Dow Insulating Foam Sealant for Windows/Doors???

[artzypantz]

Hi all
Hopes someone with experience with this spray foam can tell me if it is waterproof??? The can says water resistant bond to vinyl, wood or metal,(but i'm thinking that doesn't mean water proof). I says it remains soft & flexible and permits expansion and contraction for windows and doors.

I want to use this stuff around my door im putting in and above in the header area and roof line area in hopes that it will seal up any gaps i can't get to.

I don't want to use it if it will hold water or lots of moisture as i don't need that problem again. And i am hoping if a leak should appear again some day that this would help advert the water from getting into this area again.

So, any tips tricks or advice in this area would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks & Enjoy your day!!
Tonya

[Greg]

Tonya, You want to be careful when you use foam, buy the foam for doors & windows not the regular foam insulation. Regular foam can push the opening out of shape causing it to bind. Any exposed foam can then be caulked with silicone caulk to make it waterproof. You can use flashing in addition to keep the water away from the header. Greg

[artzypantz]

Perfect idea Greg!
I just returned from the lumber store, i made sure to get the window/door foam, & i did buy some flashing just in case someone would tell me go ahead & use it!
Thanks for being the one!
Enjoy your day!
Tonya

[rdavy]

Hi

I just finished removing some of this foam that I used on a A/C window unit installation and it is not water proof.

As Greg said caulking the foam after it is dry would be the way to do it. Unfortunately I didn't and had water through out.

[artzypantz]

Thanks for the clarification rdavy!
I hope caulk will work, i hate working with caulk
Enjoy your night!
Tanya

[shadow745]

Tanya don't be afraid to tackle the caulking jobs. IMO caulk is one of the most important things in home repair/improvement. If you've seen a home stripped of all its finishing touches you'll see alot of cracks/gaps and that's where caulk really comes in nicely.

Now I will admit I don't like to work with silicone based caulks. Nasty smell (I have life threatening asthma/allergies), dries rather quickly and can't be worked with much, is a pain in the butt to wash off and clean up, etc.

I recently switched to a product from DAP called ALEX PLUS. It's a latex based caulk and works wonders and from what I've seen it stands toe to toe with any other caulk. It has no smell, can be worked with a wet finger over and over until you get the bead just right, clean up is easy with just water and it's cheaper than silicone based caulks. It is indoor/outdoor and will work for pretty much any application except maybe roof related fixes. Later!

[oldfart]

Folks I'm a little late here but wanted to offer up some thoughs. Checked on my can of Dow Great Stuff Window and Door and it mentions it is water-resistant...not water-proof. I cut a chunk away from one of my new windows and held it under water and squeezed it like a sponge and yes it absorbed some water. Now, on to my tip. Caulk around the outside of the window/door FIRST. Give it 24hrs. to set up before doing anything else. THEN...shoot the expanding foam in all the cracks&crevices. I do this for 2 reasons. #1..If I missed a spot with the caulk the foam will expand out where I can see it and I just push it back in or trim if off and re-apply caulk in that area. #2..by caulking first and letting it dry the expanding foam won't push all my carefully beaded caulking out into the yard. As far as Silicone or Latex caulking ....latex can be painted, silicone can not. Both have the same warrantee but look at what materials either adheres to and decide. Some materials the silicone adheres to better. (vinyl siding for example) Down the road use the same caulking for repairs..silicone won't stick to latex caulking! Audie..the longwinded Oldfart..;

[artzypantz]

Thanks Audie!
I seem to have better luck with the latex sticking then with the silicone.
And i like the fact it can be painted. Latex seems harder to remove than silicone for me also.
Great idea on the caulk & foam steps! I should be ready to take those steps tomarrow so you've piped in just at the right time.
I have really taken alot of time doing this project and put alot of thought into it and asked alot of questions.
I am so glad i did cause i am covering all bases this way & doing a good job and its keeping the stress level down just by knowing i didn't miss a beat.
The house is a mess and supper hasn't been the best and theres a pile or two of laundry to be done, but it'll be there patiently waiting weather i do this wrong or right LOL.
I sure do appreciate the good folks here & would have never been able to do it right with out you all!
Enjoy your night & sleep well knowing you've helped a single mom do something right for her family!
Tanya

[oldfart]

Aye M'am..glad I could help. Now some thoughts about latex caulk-vs-silicone. For most applications I use the latex or latex/silicone caulking. Cleans up easier and they profess it to be paintable. I will advise..it ain't always true! I applied a tiny bead on top of all my baseboard where it touches the drywall in my home. This gives a nice smooth transition between the two surfaces and one would believe it would be easy to paint it and blend the 2 smoothly. (No unsightly gaps where the baseboard doesn't quite lay flat against the drywall... due to wrinkled walls.) Didn't happen! The joint wasn't quite what I expected and paint doesn't quite match. Matter of fact it's quite obvious. Latex caulking does not paint easilly but I can deal with it. As far as how well it bonds..roll the tube of caulking over and on the back there should be a chart that gives the bonding strength of latex-vs-silicone. It's that little square box on the top/center/rear of the tube. If you're sealing up vinyl to alum. siding take a few moments to buff the siding with a green scrubby pad to remove the oxidized paint from the alum. siding before applying either caulk. The oxidized coating prevents either caulk from adhering properly. Now carry on.. and my hats off to ye for working so hard. YMHS....Audie..the Oldfart...