Key Points
The strong adhesive in spray foam insulation makes it hard to remove from surfaces. Get tips on why it’s a challenge and how to clean it from surfaces such as vinyl siding.
- Spray foam used for insulation or to seal gaps can be polyurethane and is adhesive, making it challenging to remove from vinyl siding.
- Use an older putty knife to gently scrape off excess foam. Be cautious not to damage the siding.
- WD-40 can help dissolve and remove residue. Apply it to the affected area and use a non-abrasive Scotch pad to scrub off the foam residue.
- WD-40 may leave an oily spot on the vinyl siding. Clean it with soap and water promptly to avoid a visible difference.
- For large affected areas, replacing the siding might be necessary if cleaning methods do not yield satisfactory results.
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Transcript
LESLIE: Now we’ve got Doug in Virginia on the line with a siding question. How can we help you?
DOUG: Yes. I had – my son’s house has some vinyl siding on it. And the folks that owned it before he did were patching something with some of the spray foam insulation – the crack-filler stuff – and it oozed out all over the siding. So I know I can go back and cut it loose, cut what’s extra stuff. But when I get down close to the vinyl, what can I clean the residue off with to make it clean without damaging the vinyl?
TOM: It’s very difficult because you get – those foams are usually polyurethane and they have real adhesive qualities to it. Real adhesive. So, what you can do is try to gently scrape it off with a putty knife. But make sure you – an older one is better because it won’t be quite so sharp. And very carefully do that.
And then, I’ve stripped off some foam – errant foam – with WD-40 as the solvent. So you might want to try that with a Scotch pad because a Scotch pad is not abrasive. But you could spray the siding with the WD-40 and then work the Scotch pad back and forth. You may find that you pull off some of that residue. It really depends on what kind of foam it is. But you’re right, once it’s dry, to cut as much of it off and then try to abrade the rest of it off. But do so with a mind not to damage the siding.
DOUG: OK. Well, I’ll give it a try. WD-40.
TOM: Yep. Try it. It’s one of the thousands of household uses for WD-40. You know, they say you only need two things in your toolkit: WD-40 and duct tape. They’re pretty close.
DOUG: Then I can go over the whole back of the house with WD-40 to revitalize the vinyl, right?
TOM: Well, I wouldn’t – if it’s the whole back of the house, I mean if you’re talking about spot-cleaning, OK. But if it’s the whole back of the house, then I think you’ve got a bigger problem. I think you’re looking at new siding.
DOUG: But would I get an oily spot when I use the WD-40 that will look different than the rest of it?
TOM: You will, you will. But soap and water will take it away.
DOUG: I guess that’ll fade, yeah.
LESLIE: That’s why it’s good for only like a little spot.
DOUG: Alright. Well, thanks a lot.
Use a spray foam that is waterproof and comes with a straw to get into the vinyl siding corners that have small gaps, and apply masking tape down both sides of the gaps so you do not stain or have too labor scraping off the excess foam off the sides. Use a semi dull knife to strip off the excess foam to make it flush with the siding, them peel off the masking tape after foam is dry. You can always paint over the foam to match your siding if you want.
Thank you for this information. There was some Great Stuff Foam stains on the yellow vinyl siding on back of our house. The stains were unsightly as the were directly facing us while sitting on the deck. I wore gloves applied WD-40 directly to the foam stains, let it sink in a few minutes and gently scrubbed along the faux grain with a Brillo Pad. After a while, the stains started to loosen and come off. I had to take my time to avoid damaging the siding, but it worked. The stains are gone! I cleaned up the residual debris using 409 Spray Cleaner and paper towels. The siding looks new again. Hope this helps another home owner out there get rid of unsightly stains,.