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| In my first pond I built, I bought waterfall foam at the local hardware store - Menards - and in just a year in the middle of Iowa, what foam was exposed to the elements turned an ugly brown/yellow.
My second pond after our move to NC didn't require waterfall foam. Now we're expanding, and will have a waterfall. Is there waterfall foam that doesn't turn gross looking? The sun is more intense here, and I'd really like something that lasts longer and keeps its color. Suggestions? Thanks,
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by frankielynn 7b (My Page) on Thu, Feb 16, 12 at 21:51
| I wanted to share my waterfall foam story. It is funny now but at the time, 20 years ago, I was in a panic. I knew not to get it on my skin so I squirted it between the rocks with one hand and smoothed the 'grout' like seam with a glove covered hand. This worked well until I got the glove stuck on an area I had finished and it stuck and was torn. I then pulled off the glove and got expanding foam on my hand. I tried to rub it off and had thumb and index fingers sticking together. Got some on the can, then the other hand, ran to the outdoor faucet to wash it off, got it on the knob. It did not wash away. Read the fine print on the can and it said clean off with mineral spirits. We did not have mineral spirits so thought gasoline might work. Got it on the gas can's handle and plug. It didn't come off but it made a thin coat of expanding foam all over my hands. Decided to go inside and use soap, so got it on the door knob, a pan in the sink. Washed with soap and it just made my whole hands sticky. Got it on the phone calling husband to come home quick and bring mineral spirits. I usually read everything but since everyone said it was easy to use and I was wearing a glove I thought it would be a piece of cake. It wasn't. It was several years before I got brave enough to use it again-to fill some cracks on a camper and that time it worked like a charm. When ever my husband came across that yellow substance stuck on this and that around the house he would laugh and imagine me running like crazy all over trying to get this muck off. He has always been my 'helper' in stuff in the yard and around the house. He came from a city family that paid someone else to do things and I grew up on a farm where you figured out how to do it yourself. We have gotten into some real predicaments over the 36 years of our marriage. He has gotten handier but still has sense to let me get in deep while he watches and shakes his head. It did the same thing-was a yucky yellow and then I had Hawthorn seedlings growing in it. Looked better after it was dirty and algae covered. Haven't used it in the pond area since. Good luck with your project. |
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| Ok here is what i did. Once I applied the foam and it expanded I took a handfull of mulch or small rock chips and packed it into the foam to set. Came out much better than the exposed foam. |
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| Hi The above might work but I find that it lets go over time Another way is form and carve the foam to whatever you want them spread a thin layer of silicone on it . then the sand rock whatever This will hold for years . Another is to paint with marine epoxy paint. In my experience an acrylic latex holds just as well as the epoxy at about a third the cost Must admit I've never used it wghere exposed to freeze thaw cycles though gary |
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- Posted by samanthajade 7A (My Page) on Fri, Feb 17, 12 at 20:31
| Thanks everyone for the recommendations! Too funny frankielynn - I had a similar experience my first time around - I got frustrated and ditched the gloves, to my husband's chagrin. Spent the next two days desperately trying to get it off my hands before I left on a business trip (wearing gloves to business meetings was not in fashion!) I will not be doing that again! I'll be sure to get some small rock for the purpose of hiding the foam when I go back to the rock store. |
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| Samanthajade, The best foam that I have found on the market is called Rockin Foam and I have used every foam on the market. It is the only one that I have found to be closed cell foam. Because of this it seals better than open cell foam. Over time open cell foam will shrink after it is cured where this stays the same size and shape after years. It is also the only foam that I have seen that uses carbon black to color it so it doesn't change color over time. Because it is closed cell it works great for floating islands. The last nice thing about this foam is that it has a tip on the spray nozzle that the straw can be bent and stuck on. By doing this the can can be used up to two weeks later with no problem. When using this product make sure that you shake the can for a full 30 seconds. One last think it can be used with the can in the upright or upside down position. |
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