Other expanding foam filler options include precise products with limited expansion and reduced-waste solutions designed to last longer than conventional foams. This section will delve into the different types of expanding foam, including polyurethane, latex, and fire-resistant foams, and highlight their specific uses and benefits.

If you are fitting windows into a cavity wall, you must ensure that cavity closers are used. They help prevent heat loss and issues with mould, damp and even water ingress.

Understanding Expanding Foam Types

FENSA stands for the ‘Fenestration self-assessment scheme’. Set up by the Glass and Glazing Federation in 2002 and is a way to measure compliance with building regulations. There is also another newer certification body named CERTASS, which performs the same function. A FENSA or CERTASS certified installer will ensure that all building regulations are complied with when installing your replacement windows and will provide you with a certificate to prove this. If you do not have your windows installed by a FENSA or CERTASS certified installer, then you will need to pay for a Building Control Body to come out to inspect, and if they are satisfied, sign off your windows. For an extension, new build, or newly formed window or door opening, FENSA does not apply and you will require approval from Building Control. How do you install timber windows? Can be cut, sawn, plastered and silicone over within two hours, allowing exterior completion of the watertight seal of the building envelope Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you work with expanding foam, the more skilled you'll become at applying it. So, don't be discouraged if your first few attempts aren't perfect. Keep practising, and you'll soon master the art of applying expanding foam. Polyurethane foam on skin for example can be removed with a paper towel and any residue can be taken off with baby oil or even petroleum jelly. If this type of foam has overexpanded on solid surfaces then there are solvents such as nail polish or acetone that can be used. It is worth looking at the expanding foam’s instruction manual as there may be some guidance in there. Alternatively, the latex-based foam may require soap and water for its removal. How can I remove ‘cured’ expanding foam?

Formulated to provide a more precise foam product that only expands by between 5-10% from the bead extruded on application. Using an expanding foam with insulation properties will improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial settings. Thermofoam provides an airtight seal to reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency in buildings. Read more about complying with UK building regulations here. Do you need a FENSA certificate for wooden windows? When dealing with expanding foam, spills are inevitable. However, the key to effective cleaning lies in prompt action.Take care not to damage the window and if in any doubt hire a professional installer. Sealing your timber windows Where possible, we would always recommend the use of fixing straps. Where strap fixing is not suitable, it is possible to use direct fixings through the frame that anchor into the window reveals. When using this method, ensure that all fixings are countersunk, and ideally, you should use two-part timber filler to fill the fixing holes and redecorate over them to conceal their use. In either method of fixing, you should use only premium quality corrosion resistant fixings and always drill pilot holes to ensure their precise location and to minimise the likelihood of damage to the timber.