The Roofing Resource Blog

Helpful Tips to Maintain Your Adhesive Spray Foam Kit

Mon, Mar 24, 2014 @ 10:09 AM | Exterior Pro Roofing

spray foam

There are 4 main parts of the adhesive spray kit: the glue and foam tanks, the hoses, the gun, and the spray tips.

When installing the hose-lines to the tank valves, always be sure to attach the correct hose to the appropriate valve. 

Since there are two tanks, foam and adhesive glue, you do not want to mix the chemicals into the opposite lines of the hoses. It will cause a chemical reaction that will activate within the hose and ruin in the lines. 

Always make sure that both tanks are releasing the same amount of its chemical. Tanks pushing the same amount of chemical pressure will create a stronger bond adhesion, this is the proper desired result. Tanks that do not have the same chemical ration will not have the proper adhesion.

One tip is to make sure you have the proper adhesion is to check the tank nozzles and make sure both are fully opened and releasing equal streams through the hoses.

When it comes to changing the tips of the gun, there are a few helpful steps you want to keep in mind.

  1. You do not want to exceed a time span longer than forty seconds of inactivity between sprays with the same tip.
  2. A useful trick to avoid using tips up too quickly is to keep a waste bucket nearby to spray into every thirty seconds. The spray does not have to be heavy just enough to keep the tip active. If the temperature is hotter outside then spray more frequently. This is recommended because the higher the heat the adhesive can activate quicker and set up in the tip.
  3. If you are in a situation where you are going to have to wait much longer than a minute or two, it may be best to discard the tip you have been using, then install new tip when you are ready to continue.

When changing tanks there is a process you should follow for the best result.

  1. turn the tank valves to the closed position. This will stop the flow of anything left in the tanks.
  2. Using the gun, empty all the contents of the hoses by spraying into a bucket. This is to avoid creating a sticky and unpleasant mess.
  3. Create a kink in the hoses, preventing any possible leftover chemicals to run out. This is especially important with the glue residue, because it can cause the end of the glue hose line to jam and harden. hardening of the hose lines can make it much more difficult to fasten it to the tank.
  4. With the hoses still kinked, fasten the appropriate hose to the new tanks. Remember to hook the hoses up to the same previous matching chemical tanks.
  5. When the hoses are fastened securely and tightly to the new tanks, slowly turn the tanks’ nozzles to the open position. The contents will disperse through the hoses quickly.
  6. Next it is important to pressurize the hoses by spraying the gun into a bucket until you have even streams of the chemicals. Do not use a tip for this because you need to visually observe the flow of the streams to make sure they are even.
  7. after the hoses are properly hooked up you are ready to start adhering again.

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A useful bit of advice is to maintain your spray gun by simply keeping it clean.  After time and usage, the opening of the gun will begin to get filled with gunk. This can cause the hoses to release unbalanced amounts of chemicals, which can affect the integrity of the bond’s adhesion. It can be avoided by keeping the gun clean and free of sitting residue.

One way to keep the gun clean is to keep a rag or paper towel handy to wipe down the internal crevices. The more frequently you do this between changing tips, the longer your gun and hoses will perform and last.

If you do get a hardened buildup in the gun, you can use a utility knife or something small enough to scrape the residue off. it should come off easily.

Remembering to clean and maintain the gun and hoses is crucial to proper use. So make sure to spend the time it takes to keep the kit working properly in the right working condition. It will save you money, the better condition you keep your kit in the longer it will last.

All in all, maintaining your adhesive spray foam kit is not only important, it is necessary. All of these steps are to insure that your kit is working and performing the way it is intended. Fro proper assembly to simply keeping it clean, your kit should be treated with care to make sure it lasts until the last drop.

 

 

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