Spray foam gun recommendation

[semipro]

I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a gun for use on canned insulation foam and I'm really glad I did. http://www.amazon.com/Dow-Chemical-230409-Great-Applicator/dp/B0002YOMJE

I've had been using Great Stuff in a can that has the plastic applicator straw to seal up some cantilevers (overhangs) on my house; what a pain! Because its hard to control the flow of the foam from these cans you end up wasting a lot and have it fall down on you while you're working. Also, once you open one of these cans you have to use it up that day.

Using the gun with the screw on cans of foam gives you much more control and you don't end up wasting near as much foam. Though the screw on cans cost more I'm pretty sure it cost me less in the end as much more of the foam went where I wanted it. Also, as long as you leave an open can on the gun you can store it partially full and use it over a month or so.

I've got a lot more foaming to do as I insulate my basement and do other weatherization work. I'm actually kind of looking forward to doing the spray foam work now.

 

[richg]

I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a gun for use on canned insulation foam and I'm really glad I did. http://www.amazon.com/Dow-Chemical-230409-Great-Applicator/dp/B0002YOMJE

I've had been using Great Stuff in a can that has the plastic applicator straw to seal up some cantilevers (overhangs) on my house; what a pain! Because its hard to control the flow of the foam from these cans you end up wasting a lot and have it fall down on you while you're working. Also, once you open one of these cans you have to use it up that day.

Using the gun with the screw on cans of foam gives you much more control and you don't end up wasting near as much foam. Though the screw on cans cost more I'm pretty sure it cost me less in the end as much more of the foam went where I wanted it. Also, as long as you leave an open can on the gun you can store it partially full and use it over a month or so.

I've got a lot more foaming to do as I insulate my basement and do other weatherization work. I'm actually kind of looking forward to doing the spray foam work now.

Make sure you also buy the cans of gun cleaner. I would also not recommend letting an open can sit on that gun for a month. I have a few of them and after two weeks, the foam can harden inside the gun and pretty much ruin it. Ask me how I know this ;-)

 

[semipro]

I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a gun for use on canned insulation foam and I'm really glad I did. http://www.amazon.com/Dow-Chemical-230409-Great-Applicator/dp/B0002YOMJE

I've had been using Great Stuff in a can that has the plastic applicator straw to seal up some cantilevers (overhangs) on my house; what a pain! Because its hard to control the flow of the foam from these cans you end up wasting a lot and have it fall down on you while you're working. Also, once you open one of these cans you have to use it up that day.

Using the gun with the screw on cans of foam gives you much more control and you don't end up wasting near as much foam. Though the screw on cans cost more I'm pretty sure it cost me less in the end as much more of the foam went where I wanted it. Also, as long as you leave an open can on the gun you can store it partially full and use it over a month or so.

I've got a lot more foaming to do as I insulate my basement and do other weatherization work. I'm actually kind of looking forward to doing the spray foam work now.

Make sure you also buy the cans of gun cleaner. I would also not recommend letting an open can sit on that gun for a month. I have a few of them and after two weeks, the foam can harden inside the gun and pretty much ruin it. Ask me how I know this ;-)

Thanks. I've heard this from several others now also. It must be a common issue.

 

[jdinspector]

try tiger foam. www.tigerfoam.com. It's a DIY setup that you can purchase yourself. Several extra spray guns for future use.

 

[semipro]

try tiger foam. www.tigerfoam.com. It's a DIY setup that you can purchase yourself. Several extra spray guns for future use.

I'm familiar with Tiger Foam. I recently did a comparison of the cost of foam goods per volume, whether spray or board. The DIY foaming kits like Tiger Foam turn out to be real expensive with only the small one-use cans coming in more expensive, and not by much. I figured since the cost was so similar that I would be better off using the small cans for the smaller projects I'm doing now. The larger projects, like sealing all the skirt areas will probably be done using a combination of foam board and small can foam since that the most cost effective setup.

 

[semipro]

I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a gun for use on canned insulation foam and I'm really glad I did. http://www.amazon.com/Dow-Chemical-230409-Great-Applicator/dp/B0002YOMJE

I've had been using Great Stuff in a can that has the plastic applicator straw to seal up some cantilevers (overhangs) on my house; what a pain! Because its hard to control the flow of the foam from these cans you end up wasting a lot and have it fall down on you while you're working. Also, once you open one of these cans you have to use it up that day.

Using the gun with the screw on cans of foam gives you much more control and you don't end up wasting near as much foam. Though the screw on cans cost more I'm pretty sure it cost me less in the end as much more of the foam went where I wanted it. Also, as long as you leave an open can on the gun you can store it partially full and use it over a month or so.

I've got a lot more foaming to do as I insulate my basement and do other weatherization work. I'm actually kind of looking forward to doing the spray foam work now.

An update.

I'm amazed how far a can of this foam goes compared to the one-use cans.

- I've just used up my 1st can of foam as I've been traveling a lot and not doing as much work on the house.
- I have not needed to clean the gun other than wiping off the tip after each use. I've probably used it on 10 different applications/dates now.
- I can honestly say that I enjoy using this gun, something I could never say about the single-use cans.
- One of the best features is that once you release the trigger nothing else comes out. The flow stops instantly.
- I'm very happy I bought the dispenser and urge others to consider it your usage requires it.

 

[oldspark]

How much do you have to do to make it worth buying the gun do you think?

 

[semipro]

How much do you have to do to make it worth buying the gun do you think?

Well if you look at it from a strictly monetary standpoint I'd guess 10 cans of single use foam. It depends on how you're using it though. If you're just filing large voids the payoff would take much longer than if you were doing a bunch of seams where control is needed. That's a total guess though.

Knowing what I know now though, I wish I'd have done it long ago regardless of cost effectiveness. The avoidance of the frustration of wearing polyurethane around in my hair and clothes and not having to "strategize" for every foam application is worth it to me.

 

[oldspark]

Yea I could use it for others in the family also, sounds like it is well worth it. Make a good christmas present, foam some ones house for them, "its the gift that keeps on giving." (quote from Eddie in Christmas Vacation the best Christmas movie of all time IMHO) :lol:

 

[johninwi]

How about an update, i've looked at them a few times and keep going back to the single use cans.

Did you ever need the cleaning solvent,

Still using the first gun?

 

[velvetfoot]

I have one and it's been great. I'm not going to test it, but I'm pretty sure it'd dispense just fine if I wanted now. I store it standing on the can and only clean the outside of the nozzle, if that.
Something to think about is that they come in different lengths and the can gets in the way.

 

[semipro]

How about an update, i've looked at them a few times and keep going back to the single use cans.

Did you ever need the cleaning solvent,

Still using the first gun?

I'm still using the 1st gun, probably 12 cans of foam so far, and have only cleaned the outside of the nozzle so no cleaning solvent used...yet.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Make sure you also buy the cans of gun cleaner. I would also not recommend letting an open can sit on that gun for a month. I have a few of them and after two weeks, the foam can harden inside the gun and pretty much ruin it. Ask me how I know this ;-)

I found that brake cleaner works amazing as well..and its not $8/can.

 

[Clarkbug]

I have had to use the gun cleaner after letting some use my gun without better instructions... Ugh. But well worth it to have the gun just to avoid the overflow from the straw.

My gun also has a barb on the end that will fit some 1/4" tubing for those spots where the can makes it too awkward to foam something. Very handy.

 

[johninwi]

Appreciate the replies, will be looking/buying one soon. really tried of trying to guess how far a single use can would go. And the barbed end will be a must have.

 

[Clarkbug]

(broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/Foam-N-Seal-FNS300-Professional-Foam-Sealant-Applicator-Tool-Gun-/281205958604)

Thats the one that I purchased. Has a teflon coated basket to help with cleanup, and the barbed tip. So far, so good!

 

[johninwi]

I bought one last weekend, so far so good, cans go much farther and setting it down for a few hours is great.

One drawback, didn't get the barbed tip but thought a piece of tube sliped over the end would work, it does but neeeds to be about 6"-8" long, longer and it will blow off and the foam goes SPLAT, then the shirt rides up and you end up with foam on your belly, FYI, foam and belly hair is a bad combination.