Large Scale Central

Help! Foam Insulation Adhesive....

General Discussion
#1

I spent some time on my kinda day off working on the rock/tunnel areas at the end of my mountain freight yard, and, in the process of gluing together some 2" insulation foam, I went through an entire tube of the recommended foam adhesive…at this rate, at the cost of each tube, I’ll be broke by Friday.

I suppose I could use less adhesive; will a dab or two here and there hold the pieces in place?

But my question is: can I use white polymer glue (aka elmer’s glue)? Won’t it work just as well? I hope so because I’ve got gallons of it and it won’t break my savings account.

Thanks.

Second question: Can’t the dog find somewhere else to take an afternoon nap?

#2

White glue like Elmers should work if your not going to be moving it around once built but…

My experience with Elmers glue is that its difficult for it to dry when gluing foam together as air can’t easily reach it. I found I would glue two pieces together, then leave it for 24hrs for it to dry then do the next pieces and so on, very time consuming. I found using caulking worked best as it gave a better grip than Elmers, with same dry time.

#3

I’ve used hot glue (the lower temp craft store gun) with success. Doesn’t take a lot.

#4

Plain old painters caulk works very well

#5

John,

Liquid Nails Panel & Foam adhesive is what you need. It’s made to not “EAT” into the foam.

#6

For glueing foam together I first peal off the clear plastic coating on the foam. Then I rough up the surface with some coarse sandpaper or score the surface with a hobby knife. For small pieces, I use tightbond wood glue, but it takes a while to dry. For larger pieces, I use great stuff. I spray some onto one piece of foam, then quickly press the other piece in place, wiggling it around to squish the bubbles out of the great stuff and spread it around. Since great stuff is faom, it will bond to the foam, it bonds to almost anything, and since it doesnt need air to dry, the parts are bonded together much quicker then using glue.

#7

Maynard, is this the stuff you’re talking about? If it is, and it works, I think it’s the solution I’ve been looking for forever:

“Forms a permanent weather-tight seal to minimize drafts and insect infestation and has exceptional adhesion to building materials
GREAT STUFF Gaps and Cracks can be used in Interior or exterior application and is tack free in 15 minutes; Trims in 30-60 minutes. It’s paintable, sandable, and stainable
Cures as a cream colored, rigid foam. Ease of application results from all direction dispensing
One 16 oz. can equals up to 30 tubes (9 qt.) of caulk
Foam elasticity properties allows for movement and shifting within a structure”

I like the idea of replacing 30 tubes of caulk and the curing properties. (Thanks for the responses everybody. I’m trying to stay away from the tubes because of the cost, and I don’t like the idea, after hearing what you’re saying, of glue with the wait and difficulty of drying.)

#8

Maybe this method would not be the best way: (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-32201995

#9

John yes that that’s the stuff. I use it for large projects, and it works well. You have to press the bubbles out of Great stuff, since Great stuff likes to foam up with bubbles in it. Like I said, press the 2 sheets of insulation foam together and squish the great stuff around between them. Also, the tube on the Great Stuff can will clog up, with dried Great Stuff, so don’t expect to use the can of Great Stuff again another day. Most times I can use it again another day, sometimes I can’t. So its best to line up as many foam gluing projects as you can. You don’t have to rush through the projects, but its nice to knock a few out with just one can.

Also Great stuff has an expiration date. I stocked up when Lowe’s had a sale, and then I tried to use one of them cans like a year later, and it didn’t work. Just an FYI.

As for the dog sleeping in the middle of the activity, its a dog thing. They don’t want to miss anything important, so they like to be right there, even when they are taking a nap.

#10

I’ve had great success with white glue, Elmer’s or Titetbond II. I used shish kabob meat skewers to hold in place while drying. After 24 hours, you can carefully remove some for re-use and can nip some off to stay in place. Put them in at different angles and they bind against each other.