Using AEROSOL FOAM for Insulation

[maldo]

Dumb question have any of you used AEROSOL FOAM for Insulation? use this stuff all the time at home and its great and easy to work with .... thinking about using it for the car in certian areas (i am not going to go crazy with the stuff but use it more like a filler where regular insulation can' go )

[abi]

No such thing as a dumb question. We used foam insulation for a lot of crazy applications with vehicles that work well. Noise reduction in motor homes is a good one. You'd be surprised at the difference an inch of foam under the wheel wells will make. Also along the bottom above the drive shaft. Anywhere that isn't really high heat.

Creative ways of using foam is somthing insulators live for! LOL

We are launching a new website with a forum next week and this is the kind of question those guys would love. I may even make it a forum category! Thanks for the idea. See? Not so dumb to me.

Keep on foamin'

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abi - http://www.BetterInsulation.com

[derekf]

Just be exceedingly careful about waterproofing the areas that have the foam -- my father used it for insulation in a few areas on my Camino - and go figure, those are the areas I now get to replace.

(Representative picture: http://www.derekf.com/images/07270790.jpg). That's the side of my cowl. You can see some of the foam attached still; and while there's some rust on the unfoamed sides, the areas that were covered with the foam are (for the most part) gone.

I'd be willing to bet that if coated with something, the foam wouldn't trap moisture like I'm guessing this did. Abi?

[astroracer]

DON'T DO IT!!!! For the exact reason Derek mentioned. The stuff will hold moisture forever and will rot out the base metal in a short period of time....
Mark

[BBPanel]

DON'T DO IT!!!! For the exact reason Derek mentioned. The stuff will hold moisture forever and will rot out the base metal in a short period of time....Mark

Are we talking about open cell foams or closed? I don't believe the closed cell foams will retain moisture - something to check. -Bob

[maldo]

Are we talking about open cell foams or closed? I don't believe the closed cell foams will retain moisture - something to check. -Bob

I was talking about he stuff from home depot.... does not hold moisture........

[maldo]

No such thing as a dumb question. We used foam insulation for a lot of crazy applications with vehicles that work well. Noise reduction in motor homes is a good one. You'd be surprised at the difference an inch of foam under the wheel wells will make. Also along the bottom above the drive shaft. Anywhere that isn't really high heat.

Creative ways of using foam is somthing insulators live for! LOL

We are launching a new website with a forum next week and this is the kind of question those guys would love. I may even make it a forum category! Thanks for the idea. See? Not so dumb to me.

Keep on foamin'

--------------------------------------------------
abi - http://www.BetterInsulation.com

cool i hope it makes it lol
Will experiment on my daily beater ...

[Hogshooter]

Use 2 part foams made for automotive uses 3M, SEM and others make foam especially for sound dampening. I think all the stuff from the hardware store will accept moisture.

[maldo]

Use 2 part foams made for automotive uses 3M, SEM and others make foam especially for sound dampening. I think all the stuff from the hardware store will accept moisture.

I use the hardware store foam stuff all the time to seal gaps (example around water pipes etc) and never had a moisture problem..)

[derekf]

I was talking about he stuff from home depot.... does not hold moisture........

That'd be the stuff my father used as well.

Don't know if it holds moisture or not. Do know that the areas that had the foam on them are the ones that I have to replace now, so I suspect it does.

[69stang]

DON'T DO IT!!!! For the exact reason Derek mentioned. The stuff will hold moisture forever and will rot out the base metal in a short period of time....
Mark

I'm not so sure it does. It may if moisture is already present. Otherwise, it seems to me, there would be an awful lot of rotting homes if this were the case. I'm thinking it's probably more related to areas already started rusting.

[jaybee]

The issue could also be drainage. If condensation or water draining through the body can't get to the drains it will accumulate at the edges of the foam. As rust begins to form it will act as a wedge, prying the foam away from the steel and allowing the moisture to get deeper and deeper underneath. I do know that in this part of the country there are a lot of cars with chunks of foam falling out of gaping holes in the bodywork. Yeah, it's bodywork that wasn't done properly, like using the foam to back up bondo, but it definately isn't working for them.

[Munster]

If the car lived its life in 90* degree temps and zero humidity you would be great, foam away. But any humidity and any temperature changes from hot to cold or really low temperature and the metal condesating will cause problems. I dont know if there is a place around tho where it would not get cool enough at night to draw moisture to a metal surface, condesating (sp)
Making sure to totally water proof the areas first might be the trick but I would think it risky.
More than likely someone has done it and got it to work but it was done right, reseach well before doing it.
Closed cell or open, the contact area between metal and foam is what needs to be cocentrated on.

[astroracer]

Munster is getting close... ANY moisture that comes in contact with the "Great Stuff" open cell expanding foam will wick right into it. I have seen the exact same issues with this stuff Derek mentioned. Do NOT use it as a sound deadener... Condensation is another factor that compounds the problem. Once this stuff gets wet it will never dry out.
Do not compare the proper use of this stuff in a house to the environment it has to endure in a car. There is no comparison...
Take it from me, this is not the stuff you want use. Spend a little more money and do the job right. You'll be better off in the long haul.
Mark

[GBodyGMachine]

DON'T DO IT!!!! For the exact reason Derek mentioned. The stuff will hold moisture forever and will rot out the base metal in a short period of time....
Mark

x2
Dont use it.

[69stang]

I'm probably going to use Lords foam or foam from Sika for some areas in my car. We use a lot of Sika products and some Lords at work. On a side note, As I was developing an armor package for a BMW, I noticed the factory used some sort of expanding closed cell foam to create a "D" shaped seal between two panels. It started as a continous extruded bead about .5mm in diameter that expanded to about 10mm (3/8") and was stuck to one panel to create a foam seal. The panel was removable and the seal stayed soft like a peal-&-stick seal from say TrimLok. I have yet to check Sika & 3M for such a product.

[maldo]

Munster is getting close... ANY moisture that comes in contact with the "Great Stuff" open cell expanding foam will wick right into it. I have seen the exact same issues with this stuff Derek mentioned. Do NOT use it as a sound deadener... Condensation is another factor that compounds the problem. Once this stuff gets wet it will never dry out.
Do not compare the proper use of this stuff in a house to the environment it has to endure in a car. There is no comparison...
Take it from me, this is not the stuff you want use. Spend a little more money and do the job right. You'll be better off in the long haul.
Mark

Hi again i was not going to go crazy with the stuff (an I understand certain panels need to have water drain through it)
was not really planning on filling up every gap (LOL) but to use it more to fill in some of the hollow spots in the body where water does not pass thought
My main goal of the post was to see if anyone and used it in a automotive application.

[jackfrost]

Spend a little more money and do the job right. You'll be better off in the long haul.
Mark

so what's the right way?

[79T/Aman]

I would not do it, many cars use open chassis areas as drains , such as cowl area and rocker panels if it is filled with foam moisture will wick its way in and the air circulation that is needed to dry the moisture will be almost non existent in turn rotting the steel, BTW IMHO it is not possible to have complete closed cell foam because as the foam expands it moves and tears at the foam to steel surface, holding moisture against the steel.