How To Remove Construction Foam And Assembly Foam Instructions

• PU foam remover
• Home remedy for removal
• Mechanical removal
• Remove from the clothes
• Remove from the skin
• Remove from wooden furniture
• Conclusion

Once construction foam or mounting foam has hardened, the question arises as to how unwanted residues should be removed. The answer depends mainly on the ground. In our guide, we will therefore introduce you to various options that are suitable for specific materials.

Building foam is helpful in many situations and therefore finds many uses. He fills gaps - be it in the bathroom or during construction. However careful one may be in the application, parts of the foam quickly get onto the tiles, clothing or fixtures. Often areas must also be generously sprayed so that it is inevitable that some of the foam will overflow. If the mounting foam now comes into contact with sunlight, it will yellow over time due to its chemical properties and also attract dirt. With the right tips, the construction foam can be removed without leaving any residue in most cases.

Tip: Mounting foam and construction foam are chemically considered polyurethane foams (polyurethane). Other common terms can be: insulating foam, Zargenschaum, Füllschaum, insulating foam.

React fast
As soon as you notice that mounting foam has entered unwanted areas, you need to react quickly. If the foam is still fresh, then it is much easier to remove it. Using a cloth, wipe up the foam and clean the affected areas. It is important that you use more than one cloth with a large amount of PU foam. This allows the building material to absorb better and does not smudge.

PU foam remover

Specialist dealers offer special removers. The products are suitable for already hardened residues.

Tip: When selecting the funds, pay attention to the respective properties. Decisive is above all the listing of the permissible undergrounds. Ask specifically in your hardware store.

In general, the PU construction remover are suitable for the following substrates:

• tiling
• stone
• Glass
• Wood
• aluminum
• stole

The following surfaces are often excluded:

• anodised materials (protective layers on aluminum)
• painted surfaces

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Tip: Apply the foam to a non-visible part of the material. Let it soak for a while and see if there are any changes. Only when the PU-building remover has survived this test, it may be used over a large area.

How do I apply the PU-construction remover?

The exact procedure depends on the selected product. In general, the order of the individual steps and the required exposure time are similar to the following instructions:

• Remove as many foam residues as possible before using the chemical agents.
• Apply the remover.
• Let the medium work for about 30 minutes
  (consider the respective exposure time of the selected product)
• Use a wooden spatula to remove the softened residue. Additional water should not be applied as a rule.
• If necessary, you can repeat the process.
• Clean the place cleared of the building foam.

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Cost of the construction foam remover: around 3 to 15 euros per bottle.
Difficulty: Easy

Home remedy for removal

Mounting foam is resistant to many commonly used agents. Thus, the foam can not be removed with oil, alkalis or water. Since the individual building materials have different properties, you may need to try different home remedies. Possible aids are:

• nail polish remover
• Isopropanol (available at the pharmacy)
• Mixture of coffee powder and detergent

To avoid damaging the surface, you should first test the effect in an invisible location.

The procedure in the use of home remedies

Step 1: Let the selected home remedy take effect for a while. Nail polish remover and isopropanol unfold their effect after just a few minutes. When mixing detergent and coffee powder, wait for 10 to 30 minutes to start removing foam from the relatively mild properties.

Step 2: Try to remove the foam with a brush. You may need to repeat this procedure several times in succession as the PU foam is persistent.

Mechanical removal

Among other things, mechanical methods can be used to roughly remove larger amounts of foam. The less mounting foam on the surface, the easier it is to work with home remedies or a PU construction remover. If you've already reduced the volume, you'll need less fluid for complete elimination. Another area of ​​application arises as soon as the liquid remover should not be effective. The presented methods are not always successful, so mechanical removal is the last solution. It carries the risks of damage to the substrate or the receipt of residues.

A guide to the mechanical removal of PU foam

Tools:

• Razor blade / box cutter
• Vitroceramic scraper / wire brush / steel wool

Step 1: First cut off rough overhangs with the help of the carpet knife or the razor blade. Be careful not to damage the surface below the PU foam.

Step 2: The further procedure depends on the ground:

• Case 1: PU foam between plastic window and window sill (relatively hard surfaces): work with a fine wire brush
• Case 2: Particularly hard surfaces: Use Ceranfeld scraper
• Case 3: Soft surfaces: fine steel wool

Remove from the clothes

PU foam is difficult or impossible to remove from clothing. Since soaking is not effective, all that remains is mechanical removal and nail polish remover testing. PU-Bauhaus remover is usually not gentle enough to the fabric and therefore leads to damage. Whether the foam can be removed from clothing depends on the exact material. If it is a wool sweater, then the individual fibers combine with the building material and are usually no longer be solved. The smooth surface of a jacket offers the possibility of mechanical removal. Use a pot sponge in combination with a detergent.

Remove from the skin

Contact with the skin should be avoided as far as possible, as the substance hardens and irritates the skin at the same time. However, if the foam has come on you have five different ways to remove the building material:

Option 1: A high-fat cream
Cream the skin so that the high-fat cream can travel under the foam. Use a large amount of cream, otherwise the procedure will not be effective. Then try to wash off the PU foam. As reinforcement you can use a small brush. Since the PU foam can not be washed off after a single pass, you must repeat the procedure up to 5 to 10 times.

Option 2: Make hand washing paste
Make a hand wash paste. Use coffee powder and mix it with a high-fat cream. You must apply the mixture several times in succession to achieve the desired effect.

Option 3: Fine nail file
Use a fine nail file and try to get rid of minor residue from the PU foam. Work very carefully and do not touch the skin under any circumstances. After the foam has worn off just above the skin, you should stop. Now you soften the skin, which changes the connection between the foam and the skin. Often the PU foam can now be washed off.

Attention: When working with the nail file, it may cause injury to the skin when slipping. Since even minor injuries can be inflamed, it may be advisable to consult a doctor alternatively. In no case should chemical removers be used as they damage the skin.

Option 4: react quickly
As soon as you notice that PU foam has come on the skin, you should wash it off immediately. Rough quantities are removed with a cloth, and then the hand or arm is kept under running water. Be careful not to spread the foam and increase the area of ​​the affected area. To help with washing up you can use high-fat cream and a brush. If the construction foam is already hardened, then let the skin soak with water and try to achieve a replacement of the foam by the now changed skin surface.

Option 5: see a doctor
If the foam can not be removed, then you must see a doctor.

Remove from wooden furniture

Of unpainted surfaces, the mounting foam can often no longer remove. When using scrapers, residues would remain in the pores. You can try chemical building remover in this case. In most cases, however, the corresponding wood must be replaced. Painted surfaces are a little easier, as the bond between the foam and the surface is less.

Conclusion

In the case of visible surfaces, such as bathroom fixtures, wooden floors or windows, it is necessary to try out as many of the removal methods as possible.

If the foam has got on the skin, then you must try to remove it, however, you should not irritate the skin excessively. Decide when it is better to see a doctor and do not risk another self-experiment. Recommended is the use of gloves .

However, if the foam only reaches older garments, the effort is often not worthwhile. Often it makes sense in this case to pick up the dirty clothes and reuse them for future work with foam.

Tips for quick readers:

• Use PU-construction remover / nail polish remover
• First test the medium in a non-visible place
• mechanical removal
• pay attention to the hardness of the substrate
  • Insert Ceran field scraper
  • rough remains: cut off with a utility knife
  • Cut with razor blade
  • often can not be removed from unpainted wood
  • on wood: test chemical removers
• Avoid contact with skin
  • Soak the skin
  • Use high-fat cream
  • Mix cream with coffee powder
  • Carefully work with nailfile
  • See a doctor