How much does mounting foam dry?

Indeed, many have already abandoned the use of cement, plaster, mineral wool. In addition, it is quite difficult to work with these materials, so there is still no guarantee that you can completely seal all holes and holes. Foam is truly a universal option.

This product has several advantages over other sealants:

ease of use
no additional skills required
speed of use
affordable price,
ability to penetrate hard to reach places
safety for human health,
sound and heat insulating qualities,
high adhesion to all materials.

Foam is used during the installation of windows, doors, when coating holes in walls, ceilings, sealing holes near pipes. As already noted, the mounting foam can be used with metal, glass, wood, concrete, brick, ceramics.

To choose a good foam and conduct effective work, you should know the main characteristics of this substance.

Of great importance is the temperature, which affects drying time of polyurethane foam. It is believed that the best option would be a range from +5 to +30 degrees indoors. In addition, the can itself should be heated to a temperature of +10 degrees. Polyurethane foam dries when exposed to atmospheric conditions. Of no less importance is humidity, which also affects the speed and drying time of any mounting foam. If there is not enough moisture, you should moisten the treated surface with water using a conventional spray before starting work. The experiments showed that ideal conditions are a temperature level of + 20 ° C, and a degree of humidity of 60-80%. Then the full drying time of the mounting foam is approximately 3-5 hours, however, it is rather difficult to achieve such conditions.

Most often, the appearance of the first hard crust occurs within 20-30 minutes, but complete solidification can last a day. It also depends on the amount of material applied. In any case, the curing time of the mounting foam is usually written on the packaging. Different manufacturers may vary.

When working with foam, remember the expansion that it has. This substance usually increases in size 2 times: during the first pouring out of the can, with gradual hardening. This fact must be taken into account, since if the structure is not fixed, this can lead to its deformation, because the frozen mounting foam is very strong, solid.

Also, a good foam has a sufficient degree of viscosity, which does not allow it to spread over the surface.

Now many companies produce this product. You should not buy cheap mounting foam, otherwise you run the risk of encountering poor quality. It is best to use a well-known, reliable brand. Belinka has always produced quality products. In the catalog of this company you can find several types of mounting foam.

BELINKA BELPUR PU FOAM GUN is a wonderful, summer mounting foam, when working with which it is necessary to maintain the air temperature not lower than + 5 ° С. It has a high level of adhesion to all materials, never spreads, does not crumble, and retains its properties for a long time. When working with this type of product, a gun is needed. It is much more convenient and faster to work with such equipment. The pour time of this mounting foam ranges from 5 to 12 hours. Polyurethane foam is released in cylinders of only 750 ml. This substance perfectly tolerates the effects of water, moisture, chemicals.

Description

Polyurethane foam belongs to the sealing means, without which it is almost impossible to do in the construction process. It is used in cases where there is a need to seal seams or joints with a depth and width of more than 3 cm. Before using this material, builders ask how long it takes for the foam to dry completely, but it turns out that this question is posed incorrectly. First of all, it should be said that the main secret of the complete transformation of the material into a 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 mounting foam:

its application is very simple,
pricing is available,
long term of operation.

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

Foam is so popular also for the reason that in the frozen form it is not subject to the effects of temperatures, moisture and even electricity, in addition, a 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 by using decorative plaster.

Material characteristics

Various types of work are carried out using mounting foam, this does not necessarily apply to windows and doors; with this sealing consistency, builders close up large gaps, eliminate voids and fasten structures. If you familiarize yourself with all the qualities of the material, you can understand that it can be compared with sealing compounds due to its ability to seal the necessary surfaces.

Before disassembling the drying process in detail, you need to familiarize yourself with the main characteristics of the material.

Volume at the exit. This indicator shows what changes have occurred with the material compared to its initial 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.
Clutch. This characteristic allows you to determine how well the material will adhere to the surface. An exception in this case may be surfaces such as polyethylene, ice, greasy bases, Teflon and silicone.
Viscosity index. These data will depend on the quantity and quality of the components used to prepare the foam. In addition, the external temperature will also affect this property. It is recommended to use the material only with an indicator of +5 to +30 degrees.

If foam is used outside the established boundaries, then it will lose its main qualities, and the original product will not meet all the advanced requirements.

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

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.
Volume. In this case, you need to pay attention to the polymer mass in a frozen state.
The quality of the packaging, in our case - the bottle. 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.

Requirements

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

These requirements include:

good bonding of surfaces,
elasticity,
after solidification, the material should not crumble, even when exposed to subzero temperatures,
shrinkage of a solution that has already dried 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 surplus is cut off, and all sealed areas are treated with paint or plaster. And in order not to violate the density of the material and make the application sequence correct, you need to know how much time is needed for complete solidification.

To eliminate the gaps between the door frames and the openings, only a third of the sealing compound will be 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.

Final drying can be expected 8 hours after the material is applied. The fixing process occurs due to the expansion of the substance, which leaves the tank and solidifies.

Conventionally, this is divided into several stages:

primary, which is carried out immediately at the exit from the package,
secondary, which does not complete until the final conversion of the foam into a solid composition.

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

But you should also pay attention to the fact that the foam should sit down, you should not be afraid of this action, it will not bring problems. In high-quality materials, shrinkage can reach 5%, and this is imperceptible externally. If, however, shrinkage did occur, and this is very visible from the outside, then the polyurethane was purchased of poor quality.

Polymerization Time

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

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

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

If the foam was used in cold or too dry conditions, then the hardening may be delayed indefinitely. But experts warn that in this situation, there is no need to rush to trim and trim, you need to wait for full hardening.

For the process to be faster, a special winter foam must be selected for work, its qualities correspond to the conditions in which it will be used.

In the event that you are unsatisfied with the drying time, it can be accelerated by spraying the material with liquid. You can use any method that is convenient for you. If the work was carried out on the windows, do not forget that direct ultraviolet negatively affects not only the drying process, but also the material itself, therefore, if possible, the place of incorporation should be hidden.

About what polyurethane foam is and about its features, see the next video.

Main types

Polyurethane foam is a one-component sealant. Without such a tool, the process of installing windows and doors, the hermetic filling of voids and cracks in masonry, and the execution of other works related to repair, installation and construction are complicated. By drying time, mounting foam refers to substances with a high polymerization rate. Foam mounting well fills cracks, gaps and cavities of any size and shape. Manufacturers produce several types of foam with different properties:

By appointment - domestic and professional. Foam for homework is equipped with a plastic tube for easy application. To use professional foam, you need a construction gun.

According to the conditions of use - winter and all-weather. Frost-resistant products are suitable for outdoor use, winter foam retains its qualities at temperatures from -50 to + 90 ° C. All-weather sealant is a universal composition for all types of installation work.

Fire fighting means - differ in fire resistance classes. They are used to seal joints of heated surfaces or communications in rooms with a high level of fire hazard - stoves, fireplaces, baths, chimneys.

Foams are supplied in the form of cylinders in which the mounting substance (liquid prepolymer) is under pressure from the propellant. When the foam is released from the tube, a reaction of the components occurs, the composition expands in volume and hermetically fills the gaps or gaps.

Note: In order not to buy a construction gun, for a one-time home installation work, a cylinder of household foam equipped with a tube is enough. If you need to fill a large number of overall voids, use a professional sealant with a gun.

Technical specifications and properties

To understand how much the mounting foam dries, you need to find out what qualities and features the composition has. After exiting the tube, the liquid mass increases in volume and takes on a porous structure. This process is called primary expansion. The mounting composition from the original volume increases by 20 (inexpensive) - 50 (expensive) times. The material occupies an empty space and its upper layer sets in a few minutes.

Another property of the sealant is secondary expansion, in which the substance shrinks or additionally increases in volume. This quality of the composition is negative: a strong increase leads to a violation of the integrity of flexible structures, and shrinkage causes the formation of voids in the substance. Secondary expansion occurs when the installation is used improperly or the temperature regime is not observed. The main properties of the sealant:

Good sound and heat insulation characteristics.
High-quality seal at the junction of products.
Excellent adhesion to metal, wood, brick.
A multiple increase in volume is a small expense.
Filling inaccessible slots and gaps.

Due to the liquid consistency of the substance in the container, it is possible to seal narrow joints, uneven in depth of gaps, deformed surfaces. The curing time of the mounting foam varies, depending on various factors. The top layer dries in 20 minutes; full setting takes place in a day. Excess material can be cut off after approximately 4 hours.

In order for the substance on the street to retain its properties longer, it is necessary to provide protection from ultraviolet and moisture - primer, put putty, cover with several layers of paint.

Expansion coefficient

The main feature of polyurethane foam is a quick setting and hardening time. The increase in volume by several tens of times contributes to the formation of a dense porous structure with impeccable strength characteristics. The expansion coefficient of the sealant is not the same for different formulations - it is primary, secondary and double, triple. What you need to know about the expansion coefficient of the foam:

Quality products initially increase 60 times or more from the volume. With secondary expansion, they shrink within 5% of the mass of the substance. The expansion time of the foam from primary to secondary is several hours.
Inexpensive mounting foam can increase 30-50 times, but secondary expansion can reach 30% of the volume or show a high level of shrinkage - more than 5%. Large shrinkage leads to ruptures of the frozen mass.
Information on the maximum yield of a substance is indicated by the manufacturer on the cylinder. This indicator is the coefficient of expansion of the foam after the release of the composition from the tube. The top layer dries for 20-30 minutes, complete hardening occurs within a day - according to the instructions.

Manufacturers of sealants calculate the expansion coefficient under optimal conditions for applying the product and observing the temperature regime. It is impossible to fully rely on the figure indicated on the package, since it is not always possible to strictly comply with the manufacturer's recommendations. A change in the expansion coefficient is affected by low temperature, high humidity, uneven surface.

Important: A 300 ml quality foam bottle contains 30 l of sealant. This amount of mounting foam is enough to blow a wide gap (up to 5 cm) around the perimeter of a door or window opening. From a tube with a volume of 500 ml you can get 40 l of substance, 750 ml - 50 l of mounting sealant.

Factors Affecting Drying Time

The ability of the foam to increase in size is the main advantage of mounting sealant. You can read the substance yield (in liters) on the balloon, but the following factors affect the expansion coefficient and the curing time of the foam:

Humidity of the environment. The polymerization of the composition occurs under the influence of atmospheric moisture. If the room or the street is hot and dry, the humidity is minimal. The foam will not expand to its full extent. A sealant layer with a thickness of 5 cm under these conditions will harden in 3 hours, complete hardening will occur in 7-12 hours. With normal humidity in the street or in the apartment, the top layer of foam will dry after 20-30 minutes, after 4 hours it will harden, and after 12 hours it will completely polymerize.
Temperature conditions. Manufacturers produce frost-resistant sealants that quietly withstand low temperatures up to -50 degrees. But it is recommended to apply foam with a thermometer from +5 to + 25 ° C. If this requirement is not met, the sealant loses its characteristics. The higher the temperature in the room, the sooner the liquid foam dries. It is better to apply the product at an average temperature (+ 10 + 15 degrees) so that a sufficient amount of atmospheric moisture is involved in the polymerization process.
The quality of the cylinder. Polyurethane mounting is packaged in sealed containers. They are under pressure is a gas ejector. Quality tubes are equipped with reliable blocking valves that can return to their original position without letting air into the tube and not releasing gas. You can compare two cylinders of the same volume - the one that will be heavier is better. Content slowly rolls through the tube, but does not hang inside.
Layer thickness. If you apply a mounting foam of 5 cm thickness on the surface under optimal conditions of temperature and humidity, it dries up for 3 hours, after which you can cut off the excess composition. Full polymerization will occur in 12 hours or more. To completely dry the thick layer of sealant, the craftsmen recommend waiting a day, and then remove the excess mass and protect from moisture and ultraviolet rays. High-quality polyurethane has a dense structure with evenly spaced pores.

The rate of complete drying is influenced by surface features. If there are significant defects, irregularities, differences in height, the funds leave more, and a layer is obtained that is different in thickness. This can “delay” the period of complete drying of the composition.

Scope of application

Mounting sealants belong to the category of universal products, as they are used in various fields of construction. Macroflex, Proflex, Soudal, Titan mounting foams are very popular, the drying time of which varies in the range of 12-24 hours. Scope of use of compounds:

Filling cracks, crevices, voids in rooms.
Installation of street structures, door installation.
Sealing window openings inside and out.
Fixation of heat and sound insulating materials.
Sealing roof structures and masonry.
Repair work, installation of stoves, fireplaces.

The use of the mounting composition when installing windows has found the greatest application, since the foam dries for 8-12 hours, after which you can proceed to the finish - putty, putty, painting. The use of sealants for gluing thermal insulation allows you to quickly install gypsum panels, polystyrene, mineral wool slabs. When the mass is dry, after a few hours it is impossible to tear off the insulating material from the wall without damage, so strong is the fixation.

Sealant Consumption

Cylinders with foam are produced in volumes of 300, 500, 750 ml, there are other options. The output of the composition is respectively 30, 40, 50 liters. But you need to understand that you can’t get so much foam - there are no ideal surfaces and working conditions. Sealant consumption is affected by correct application, ambient temperature and humidity, repairman experience, and other factors. Therefore, the foam output indicated on the tube must be taken with a conventional number, and buy a sealant with a margin.

To reduce foam consumption, the surface can be sprayed with water before application.This will help achieve maximum expansion of the substance. The spray can with mounting medium must be shaken upside down, and joints and holes should be filled by 30-50%. The mass will gain volume and completely fill the rest of the space. For work, you need to use products of proven brands, carefully read the manufacturer's instructions and technical specifications of the foam. Relative to other means (cement mortar, putty, grout), mounting sealant has a very high polymerization rate.

Adhesion

An important characteristic of the sealant is adhesion, which indicates the ability of the composition to adhere to the surface. For a quality material, this unit must be high in relation to any building materials. Connection problems occur when you need to fix polyethylene or cellophane, or Teflon.

The quality of the connecting material depends on the packaging. Good containers have long-lasting and reliable valves that prevent the atmosphere from entering the cylinder and the unstable exit of compressed gas from it.
A good-quality balloon has more weight and, if you turn it over, you should feel how the contents move quietly and slowly in it.

How long does the mounting foam dry?

Hermetic is a rather complex building material. Characteristics and quality are ambiguous and depend on a lot. The foam goes into a frozen state under the influence of its own data and the environmental conditions in which it is used. The polymerization process is more dependent on water. The higher the humidity, the faster the curing of the product occurs, and the degree of adhesion increases. Professionals recommend wetting the surfaces of crevices and openings with water before starting to seal them.

If the humidity is high, then a five-centimeter layer of prepolymer will dry for about 3 hours. Then he gains the necessary hardness for another 6-9 hours. At a negative temperature, this process stretches to a day. Experienced builders do not recommend rushing to finish finishing already foamed holes and crevices. The sealant needs to be given time for maximum solidification in order to gain strength: in the summer - a day, in the winter - one and a half days. In order for the material to harden faster, it must be periodically moistened. The main thing is to remember that the polymer does not tolerate solar radiation.

Sealant Selection and Market Analysis

The use of high-quality and reliable building materials is the key to a successful repair. In order to carry out the sealing of cracks, holes, seams at a professional level, the product must be chosen with high operational and technical data.

In the construction markets you can find a large number of different mounting foams. Experts recommend paying attention to the following brands of products:

"Moment Installation". A well-known brand, with well-deserved popularity, is sold in all construction stores. Differs in density of homogeneous consistency, high adhesion to almost any materials. You can work with it both indoors and outdoors. The minus is the secondary growth, as a result of which, with a large amount of use of foam, the closed joints can be deformed.
"Makroflex". One of the best brands. It can be used for work in both winter and summer. The foam has a uniform structure, perfectly adheres to any surfaces, secondary growth is minimal. The disadvantages include market defects in cylinders that do not work long. Then from them comes out or only gas, or just a sealant.
Soudal. Not a very famous company that produces quality products. Polymers are available on the market for winter and summer jobs. Winter species are suitable even at 20 degrees below zero frost. All products have good adhesion, small secondary growth, small shrinkage. Foam also reacts poorly to the sun.
"Penosil". High-quality hermetic means of dense consistency. Secondary expansion is almost absent, characterized by large output sizes. Effective for indoor use, not suitable for outdoor use. A temperature below minus 4 and above plus 35 completely discredits him.
"Titan 02". The most famous brand of professional polyurethane foam. It has a relatively low cost, has excellent operational properties, a high degree of adhesion, a dense consistency. Suitable for use in various conditions.

Conclusion

There is no perfect hermetic. Every professional knows that any material is characterized by both positive and negative properties. In order for the result of the work to be desired, you need to carefully select the product and use it in accordance with the instructions from the manufacturer.

Properties and Views

Polyurethane foam is a one-component sealant. Its popularity is enormous: without its presence, the process of installing doors and windows becomes much more complicated, and it becomes impossible to carry out professional work directly related to repairs. The use of such a sealant does not require the purchase of secondary tools for work. Liquid material enters all the necessary cavities, after a certain amount of time it completely dries up. Installation foam is always supplied in the form of cylinders containing a liquid prepolymer and a propellant.

When the contents of the cylinders are released, the polymers react. For their release, the humidity of the air and the bases to be sealed is responsible.

Technical specifications

To find out how long it takes to fully dry the foam, it is necessary to say about the characteristics:

Primary expansion is a property in which the volume of foam applied to the surface increases. Due to this property, the material occupies the space completely and reliably fixes it.
Consider a secondary extension. Since the foam must increase or decrease in volume, this characteristic is negative. As a rule, this occurs due to improper use (temperature conditions are exceeded, the base is not cleaned, mechanical impact is produced).
The time for setting foam is variable. The top layer dries in literally 20 minutes, a full setting takes place in a day. In this case, excess material can be cut off after 4 hours from the time of application.

As practice shows, polyurethane foam ideally adheres to structures made of wood, concrete, metal, plastic, stone and glass. Silicone and polyethylene are not compatible with polyurethane foam.
An indicator of temperature stability (the ability to withstand certain temperature extremes) is important. For example, the foam company "Macroflex" withstands the temperature range from -55 to +90 degrees. Note that its flammability is completely reduced to zero - the foam is not exposed to combustion.
Foamy material involves interaction with chemicals, the ingress of ultraviolet rays leads to darkening and destruction of its base. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a protective layer (any paint or primer).