I’m betting you’ve never thought about it much, but it turns out there’s a right way and a wrong way to install a can of foam on a foam gun. In this Tool Tech video, Patrick McCombe teaches the proper method, which prevents foam from oozing out while it’s loaded, and gives a number of other tips for proper foam-gun use.

Inside the canister of foam is polyurethane foam with propellant. When installing the canister on a foam gun, you’re trying to prevent a reaction with moisture in the air that will cure the foam inside the gun—this reaction should only happen outside the gun. To load the gun, screw the gun on the can upside down, so no propellant can leak out. When you finish dispensing foam, wipe the tip every time. Leaving some dried on the tip and scraping it off later will mess up the valve of the foam gun. Keep a can on the gun at all times, so the moisture in the air doesn’t cure the material still in the gun. And always treat your foam gun gently when transporting—put it in a dedicated case or toolbox. If you do all these things, your gun will work for a long time and be there for you when you need it.

To learn more about foam guns, check out:

• This Tool Tech video about foam gun basics.
• Patrick’s article, “Make Your Foam Gun Last,” in FHB #269.
• You Don’t Know Foam

Senior editor Patrick McCombe has been testing power tools on behalf of national publications for more than 15 years, and he regularly meets with product manufacturers to try out new introductions. In the Tool Tech series, Patrick reviews the latest tools and materials, discusses building technology, and shows time-tested techniques for better, more-efficient home building. Consider becoming an online member to watch other Tool Tech videos.