How Quickly Does EXP 6 Expanding Foam Tape Expand?

Whilst we’d love to give you an exact initial expansion time for EXP 6, it’s physically impossible because the expansion rate is influenced by a variety of different factors.

The most influential of these are as follows;

• Temperature of EXP 6
• Ambient temperature
• Relative air humidity
• Temperature of the surrounding building materials
• Storage conditions/climate (damp / warm / dry / cold)
• Storage time
• Age of EXP 6
• Tape dimension
• Weather conditions (wind / sun / rain)

Normal initial expansion rates occur when material & building temperatures are between 6°C and 23°C and air humidity is within 45% to 55%.

The fastest initial expansions occur when using thicker tapes, in warm, sunny conditions with high air humidity. If the ambient and material temperatures are over 25°C it is recommended that the tape is stored in a cool box prior to installation, this will reduce the expansion time and allow for a fuss free installation.

At 5°C, with low air humidity it can take over 24 hours for the initial expansion. Temperatures under 5°C further delay the initial expansion. In this situation the initial expansion can be accelerated by storing the tapes in a hot box or by warming them after they have been installed using a hot air blower (max 80°C) or a warm water spray.

It is not advisable to store EXP 6 in vehicles for an extended period of time (e.g. overnight) during high summer or in winter if the temperatures are outside of the 10°C to 25°C range.