How to remove expanding foam

bhzmac1

How do you remove cured expanding foam other than cutting it off?

It was used up in the loft for a temporary repair to keep the water out until the flashing round the chimney stacks was repaired. So its now bonded to the wood and brick work.

Having a home buyers report next week and could do with it taking off as it no longer needed...

DevCoder

If its polyurethane then forget it, once cured I don't know of any solvent that will get rid of it.

A 4" disc cutter , goggles and a face mask to cut it away might work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAIY0I5GGw4

DevCoder

Actually Methyl-Ethyl-Ketone would probably work, but I wouldn't recommend it if you value your health/life
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_ethyl_ketone

dee4life2005

I had a bit of a nightmare with a can of expanding foam sealing a gap around one of my new upvc windows. Got some on the facings and hadn't realised it would be so difficult to get off until it had cured .. oops.

I tried all the usual solvents and nothing touched it.

After a bit of searching on t'internet I came across SOUDAL PU FOAM REMOVER. It was only a little I had to remove and it did the job well enough. I'm not sure how successful it would be at removing loads of the stuff though.

If it's bonded to something you're not precious about then I'm sure you'd get good mileage by getting stuck in with a paint scraper. I did, removing the excess from a plastered wall.

DaftyDuck

Leave it there, photocopy the receipt for the building works, and stick a copy on the foam. Write "This >>> ...." on the copy.

Stick kettle on, and relax.

You'll never do a neat enough job to remove all trace, and a surveyor will notice it, or he won't.

If he notices a large unconcealed mass, plus a "job done" receipt, he'll note it, and make his own mind up.

If he notices a poorly-concealed, partially-removed lump, his mind will be made up before he even thinks.

If he doesn't notice anything (and he may well stick his bonce up in the attic, decide his torch is giving out, his hair too clean, and it's nearly tea-time after all), you'll have wasted a lifetime inhaling toxic fumes and slicing your fingertips off in a dusty, hott hell-hole of an attic.

Nah, note, drawing pin, stick the kettle on. Black, no sugar for me, please.

foomanchu

Ever Build Foam Eater is "Designed for the safe removal of cured PU foam and adhesives" I'm sure there are other similar products too.

andydiysaver

it's evil stuff, once it's there it's there. only way I know is to scoop it out then attack with a knife edge to get the edges. Good luck