# great stuff as floatation foam.



## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

ok so I may be out of my mind but I thought I'd ask anyway. has anyone ever used great stuff foam, usually used to seal holes in exterior walls and such, as replacement floatation foam in there boats? I had to remove alot of the foam in my boat to get the seats and switches in and think it would be nice to replace some of it. I know its weatherproof and it does float, but would it work?

also thinking about using it on my next project if I can't find real floatation foam, plus I think it might be easier to inject foam rather then pour in.

let me know if I'm nuts.


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## marshman (Feb 9, 2007)

for flotation, as in,  your life may depend on it someday....go with 2 part marine foam....its pricey, but again....if im clinging to my kids and  my swamped boat miles from shore someday, id like to know i didnt use homededopt spraycan foam, not meant for flotation in a boat....but thats me...

we use custom built(home-built) aluminum boats around here, and noone around here no-one argues with the point of flotation...

im a sportsman, love the outdoors, love to fish, love boats...but im also a dad...use the right stuff....

but again, thats my opinion...


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

2 part would be great, but first we are talking about maybe 1/8 of a gallon of expansion foam all together, and second how do you spray 2 part up into an area and get it to stay there? the 2 part is would be great if I was building a new boat, but there has to be some kind of injectable foam for repairs.

I also never plan to be miles from shore while in a gheenoe highsider and I have a bilge pump and life jackets.


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## thresher (Dec 18, 2006)

I hate to chime in but when AC and I had bilge failure and the boat WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY sank had the factory foam not been in place you can't beat knowing that the foam is there. We were swamped by a couple of Hateras boats that were disobeying the no-wake zone and all of a sudden we're half full. The motor refused to die and we made it to dry land. If not for the gheenoe being one heck of a floater we wouldn't have been half full, we would have been ALL FULL. Gheenoes float when swamped because of their foam. If you have a chance to add foam to your boat do it. 
Thresh


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## marshman (Feb 9, 2007)

ive been swamped myself...thats why i was trying to add some 2 cents in...you want good flotation...

maybe im confused with hwat you are doing...if you removed foam, you must have/had a hole to put foam back in...i understand the part about spraying....but you can get 2 part to go uphill if you need it to...it will pour and run like the devil...


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I've already been swamped, thats why I installed the bilge pump and test it as part of my pre outing check list, the foam I have left in there is enough to keep me upright in an emergency but gets my gear deep-6ed. the hole I used to get the foam out is vertical, so the only way to pour in expansion foam in to sit the gheenoe on it's nose up in the air, which I'm not going to do, and then flip it on its transom. 

ok lets modify the subject here. lets say you wanted foam where pouring is not an option AT ALL, what would you do?


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## marshman (Feb 9, 2007)

that would depend on how bad i wanted foam in that hole.... ;D ;D ;D


we flip our boats over on blocks and then crawl under to pour foam...id stand it on end if i needed to(thats what i meant by getting foam to run uphill...lol)..........but thats me...im gonna back down out of this topic.....maybe someone else around here will be of more help...

good luck.... ;D ;D ;D


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## grego (Oct 17, 2007)

All types of great stuff ( black,red,blue) are closed cell. If you are using a small amount it shouldt be a promlem.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

i agree with grego, as long as its closed cell it shouldn't be a problem. Not sure where the home center spray foam is on the density scale vs 2-part 2lb etc either, but it will occupy air space and contains sealed air within it so its 100% better than nothing. Its definitely convenient to use too, so I could see where it would come in handy. 

Just so we all can learn something here, once you get it in there sink your boat and let us know how it worked.


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## Jacbo (Jun 23, 2007)

Are you sure great stuff is closed cell foam? I've had firsthand experience with spray foam in marine applications and it's not "Great Stuff" as far as floatation foam goes. I ripped about 50 lbs of great stuff out of my project skiff and every bit was filled with water like a sponge.


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## grego (Oct 17, 2007)

I was told by the maker of Great stuff that all are closed cell ( called the # on the can). I neeeded it to do a repair in a wine cellar that required closed cell and to get it touched up from my  insulation contractor would have cost 1500.00.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

> I ripped about 50 lbs of great stuff out of my project skiff and every bit was filled with water like a sponge.


I know for a fact that great stuff does not soak up water cause I've used it to seal walls in home depot that were leaking and flooding the floors and also to seal chimney/roofline leaks in the past. damn 50lbs??? that would be like 40 cans of that stuff


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## No_Tide_Runner (Mar 23, 2008)

How does Great Stuff react to oil/gas exposure? Marine 2 part mixes usually account for this factor.


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

You're just talking about that little bit of foam you removed to install your seat right? I would just use the great stuff.


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