reminded my love hate relationship of that stuff
my first mistake was to not use up the entire can at one time and i tried using it the next day but no go
tried with a new nozzle from another can too
the job is done now but i wonder if there are alternatives to this foam the product was a dow product
i would not mind something that expanded really slow or even a two part solution from cans or tubes
Poly Foam Caulk Rope
john
i used the usual low expansion foam from a can and was reminded my love hate relationship of that stuff
my first mistake was to not use up the entire can at one time and i tried using it the next day but no go
tried with a new nozzle from another can too
the job is done now but i wonder if there are alternatives to this foam the product was a dow product
i would not mind something that expanded really slow or even a two part solution from cans or tubes
Are you referring to Backer Rod?
You stuff it > Poly Foam Caulk Rope
Are you referring to Backer Rod, also sometimes referred to as Poly Foam Caulk Saver?
You stuff it in the crack to keep regular caulk from going too far into the crack. The goal is to create a dead air space which acts as the insulation.
One of the most important functions of backer rod is to allow caulk to expand and contract without pulling away from one of the two side its bridging. Caulk has to act like an accordion between the two surfaces to which it's attached. If it's connected on 3 sides or put on too thick, it will pull away from one surface when it contracts. If it's only attached to two surfaces and isn't too deep, it will be able to shrink and expand like an accordion. The foam backer allows this.
Are you referring to Backer Rod?
You stuff it > Poly Foam Caulk Rope
Are you referring to Backer Rod, also sometimes referred to as Poly Foam Caulk Saver?
You stuff it in the crack to keep regular caulk from going too far into the crack. The goal is to create a dead air space which acts as the insulation.
You used the phrase "Poly Foam Caulk Rope" and then "Foam Rope". Could you please provide a link to the product that you are referring to?
If I DAGS Poly Foam Caulk Rope, the vast majority of the hits are for Bac ker Rod, which is not typically used as the "insulation" itself. There are some hits for caulk rope, which is indeed used as caulk all by itself (sinc e it has a putty consistency) but it is not considered poly foam or even fo am. However, it is also not considered "insulation".
I'm curious as to exactly what you are referring to as "Poly Foam Caulk Rop e".
On 6/7/2015 2:38 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote: Snip
You might be trying to read too much into what he is saying. Either way a Google search shows this for Poly Foam Caulk Rope, a product made by Frost King.
will try this next time combined with some cheap sealant
didn't know they had a water clean up foam only saw this one brand in different varieties
low expansion high for large gap, etc.
You used the phrase "Poly Foam Caulk Rope" and then "Foam Rope". Could you please provide a link to the product that you are referring to?
If I DAGS Poly Foam Caulk Rope, the vast majority of the hits are for Backer Rod, which is not typically used as the "insulation" itself. There are some hits for caulk rope, which is indeed used as caulk all by itself (since it has a putty consistency) but it is not considered poly foam or even foam. However, it is also not considered "insulation".
I'm curious as to exactly what you are referring to as "Poly Foam Caulk Rope".
Personally, I think we go overboard in sealing up houses. It gives me the willies to see a new house hermetically sealed with plastic "wrap". I would not want to live in a house where closing the door makes your ears pop. What about the gasses generated by the occupants, cooking, cleaners and the outgassing of paint, etc? A little air exchange with the outside seems to me to be a good thing.
Here in Washington state we have fresh air ventilation requirements in the building code. For homes with a central heat source, this is usually accomplished with an air-to-air heat exchanger. But we have individual room heaters so that approach wasn't an option.
Basically, we had to seal up the house tightly, caulking all gaps, etc.
Then to counteract that sealed effect we had to install a ventilation fan to exhaust air out of the house and all of the windows had to have air vents at the top to let fresh air in. The fan is on a timer so it runs about 12 hours a day to pull fresh air through the house.
It seems counter productive, but our house always smells fresh, never stuffy like our old houses. Despite the vents at every window, our heating bills are lower than our previous house that was half the size.
Anthony Watson
if you have a window why not just open it i do not understand a window with a vent
Just kidding.
I'm guessing that the fan/window vent system is automatic. When the exhaust fan turns on, the suction causes the vent to open, allowing fresh air to enter.
Imagine something similar in the exhaust vent for a dryer or bathroom fan installed backwards. Closed when the fan is off, open inwards when the fan is on.
Perhaps HerHusband can confirm.
One, the vent works without having to manually do anything.
Two, the window can be closed and locked for security and still have ventilation.
Three, the vent is small, probably less than 1"x16" at the top of the window. Cracking the window even a tiny bit would be a much bigger opening.
Actually the system is very simple, much easier than I pictured when we were building the house and faced with the Washington energy code. We had to pay a bit more to have the vents added to the windows, but it was a minor cost difference.
The top rail of the windows is an inch or so taller, with a little screened vent running across the window. If you look at the very last picture on my house web page, you can see the vented windows on the right side of the house. Compare those to two non-vented windows on the front of the house, either side of the arched window. Visually, it's not a big difference.
Inside the house each vented window has a little slider that can open and close, but we always leave the vents open for the fresh air, even on the coldest winter days. The vents are hidden behind the blinds, so we can't see them anyway (see the two side windows in the picture with the green couches). Otherwise, there are no flaps or other moving parts to the window vents.
As for the ventilation fan, it's just a standard fan like you would install in a bathroom. The only requirement was that it be installed on a timer so it would continue to run even if someone turned it off. Any of the bathroom ventilation fans would comply, but I designated the fan in the laundry room as the whole house fan.
Even though the fan is in the laundry room behind a closed door, our Panasonic vent fans are practically silent when running. So noise has not been an issue.
Finally, there has to be a 1" gap at the bottom of the doors so air can flow from room to room. Not an issue since they're usually cut to clear carpets and whatnot anyway.
They do make special wall vents that can be used instead of the window vents. But, I didn't want a bunch of holes in the walls or vents lining the outside of the house. The window vents just look better.
I had my doubts when we were installing everything, but I have been surprised how well it works to keep the air fresh in the house.
Anthony Watson
re: "Inside the house each vented window has a little slider that can open and close"
I've seen these types of vents, but I'm surprised that they were "allowed" based your codes.
They force you to have a fan, they force you have a timer on that fan, and (I think) they force you have a 1" gap on the bottom of the doors, yet they allow you to install vents that can be closed? Doesn't that seem a little odd?
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