using great stuff foam.

[NashansCamos]

I want to try to use the "great stuff" foam on my enclosures sort of as a summer project. I read bill strands thing about it and that was very helpful but I want more info.

I know @GoodKarma19 has a beautiful enclosure with it. I would like to hear keepers expirience with it.

Does it stick to glass or screen better? How do you cut the pot holes into it? Is it easy?

 

[ashdavisa]

In my experience, it sticks fine to glass, but I've heard of it failing before. Some people silicone a support structure (like plastic eggcrate) to the glass first to offer more grip.

I...don't think I would use it directly on the mesh. I haven't seen it done, but I assume half of it would just expand through the other side of the mesh and possibly distort it? I'm sure it'd hold, though.

 

[ashdavisa]

Oh, also, for pot holes- I've tried both placing plastic pots in the background before foaming, as well as carving holes out later. Plastic pots are way easier, but make sure you use nice rigid ones or they'll get crushed by the foam!

 

[NashansCamos]

In my experience, it sticks fine to glass, but I've heard of it failing before. Some people silicone a support structure (like plastic eggcrate) to the glass first to offer more grip.

I...don't think I would use it directly on the mesh. I haven't seen it done, but I assume half of it would just expand through the other side of the mesh and possibly distort it? I'm sure it'd hold, though.

bill strands website says that it will stick fine to screen but some might seep through... exactly what you said.

Do you just spray it directly on the glass or mesh?

 

[NashansCamos]

Oh, also, for pot holes- I've tried both placing plastic pots in the background before foaming, as well as carving holes out later. Plastic pots are way easier, but make sure you use nice rigid ones or they'll get crushed by the foam!

Do you think you could just foam the whole wall and then before it dries cut it out? with what would you cut it out with though?

 

[NashansCamos]

I'm in the uk which apparently dosent have the 'Great stuff' brand. Does anybody know this brand? fix n fill?

 

[NashansCamos]

Also I believe @The Wild One and @ajs have expirience with foam?

 

[ashdavisa]

Ah, yeah, it does look like he's applied it straight to mesh and it turned out fine. Cool
But yeah, just spray directly on whatever surface you're coating.

You can't carve into it before it's cured- it comes out as a sticky, goopy substance that dries hard. Even if the outside seems dry, the inside could still be curing. I've stuck my fingers into a gooey uncured foam bubble a few too many times..

 

[NashansCamos]

You can't carve into it before it's cured- it comes out as a sticky, goopy substance that dries hard. Even if the outside seems dry, the inside could still be curing. I've stuck my fingers into a gooey uncured foam bubble a few too many times..

ok how would you recommend cutting pot holes?

 

[NashansCamos]

@DeremensisBlue any input?

 

[ashdavisa]

Once the foam is dry, use knives/razors/spoons to carve and scoop out the solid foam and then poke a hole through the bottom for drainage. The angles can be awkward, and you have to have the foam built up thick enough in the first place (If you apply thick blobs of foam in these areas, wait a day or two before carving. The inside doesn't cure very well after a couple inches).

 

[NashansCamos]

Once the foam is dry, use knives/razors/spoons to carve and scoop out the solid foam and then poke a hole through the bottom for drainage. The angles can be awkward, and you have to have the foam built up thick enough in the first place (If you apply thick blobs of foam in these areas, wait a day or two before carving. The inside doesn't cure very well after a couple inches).

ok thanks so it's still cuttable even after it dries?

 

[ashdavisa]

Yes! Absolutely.

 

[MissSkittles]

I did Hammlet’s Repti Breeze with Great Stuff. I used plastic light diffuser/egg crate which I had secured to the screen frame for support. I can’t imagine trying to carve out places for plant pots...lots of unnecessary work imo. Is so much easier to secure the pots where you want them and them foam then foam them in. I copied what I’ve seen many do and drilled a hole in the bottom of my pot and stuck large aquarium tubing thru and extending about 6-8” out for the drainage. Is easier to foam and then have the drainage tubing sticking out, which you can then trim.

 

[ajs]

I've used it once and I only covered the side of the pot that was visible, so I left the drainage holes uncovered by foam.

I used regular cheap plastic plant pots from lowes.

 

[NashansCamos]

I did Hammlet’s Repti Breeze with Great Stuff. I used plastic light diffuser/egg crate which I had secured to the screen frame for support. I can’t imagine trying to carve out places for plant pots...lots of unnecessary work imo. Is so much easier to secure the pots where you want them and them foam then foam them in. I copied what I’ve seen many do and drilled a hole in the bottom of my pot and stuck large aquarium tubing thru and extending about 6-8” out for the drainage. Is easier to foam and then have the drainage tubing sticking out, which you can then trim.

ok can you do that with both glass and screen?

 

[NashansCamos]

ok can you do that with both glass and screen?

like securing it to the side of the cage? How would you do that?

 

[DeremensisBlue]

@DeremensisBlue any input?

The foam will stick to most anything, but not necessarily hold weight. Every foam feature I have done that holds a plant or weight is really just foam around Dragon Ledges or a branch structure already in place. The foam will not adhere to a flat side of the cage enough to hold weight.

It comes out like shaving cream. Once it hardens it can be carved. I have carved small planters and pot holes into it with a knife. As long as the foam has had the chance to anchor itself to something solid it can handle the weight of small plants

 

[NashansCamos]

The foam will not adhere to a flat side of the cage enough to hold weight.

Really? So you're saying that you can't spray it directly on to one of the cage walls? I think i've seen some enclosures that do it like that....?

Dosent your website have that as well? The image on the website is sort of what i'm aiming for

 

[NashansCamos]

Or is that because of the dragon ledges?