How much foam dries?

The drying process of the assembly foam depends on many influencing factors: the quality of the material, its composition, the ambient temperature and its humidity. All this must be taken into account before you begin to seal the seams or openings.

Polyurethane foam refers to the sealing means, without which it is almost impossible to do in the construction process. It is used in cases when there is a need to seal joints or joints with a depth and width of more than 3 cm. Before using this material, builders wonder how long it takes for the foam to dry completely, but it turns out this question is incorrectly. First of all it should be said that the main secret of the complete transformation of the material into strong polyurethane foam lies in the degree of wetting. But we will pay attention to this fact.

First you need to decide why builders prefer the installation foam:

• its application is very simple;
• pricing policy is available;
• long service life.

In addition, this material has qualities that isolate sound and make it possible not to lose heat from the room.

Most often foam is used in the process of mounting balcony blocks, windows or doors of various types. When applied, the composition begins to expand and at the same time fills all voids, thereby gluing the desired surface. It should be noted that the hardening time also depends on how thick the layer was applied. If it is not more than 5 cm, then within 3 hours after leaving the cylinder, the foam will reach the required density.

Foam is so popular also for the reason that in a frozen form it is not exposed to the effects of temperature, moisture and even electricity, moreover, fungus does not appear on it. It should be noted that the foam may undergo changes from the influence of ultraviolet radiation, but this defect can be eliminated if you use decorative plaster.

With the help of polyurethane foam they carry out different types of work,this does not necessarily apply to windows and doors, with the help of this sealing consistency, builders close up large gaps, eliminate voids and fasten structures. If you familiarize yourself with all the qualities of a material, you can understand that it can be compared with sealing compounds due to its ability to compact the necessary surfaces.

Before you take a detailed look at the drying process, you need to familiarize yourself with the main characteristics of the material.

1. Volume at the exit. This indicator shows what changes have occurred with the material compared to its original state. The unit in which this volume is measured is liters. The main aspects that affect this indicator are the temperature and humidity of the treated surface.
2. Clutch. This characteristic allows you to determine how well the material will adhere to the surface. The exception in this case may be such surfaces as polyethylene, ice, fatty bases, Teflon and silicone.
3. Viscosity index This data will depend on the quantity and quality of the components used to make the foam.In addition, this property will be influenced by the external temperature. It is recommended to use the material only with the index from +5 to +30 degrees.

If the consumer needs to buy a sealing foam, then, in addition to the drying rate, You need to pay attention to a few more main parameters.

1. Porosity Index. The smaller it is, the better the quality of the foam. This parameter is determined by the number of pores in the closed state on the surface.
2. Volume In this case, you need to pay attention to the weight of the polymer is already in the frozen state.
3. The quality of the packaging, in our case - the container. It would seem that this is not such a serious criterion, but it is the design and integrity of the container that can affect the quality of the material inside and the final result.

Polyurethane foam is a material to which, like any other, a number of requirements are put forward.

These requirements include:

• good adhesion of surfaces;
• elasticity;
• after hardening, the material should not crumble, even when exposed to freezing temperatures;
• shrinkage of the solution, which is already dry, should be moderate.

We draw the attention of users to the fact that the foam is very afraid of direct sunlight. For this reason, after complete solidification, the excess is cut off, and all compacted places are treated with paint or plaster. And in order not to disrupt the density of the material and make the sequence of deposition correctly, you need to know how long it takes for it to solidify completely.

To eliminate the gap between the door frames and openings, only a third of the sealing compound is required. The material will begin to harden on the surface within half an hour after application. You may notice that a film will appear on the surface.

The final drying can be expected 8 hours after the material is applied. The process of fixation occurs due to the expansion of the substance that comes out of the container and freezes.

Conventionally, this is divided into several stages:

• primary, which is carried out immediately at the exit of the package;
• secondary, which is not completed until the final conversion of the foam into a solid composition.

If the material is qualitative, then at the second stage the expansion rate can reach 30%, this should be taken into account in the process of work.Most often, a third of the material is used to fill the space; this is enough to fill all the gaps when expanding.

So, at first we pointed out that water plays a rather important role in the use of foam. This is explained by the fact that it is the liquid that increases the adhesion index; for this reason, experts recommend wetting the working surface before carrying out the work. It is not necessary to pour a large volume of water onto the walls, it is enough to use a conventional spray gun.

If we consider the process of installation of door structures, then, as already mentioned, the drying process will be affected by the layer thickness and, of course, the temperature indicator of the environment. Under normal conditions, the excess protruding foam can be cut off after 3 hours, and then you can begin to engage in plaster.Speaking about the final hardening, it should be noted that it comes about after 12 hours.

Many wonder how much foam dries when installing windows or doors in an apartment, and if it is already applied, then why dries for a long time. Foam dries out for a long time for various reasons. One of the main ones is to use it at the wrong temperature.

If the foam was used in cold or too dry conditions, then the solidification may be deposited indefinitely. But experts warn that in this situation, there is no need to hurry with trimming and finishing, you need to wait for full hardening.

In the event that you are unhappy with the drying time, it can be accelerated by spraying the material with liquid. You can use any method you prefer. If the work was carried out on the windows, do not forget that direct ultraviolet has a negative effect not only on the drying process, but also on the material itself, therefore, if possible, the sealing sites should be hidden.

See the following video for what foam is and its features.