Spray Foam Tips, Tricks, & Troubleshooting – Part One: Essential Habits for Spraying Better Foam

You parked your spray foam rig before the sun came up…

Got your spray foam machine all fired up…

Dragged your ton-of-bricks spray hose up to the attic of this 2-story building…

And finally…

Pulled the trigger on your spray foam gun…

Only to realize….

It freakin’ clogged up on you.

“Dat–gummit!!!” 

You scream at your spray foam gun. (Or something like that…)

“I’m so SICK. Of this happening!”

Yup – we’ve been there, bud.

That scenario is enough to drive a person mad.

But before you throw in the spray foam towel…

Or just throw your spray gun across the room…

Let’s discuss some essential habits for consistently spraying great foam!

Avoid mornings like the one above. Instead, focus on fixing potential spray foam issues before they even begin.

Today, we will discuss properly maintaining your spray foam equipment, safely storing foam materials, and always preparing your tools of the trade before starting a day on the job.

Ready to vastly improve your foam spraying experience? Great!

Let’s jump in!

Creating Essential Habits as a Spray Foam Contractor

Humans are creatures of habit.

We crave structure and routine in our lives – even if we also enjoy being spontaneous!

There are some things we just do in our day-to-day lives.

Like brushing our teeth.

Or eating dinner.

We don’t think hard about these habits – we just do them.

That’s that.  

Now, don’t get hung up on the word “habit.”

Doing something regularly – the basic idea behind the forming a habit – isn’t always boring or tedious.

Sometimes, it can be – sure.

No one loves cleaning toilets, man.

But maybe you DO like fishing every Wednesday night, or going on a moose hunting trip each year, or following your favorite sports team when the season rolls around.

Those are habits, too!

We form healthy habits for many reasons – because they bring us joy, keep us healthy, or save us money or time, for instance.

Habits extend to every area of our lives, including work.

There are things we do regularly at work that aren’t necessary at home, but work-related habits can make our lives much easier while in the workplace. Some are even required by upper management.

And here’s where we get to the heart of the matter: 

Traditional jobs create structure for us, outlining the habits we are required to follow while we are on the job…but spray foam contracting is far from a “traditional” job.

As a spray foam contractor, you are the boss!

That reality can be freeing…

But unless you’re intentional about your work processes, the fact that you don’t have someone looking over your shoulder can lead to problems.

To ensure you spray the best spray foam possible, preserve your equipment for as long as possible, and save yourself headaches while on the job, we recommend you to create a set of healthy work habits for yourself!

Learning which habits to form – and which to break – within the spray foam insulation field can be overwhelming, especially when you’re just starting as a spray foam contractor.

But don’t fret! Freedom Foam & Equipment is here to help.

We understand the ups and downs of the spray foam business and want to help you create a healthy set of habits surrounding your spray foam contracting business – so you can spray the best foam possible every single time!

The first healthy habit that we recommend? Performing stellar equipment maintenance!

Maintaining Spray Foam Equipment

Spraying better foam begins with taking care of your equipment.

Now, we know spraying foam isn’t a clean job.

Spray foamers aren’t “cleanliness is next to godliness” sorts of people, generally speaking.

We aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty.

But ya know?

Some things are important to take care of.

You’ve invested a lot in becoming a spray foam contractor – it’s worth taking seriously.

Especially since you don’t have a boss breathing down your throat and making rules about cleaning equipment for you.

It’s all you, dude.

(That’s the beauty of all this, right??)

So.

As you might guess, we highly recommend cleaning your spray foam gun after EVERY time you use it.

That way, it will be clean and ready to use each time you’re ready to start spraying.  (Nice idea, right!?)

A clean spray foam gun is MUCH less likely to clog up on you – and we all know that less clogs mean a better day on the job.

We also recommend taking care of your spray hose and your spray foam machine!

How, you ask?

Inspect your spray hose every time you put it back into your spray foam rig.  You have to handle it anyway – make good use of that time, and check for any obvious issues.

Lubricate your spray foam machine’s pump shafts regularly and remove any foam buildup that might have accumulated on your machine – especially around the any essential electronic elements.

The basic idea here?  Don’t rush off and leave a mess in your spray foam rig.

Instead, set yourself up for success on every job by ensuring things are clean and ready to go for next time!

You won’t regret it – trust us.

What other preparations do we recommend for spraying fantastic foam?  Ensuring proper equipment and foam material storage.

Spray Foam Material & Equipment Storage

Spray foam material is not indestructible. 

It is a concoction of carefully-measured chemicals that, when mixed together, create your livelihood!

Your livelihood is not something you want to leave out in the cold, or the rain, or the boiling noon-day sun.

Nah, man!

You gotta to take care of what puts food on your table!

That includes your equipment AND your spray foam materials.

Storing foam material outside can wreak havoc on chemicals they contain. Exposing barrels to the elements can lead to faulty foam…

And faulty foam means a HUGE waste of time and money.

So.  

We recommend storing your spray foam materials in a climate-controlled environment at all times.

Your spray foam equipment is necessary for you to spray foam and make a living…and spray foam materials are what you spray through that equipment.

Both are worth taking care of!

Okay.  That’s all we’ll say about that.

Time to prepare for a day on the job!

Preparing to Spray for the Day – Healthy On-The-Job Habits

Before you start a spray foam insulation job spraying for the day, ensure that your spray foam gun is clean. If you didn’t clean it after the last time you used it, clean it before you start.

Why?

Because the mixing chamber of the spray foam gun is VERY small. If even a tiny bit of gunk is blocking that cavity, you will end up with a plug – and no one needs that in the morning.

Seriously. No one.

Is your spray foam gun clean? Good!

Next, switch on the preheaters and the hose heat for your spray foam machine – but NOT the spray foam machine pump. Only the heaters. 

Letting the heaters warm up completely before you start spraying for the day means the foam you spray will be warm from the get-go – and warm foam means happy foam!

What else makes foam happy?

Flushing your iso lines before you start your day and – if you’re spraying open-cell foam – stirring your B-side.  Both of these things can be done while your preheaters and hose warm up.

Perfect, right!?

Let’s start by discussing how to flush your A-side lines.

Flush Your Iso Lines Before You Spray

When A-side is exposed to air or water, it crystallizes.

And crystals in your iso are bad news – for your spray foam gun, in particular.

Those pretty little doers get into the mixing chamber of your spray gun and act like the Hoover Dam of your spray hose.

No, thanks.

To avoid crystallized iso in your lines – and, ultimately, in your spray foam gun – flush your lines before you start working.  

How?

The only way to ensure that your A-side isn’t crystallized and preparing to gum up your spray foam gun or some other part of your lines is to flush the lines before you spray.

This process takes approximately 10 min, and it’s super simple.

Make sure your clean spray foam gun is separated from the hose and your barrel pumps are on for this process (and your machine is OFF, except for the heaters and hose heat).

Then, put the end of the spray foam hose over the top of the A-side barrel. 

Carefully open ONLY the A-Side line of your spray hose over the top of the A-side barrel.

The open valve in the fluid block will cause a pressure differential, and the barrel pump will kick on, pumping fresh iso from the barrel into your hose, and emptying the A-side that was in your lines directly back into the iso barrel.

Let this run for ~10 minutes.  

When your flush is complete, simply close the fluid block valve, and your A-side is all set for the day!

Why do this at all?

Because iso is sticky!  That’s a good thing – its adhesive properties enable spray foam to stick to the substrate – but it can also cause problems in your spray foam lines and spray gun if not handled well.

Flush your iso lines every time you begin a day on the job, and you will be a happier spray foam contractor.

Guaranteed!

After ensuring only fresh, crystal-free A-side is in your spray hose, it’s time to take care of your B-side.

Stirring the B-Side of Open-Cell Spray Foam

If you are spraying open-cell foam, stirring your B-side before you start spraying each day is a must.

Using an air-powered stir tool (or something similar), give your B-side a thorough mix.  This process ensures the chemicals present in open-cell B-side are uniform throughout.

If, however, you’re spraying closed-cell foam, skip this step. The blowing agent in closed-cell foam is lost when the mixture is agitated. So, don’t mix closed-cell B-side.

Whether you’re spraying open- or closed-cell foam, take a minute to inspect the material quality in the B-side barrel. Making sure you have enough material to pull from in your barrels is essential to time management on the job!

Everything looking good?  Brilliant!

After you’ve flushed your iso lines, stirred your open-cell B-side, and reattached your spray foam gun to your spray hose, the preheaters on your spray foam machine and spray hose will be warmed up and ready to spray for the day.

Way to set yourself up for success!

Here’s to a smooth day on the job!

Conclusion

With proper equipment maintenance, safe foam material storage, and healthy on-the-job habits, you can significantly decrease the time you spend fixing issues with your spray foam setup and increase the quality of the foam you spray for your customers.

Sounds great, right?

We agree!

And we won’t stop there!

Next time, we will discuss how to diagnose the spray foam issues you might see on the job – and how to fix them.

Have questions about forming good spray foam habits? Give us a call!

Freedom Foam & Equipment is here to help you on your spray foam journey, no matter what.

Until next time, happy habit-building!