Are you getting ready to seal your home up with some expanding polyurethane foam? Here are a few tips to use that will help to make the process a more positive experience overall:

Look for a Pest Resistance Label

If you are sealing up cracks or holes in your home that are exposed to the outside world, you need to make sure that pests can't keep getting through once everything is sealed up. Unfortunately, not all expanding foam products are pest resistant. In fact, pests can get right through many foams on the market—even after they are fully cured. But luckily, there are some products on the market that are made to create a solid barrier that pests can't get through. If you're worried about pests, make sure the label on your chosen expanding foam specifically states that it is pest resistant.

Extend Your Reach

It can be tough to reach corners and ceiling areas with just the straw applicator that comes with many expanding polyurethane foams products. You can expect your reach and make the application process a lot easier on your back by attaching a basic tube that you can buy at your local home improvement store. Just measure the width of the nozzle on your expanding foam container then buy a tube that's slightly bigger in width. You should be able to slip the tube over the applicator nozzle to extend your reach as far as the tube is long.

Keep an Acetone Cleaner Handy

Expanding foam can be messy, but you don't have to live with the mess that's left behind if you have some acetone cleaner handy. Acetone cleaner can be used to wipe away any foam that ends up where you don't want it before it cures. As long as the foam is still moist, the acetone should break it down and pull it up off wood, plastic, and glass. So, if you get some expanding foam on a window or a wall panel where it shouldn't be, just wipe it away with the help of paper towels and some acetone cleaner.

Invest in Some Accessories

You can make the job of sealing your home easier and more convenient by investing in a couple of handy accessories. First, purchase a paint tray to put your foam can in when it isn't being used. If you put it directly on the ground, the foam can expand in the can within seconds and leave a mess to clean up later. Secondly, invest in a caulking gun. Doing so will make applying the expanding foam simple, save your arm a lot of work, and help maximize the amount of foam you can get out of the container.

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