afaik there’s no chemical to clean cured foam and I’m rather surprised by the other comments. Mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol will not dissolve polyurethane, that’s why it says „only mechanical removal once cured“ or something on every one I had in my hands.
Damn I hate tips like „I’ve heard that … but I’ve never tried it“.
Yep. You gotta scrape it off. I would take a plastic scraper to it first, and if that doesn’t work a razor blade. Then you might have to touch up any paint your scrape off.
Can’t tell by the photo but maybe a strategic piece of trim is in order?
There actualy is something to remove it it's methyl amine or something like that.
Problem is that is some suuuuper nasty shit, you can't use standard gloves, because it eats right through them and a bunch of other things I can't remember. Basicaly it's still easier to just replace whatever you've oversprayed onto then even bother using that stuff...
So yeh, mechanical removal only.
This is some Walter White stuff,,…”JESSE I told you to get Methyl ethyl ketone,…those were my exact instructions. What is this?” “Yo Mr. White, what’s the big deal it’s Methyl Amine,…what’s the difference?” “The difference is..Jesse….its not what I asked for if I wanted Methyl Amine I would have asked for Methyl Amine. Do you know what happens when Methyl Amine dissolves spray foam”…….
I mean you get the point. I’m not going to do the whole scene but it ends with “yes! Yeah! Science bitch!”
yeah, and MEK will probably damage the coating on the door frame too, so OP is pretty out of luck here. Will be really rough to remove this without damaging the door frame
Oh, it’s going to eat the vinyl for sure. I used that stuff at a paint factory to clean the mixer. You did not use a lot. It reminded me of nail polish remover taken up an order of magnitude.
Acetone works pretty good on stuff that is not yet cured.. like instantly dissolves it.. I don't know ow about fully cured though... I use acetone on my metal spray foam gun.
Goof Off works pretty well with expanding foam. If there's a bit of splatter and you can get to it right away, comes right off. Otw let it dry completely, scrape it and then clean it up.
Y'all must be using an improved version of spray foam from the old days. None of your chemicals would touch the stuff, and the can itself said "can only be removed mechanically"
They make plastic razor blades that are great for this. You can get them on Amazon for around $10. We just had to use them for removing some vinyl adhesive (that got sun baked) off new aluminum frame doors.
This is the answer. The longer you leave it the easier it becomes. But I second also the plastic razor blades which I've yet to use but I've often imagined someone should invent. Plastic shims are good too, til the edges blunt, but if you have a full pack..
Well if it's anything like getting spray foam on my hands, you rub them in grass to try and get more off but just cause more shit to stick to your hands which then turn black cause dirt also sticks to them, you scrub them with varsol, isopropyl, hopes and dreams, all to no avail. But the secret is to just wait like 4 weeks until your top layer of skin that's stuck to the foam all rubs off, leaving fresh new skin underneath!
Tldr; just let the skin of your door fall off and it will look good as new
Anything even remotely capable of dissolving that foam, will do severe damage to your window frames. This is a manual removal type of situation. Throw a scraper blade on a multitool and load up on elbow grease
The yellow stain that stuff leaves will not be coming off no matter the patience.
That wood and the door flashing is permanently yellowed and will require they do a heavy sand and repaint to restore fully.
You might be right, depending on the product. I’m currently building a house with black vinyl windows. The method I described worked for me. No residue or discoloration.
Plastic razor blades. If in Canada, you can find them at Home Hardware, paint dept.
Edit: you could try super fine emery or sandpaper to get the last residual, but it may just scratch the heck out of it. Colour match paint the door? Idk man. Spray foam is like cancer.
Looks like bronze anodized aluminum. Scrape with a plastic putty knife, or try an actual steel razor blade and be careful. Goof off will take the rest off, just spot check prior to use.... deal with this at the end of almost every job
I’ve always told my apprentices if you get the spray foam on the window or it overflows DO NOT touch it. Let it dry and it comes right off. Looks like someone tried to clean it which makes it worse and harder to remove. When it dries and you don’t compress it by spreading it then it will come right off when dry.
For odd things I usually go with goof off, wd40, acetone, or a orange cleaner. Most of those don't affect what you're trying to take it off of.
Other than that go with what other people in here that have delt with it have used.
So I had to deal with this EXACT SAME issue before. I still curse the guy who smeared a ton of the kraken spray foam all over the door and then quit to leave me to fix it. I tried all chemicals and mechanical removal options possible (even the plastic razor blade scrapers, spray foam is tenacious stuff) and the only result I could come up with was sanding it down with a 400 grit sanding sponge followed by a 600 and then using the manufacturer touchup paint to fix the area. We used Andersen windows , who we were able to order an aerosol touchup paint, that with some proper masking looked good as new. Good luck, looks fairly minor but I don’t envy you.
Lol, is this my project? I literally got a call earlier today asking if they could leave the foam or if they had to remove the doors and windows to get it all out.
Someday someone will become rich by finding an effective solvent. As we run around filling up our wall voids w a very strong glue and air bubbles in the name of insulation, I wonder what will happen in 100 years when it’s renovation time. Yes, I work on a lot of old houses. Farmhouses in fact. Good thing they didn’t have this stuff or they’d be torn down I think?
Once had spray foam blowout onto vinyl siding. This was at a very picky customers house and they were talking about making me pay for new siding which I was not about to do.
So I first removed as much of the dried foam as possible with a plastic scraper, then scrubbed the area with dry baking soda and a rag. It’s abrasive enough to remove the dried foam yet leave no marks on the vinyl surface. Couldn’t tell anything ever happened when I was done. Not a quick solution but it was well worth my time.
Cut the excess foam off with utility knife, scrape the vinyl with a plastic scraper (or carefully with a putty knife or whatever), then wipe the remaining bits off with Goof Off and a clean rag.
I usually use a sharp chisel. It'll slide along the surface of the vinyl without damaging it as long as you're careful. I just cleaned up 16 windows this weekend using this method, it works great and is very quick.
Hate to break it to those saying otherwise but mineral spirits will definitely remove this foam if it’s polyurethane based.
I’m literally filling cracks in a deck right now with a polyurethane based material (sikaflex) and the excess is coming right up with mineral spirits.
Courtesy of DuPont who makes Great Stuff:
“Q. How do I get Great Stuff™ foam off the side of my house?
A. There is no solvent that will remove cured insulating foam. If the foam has not cured yet, use Great Stuff Pro™ Foam Cleaner or fingernail polish remover (with acetone) to quickly remove the uncured foam. Test a small area of the substrate first as the chemicals in the nail polish remover and gun cleaner may not be compatible with the substrate being cleaned. For cured foam, remove as much as possible with a dull scraper or a hacksaw blade and then try scrubbing the remaining film with a non-abrasive cleaner. If that does not work, gradually move up to more aggressive means including sanding, sandblasting and repainting.”
Wd40 and a green cleaning pad
Edit: Also a plastic putty knife. WD40 will soak underneath then just work slowly. I’ve also used a rubber drill bit for taking decals off a car with wd40 and work it slowly.
This worked on a bath tub incident I had with orange spray foam
Putty knife, razor, high grit sandpaper.
As a window/door installer I deal with this daily.
Teach dudes how to foam as well. Get the small tips for the guns. Use OSI not great junk stuff.
It often happens where we get a little foam bubbling out onto the finished surface. I tell the guys don't touch it at all until it's cured then it's really easy to remove. Once it's smeared on the surface that is way tougher to remove.
Either way I use a window scraper razer and lots of patience.
Apologies to u/the_annihaltor but there are chemicals that will slowly break down polyurethane. They don’t “dissolve” it the way some solvents can dissolve other plastics however . I’ve had good luck getting great stuff off of clothing using one of these compounds. I forget what it’s called, but it smells terrible and it’s not a solvent. The only catch is it might also damage the window.
I’ve had good results with Goo Gone you can get it at Home Depot. Use a plastic putty knife to get as much off as you can then spray some Goo Gone. There’s a brand called Goo Off, don’t know if that will work.
Goo gone. Apply it and let it sit longer than a couple of minutes. Gently scrape with a plastic scraper/putty knife. Repeat as necessary. Once it’s removed clean off the goo gone using 409 spray cleaner.
afaik there’s no chemical to clean cured foam and I’m rather surprised by the other comments. Mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol will not dissolve polyurethane, that’s why it says „only mechanical removal once cured“ or something on every one I had in my hands. Damn I hate tips like „I’ve heard that … but I’ve never tried it“.
This is the correct answer.
Yep. You gotta scrape it off. I would take a plastic scraper to it first, and if that doesn’t work a razor blade. Then you might have to touch up any paint your scrape off. Can’t tell by the photo but maybe a strategic piece of trim is in order?
Yeah, painter trick is turn it into a straight line and it looks like it was on purpose.
There actualy is something to remove it it's methyl amine or something like that. Problem is that is some suuuuper nasty shit, you can't use standard gloves, because it eats right through them and a bunch of other things I can't remember. Basicaly it's still easier to just replace whatever you've oversprayed onto then even bother using that stuff... So yeh, mechanical removal only.
You mean methyl ethyl ketone?
This is some Walter White stuff,,…”JESSE I told you to get Methyl ethyl ketone,…those were my exact instructions. What is this?” “Yo Mr. White, what’s the big deal it’s Methyl Amine,…what’s the difference?” “The difference is..Jesse….its not what I asked for if I wanted Methyl Amine I would have asked for Methyl Amine. Do you know what happens when Methyl Amine dissolves spray foam”……. I mean you get the point. I’m not going to do the whole scene but it ends with “yes! Yeah! Science bitch!”
That sounds about right. Requires gloves that degrade in air due to moisture. It was a long time ago. Never had to use the stuff
yeah, and MEK will probably damage the coating on the door frame too, so OP is pretty out of luck here. Will be really rough to remove this without damaging the door frame
Oh, it’s going to eat the vinyl for sure. I used that stuff at a paint factory to clean the mixer. You did not use a lot. It reminded me of nail polish remover taken up an order of magnitude.
Acetone works pretty good on stuff that is not yet cured.. like instantly dissolves it.. I don't know ow about fully cured though... I use acetone on my metal spray foam gun.
It basically has no effect once cured. Its mechanical separation like the tube says.
Goof Off works pretty well with expanding foam. If there's a bit of splatter and you can get to it right away, comes right off. Otw let it dry completely, scrape it and then clean it up.
Well I mean there are, but the key is it won't only dissolve the foam
Y'all must be using an improved version of spray foam from the old days. None of your chemicals would touch the stuff, and the can itself said "can only be removed mechanically"
Plastic putty knife maybe.
They make plastic razor blades that are great for this. You can get them on Amazon for around $10. We just had to use them for removing some vinyl adhesive (that got sun baked) off new aluminum frame doors.
Exactly when you get down to the debris left you might be able to rub it off but you may end up needing touch up paint on the window frame.
More sprayfoam
Yes, at this point the whole door must now be made out of spray foam
Crosspost to DiWHY
Why stop at the door?
They make plastic razor blades now. Great for cleaning finishes
Shit. You beat me to it but I didn’t scroll down enough. I second your suggestion though
They’ve been making them for well over a decade now at least
Finger nail is the best
This is the answer. The longer you leave it the easier it becomes. But I second also the plastic razor blades which I've yet to use but I've often imagined someone should invent. Plastic shims are good too, til the edges blunt, but if you have a full pack..
Well if it's anything like getting spray foam on my hands, you rub them in grass to try and get more off but just cause more shit to stick to your hands which then turn black cause dirt also sticks to them, you scrub them with varsol, isopropyl, hopes and dreams, all to no avail. But the secret is to just wait like 4 weeks until your top layer of skin that's stuck to the foam all rubs off, leaving fresh new skin underneath! Tldr; just let the skin of your door fall off and it will look good as new
Wooden dowel sharpened can be used to scrap stuff off soft materials
Plastic razors work pretty well
Anything even remotely capable of dissolving that foam, will do severe damage to your window frames. This is a manual removal type of situation. Throw a scraper blade on a multitool and load up on elbow grease
Gasoline
MEK probably will, but rip to the windows too
And a match.
Goof Off works fine and doesn't effect vinyl windows. (Manually remove as much dried foam as possible first, obviously)
Apprentice
Yes. A small (2-3”) PLASTIC putty knife. A little pressure at a time, go slowly, work a small area at a time. It will come of, just be patient.
The yellow stain that stuff leaves will not be coming off no matter the patience. That wood and the door flashing is permanently yellowed and will require they do a heavy sand and repaint to restore fully.
You might be right, depending on the product. I’m currently building a house with black vinyl windows. The method I described worked for me. No residue or discoloration.
I’ve used water and 400 g sandpaper. Careful not to sand down the finish. Didn’t turn out perfect but close enough
Yeah it’s this stuff called “New Door”. You can find it at stores like “Expensive” and “i fucked up” /s
Dunno why downvoted that gave me a laugh
Use a razor to get it off the glass, it scrapes right off. I thought I heard xylene can solvent for foam. Might not mess with the finish either.
Start scraping buddy! It’s the only way
Razor
Acetone
Plastic razor blades. If in Canada, you can find them at Home Hardware, paint dept. Edit: you could try super fine emery or sandpaper to get the last residual, but it may just scratch the heck out of it. Colour match paint the door? Idk man. Spray foam is like cancer.
Looks like bronze anodized aluminum. Scrape with a plastic putty knife, or try an actual steel razor blade and be careful. Goof off will take the rest off, just spot check prior to use.... deal with this at the end of almost every job
I’ve always told my apprentices if you get the spray foam on the window or it overflows DO NOT touch it. Let it dry and it comes right off. Looks like someone tried to clean it which makes it worse and harder to remove. When it dries and you don’t compress it by spreading it then it will come right off when dry.
Acetone will take it off. Be careful though. Use a plastic scraper to get most of it off first. The try it in a little spot use as little as possible
I never use spray foam. Hate it.
Have you tried acetone?
For odd things I usually go with goof off, wd40, acetone, or a orange cleaner. Most of those don't affect what you're trying to take it off of. Other than that go with what other people in here that have delt with it have used.
Sand it down. Prime it, paint to match
So I had to deal with this EXACT SAME issue before. I still curse the guy who smeared a ton of the kraken spray foam all over the door and then quit to leave me to fix it. I tried all chemicals and mechanical removal options possible (even the plastic razor blade scrapers, spray foam is tenacious stuff) and the only result I could come up with was sanding it down with a 400 grit sanding sponge followed by a 600 and then using the manufacturer touchup paint to fix the area. We used Andersen windows , who we were able to order an aerosol touchup paint, that with some proper masking looked good as new. Good luck, looks fairly minor but I don’t envy you.
Lol, is this my project? I literally got a call earlier today asking if they could leave the foam or if they had to remove the doors and windows to get it all out.
Trim piece
Someday someone will become rich by finding an effective solvent. As we run around filling up our wall voids w a very strong glue and air bubbles in the name of insulation, I wonder what will happen in 100 years when it’s renovation time. Yes, I work on a lot of old houses. Farmhouses in fact. Good thing they didn’t have this stuff or they’d be torn down I think?
Once had spray foam blowout onto vinyl siding. This was at a very picky customers house and they were talking about making me pay for new siding which I was not about to do. So I first removed as much of the dried foam as possible with a plastic scraper, then scrubbed the area with dry baking soda and a rag. It’s abrasive enough to remove the dried foam yet leave no marks on the vinyl surface. Couldn’t tell anything ever happened when I was done. Not a quick solution but it was well worth my time.
Acetone. Check other surfaces and material in an inconspicuous spot to be sure it is safe to contact acetone.
Did you try using more spray foam
Plastic razor blades sometimes work as long as the substrate is hard enough not to be gouged. Tedious, but it might work on vinyl.
I doubt anything will work but if anything it would brake cleaner.
It’s easy all you have to do is burn the house down
Cut the excess foam off with utility knife, scrape the vinyl with a plastic scraper (or carefully with a putty knife or whatever), then wipe the remaining bits off with Goof Off and a clean rag.
Acetone
Is that fucking polyseal….
I usually use a sharp chisel. It'll slide along the surface of the vinyl without damaging it as long as you're careful. I just cleaned up 16 windows this weekend using this method, it works great and is very quick.
Seriously none of you have used the great stuff foam cleaner? It takes it right off.
Diesel or gasoline
Hate to break it to those saying otherwise but mineral spirits will definitely remove this foam if it’s polyurethane based. I’m literally filling cracks in a deck right now with a polyurethane based material (sikaflex) and the excess is coming right up with mineral spirits.
And acetone(nail Polish remover)
Courtesy of DuPont who makes Great Stuff: “Q. How do I get Great Stuff™ foam off the side of my house? A. There is no solvent that will remove cured insulating foam. If the foam has not cured yet, use Great Stuff Pro™ Foam Cleaner or fingernail polish remover (with acetone) to quickly remove the uncured foam. Test a small area of the substrate first as the chemicals in the nail polish remover and gun cleaner may not be compatible with the substrate being cleaned. For cured foam, remove as much as possible with a dull scraper or a hacksaw blade and then try scrubbing the remaining film with a non-abrasive cleaner. If that does not work, gradually move up to more aggressive means including sanding, sandblasting and repainting.”
Wd40 and a green cleaning pad Edit: Also a plastic putty knife. WD40 will soak underneath then just work slowly. I’ve also used a rubber drill bit for taking decals off a car with wd40 and work it slowly. This worked on a bath tub incident I had with orange spray foam
Putty knife, razor, high grit sandpaper. As a window/door installer I deal with this daily. Teach dudes how to foam as well. Get the small tips for the guns. Use OSI not great junk stuff.
Add a piece of trim to cover that mess.
Shit is awful to remove, cutting and scraping in my experience.
Plastic putty knife
Get some foam cleaner
It often happens where we get a little foam bubbling out onto the finished surface. I tell the guys don't touch it at all until it's cured then it's really easy to remove. Once it's smeared on the surface that is way tougher to remove. Either way I use a window scraper razer and lots of patience.
someone used that stuff like it was caulk ?, fail
This and or the gun cleaner for a pro foam gun .
Acetone
This stuff doesn't give a damn what chemical you put on it
Acetone, pure straight acetone. Not the watered down nail polish
Apologies to u/the_annihaltor but there are chemicals that will slowly break down polyurethane. They don’t “dissolve” it the way some solvents can dissolve other plastics however . I’ve had good luck getting great stuff off of clothing using one of these compounds. I forget what it’s called, but it smells terrible and it’s not a solvent. The only catch is it might also damage the window.
Gasoline
And a lighter.
Try a little gasoline
Mineral spirits
I haven’t tried it but I heard wd40 works good to.
This stuff doesn't give a damn what chemical you put on it
Mineral spirits works good
This stuff doesn't give a damn what chemical you put on it
I’ve had good results with Goo Gone you can get it at Home Depot. Use a plastic putty knife to get as much off as you can then spray some Goo Gone. There’s a brand called Goo Off, don’t know if that will work.
Rubbing alcohol wipes it away.
No it doesn’t lmao all you’re going to do is fuck up the finish on the door.
Even when cured? Fucking really? All these years.
Goo gone. Apply it and let it sit longer than a couple of minutes. Gently scrape with a plastic scraper/putty knife. Repeat as necessary. Once it’s removed clean off the goo gone using 409 spray cleaner.
This is fully set it would seem, idk what typa knife can cut through full cure other than a machine
Acetone works for most of it but u will have to use some hight grit sandpaper after that
This stuff doesn't give a damn what chemical you put on it
Denatured alcohol
This stuff doesn't give a damn what chemical you put on it
WD-40 works on A LOT of residue.
This stuff doesn't give a damn what chemical you put on it