The Family Handyman – August 2019

FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM JULY/AUGUST 2019 59

ANTI-PEST

These formulas are designed to keep

out mice, birds, insects and other

undesirables. Some versions are for

interior use only, while others can also

be used outside. $7 for a 12-oz. can.

WINDOWS
AND DOORS
You can seal a
window or door
with all-purpose
foam, but it’s a
little risky. The
expansive pressure
may push the jamb
inward, making the
window or door
hard to operate.
This foam’s low-
pressure expansion
prevents that.
Although mini-
mally expansive, it
performs just as
well as conven-
tional foams in pre-
venting air and
moisture leaks. $7
for a 12-oz. can.

LANDSCAPE

AND POND

This filler/adhesive

bonds to stone

blocks, wood and

most pond materi-

als, including rocks,

but they must be

dry when it’s

applied. It’s safe

around fish, and

because it’s black,

it’s less visible in the

gaps between

stones. And it stays

black even when

exposed to sunlight,

unlike all-purpose

foams that turn

rusty orange

and become crum-

bly unless they

are painted.

Manufacturer-

suggested applica-

tions include filling

gaps in rock walls

and plugging holes

and cracks in trees.

$10 for a 12-oz. can.

ADHESIVES

All polyurethane

foams have adhesive

properties, but some

are intended to bond

materials such as sub-

floors, drywall or roof-

ing, even in cold

weather or when

materials are wet.

Dispensing adhesive

foam from a can is

faster than applying

adhesive with a caulk-

ing gun. It also pro-

vides more coverage:

One 12-oz. can yields

the same as eight

10-oz. tubes of con-

struction adhesive.

This adhesive col-

lapses into a sticky gel

instead of expanding,

and compresses as you

bond materials. $20

for a 12-oz. can.

WHAT ELSE CAN

YOU DO WITH FOAM?

To see some creative uses for

expanding foam, search for “spray

foam” at familyhandyman.com.