Working on home projects seems like an easy task. Using tools at your disposal with extra help is a big bonus. You can practically cure, fill and repair anything in your home. But that happens only when you have the right things to use.
Expanding foam is one such tool to use. One squirt of it will help you fill out any gap. The only thing to keep in mind is that you need to be careful with it.
See, expanding foam acts as a filling for gaps and helps you create insulation. Use too much of it and you stand to ruin your project. Once you add the expanding foam inside and leave it there, it will continue to expand.
And when it continues to expand, it can crack the wood and create abrasions on the surface. That said, it makes it exceptionally crucial for you to learn how to remove expanding foam from wood.
Why do you need the right way to remove expanding foam from wood?
Expanding foam helps you get your work done very easily. Also, expanding foam helps in reducing your work. But that is only when you make use of it prudently.
But once you add the foam and are not careful with removing it, you may end up causing damage. Although most woodworking enthusiasts love to sand off the extra expanding foam, it is not recommended.
If you sand the excess of the expanding foam, then you will end up curing the expanding foam. Removing cured expanding foam will only need more work.
And this is why the best answer to the question of how to remove expanding foam from wood is to remove it when it is still wet. Removing the expanding foam when it is dry is a no-fuss affair.
How to remove expanding foam from wood: A Step-by-Step Guide
Before we get into the steps on how to remove expanding foam from wood, here are the things:
- An artist’s knife.
- A clean cloth.
- Acetone.
- Some water.
Step 1: Preparing the Surface
The first step is to work fast. When you begin looking for the easiest answer to how to remove expanding foam from wood, start quick.
Do not wait for the expanding foam to dry. So, by preparing the surface we mean cleaning out the excess of the expanding foam. Make use of an artist’s knife to remove the excess.
If you do not have an artist’s knife, you can easily make use of any other kind of sharp object. Make sure that whatever tool you use, you get the excess out. This will help you in the next steps.
Step 2: Using a moist cloth
The next step in our how to remove expanding foam from wood guide is to moisten a cloth with acetone.
Acetone is a solvent, liquid, which helps you dissolve different types of materials. And that is why it is perfect to remove unnecessary parts of expanding foam.
Just moisten the cloth with the solvent to remove the excess bits of expanding foam.
Step 3: Rubbing the excess of expanding foam
This is the most crucial step of our how to remove expanding foam from wood guide. After you moisten the cloth with acetone, take the cloth to the surface. When you put the cloth on the expanding foam, gently apply some pressure.
The pressure should be strong enough to rub out the excess of expanding foam. Also, when you begin rubbing, use circular motions. This will help you to remove the excess expanding foam easily and evenly.
Remember, when you use acetone, you may have to reapply it on the cloth. Repeat the second step and this step as needed.
Step 4: Cleaning the surface
The last step in our how to remove expanding foam from wood guide is to wipe off the residue. When you use acetone on expanding foam, it will leave some residue.
So, you will have to clean the residue with a clean rag. The residue is just the excess of your expanding foam. Wipe off the remaining bits of expanding foam before you apply water on the surface.
Other things to keep in mind with removing expanding foam from wood
Apart from the steps mentioned above, there are other ways of removing excess expanding foam:
- During installation and application of expanding foam, you can remove the excess. Chances are, when you add some expanding foam you’ll notice if you added more than needed. All you need to do here is use a knife to pry the excess out before it begins to set. This will help you eliminate the other steps you may have to take later.
- For cured expanding foam, you can make use of a utility knife. Make sure that you use a brand new knife to pull out the excess expanding foam. If you think you cannot pry it out, you can sand the area. It will take a while, but you will be able to get an even surface.
- When you need to remove the foam from your skin, begin by rubbing the foam off your skin. If you see that the foam is still on your skin, you can make use of a pumice stone. This will help you remove the foam out of the grooves of your hands as well. Remember, that some flakes may take a week to shed off. If you see some flecks on your palms, don’t be alarmed. It will go away.
Conclusion
When you’re looking for an answer to how to remove expanding foam from wood, the quickest way is to act before the foam dries.
Expanding foam usually takes about one to eight hours to dry, depending on the brand you use. So, when it is wet, you can always use tools or sticks to pull out the excess. In some cases, you can even make use of your hands to remove the expanding foam from wood.
To keep the foam from sticking to your fingers, you should wear gloves.
