Can I install a door frame with spray foam?

[Pirahna]

A bit of advice needed. I'm a time served toolmaker and very practical but know bugger all about wood or buildings, so:

I've got 2 internal door frames that have been eaten away from the inside by termites so I've removed one, it was easy to do, it was secured in place with some sort of spray foam. All I needed to do was run a reciprocating saw around the frame and it came out. The frame was very secure so I assume spray foam adhesive is a normal thing to use if you can't get a decent fixing? The wall around the frame is those red hollow block things the Spanish like to build with. All I've got under the layer of spray foam is rows of square holes on the ends of the blocks, so nothing to screw into.

Normally I'd just get a builder to do it but things aren't that simple here.

[r1flyguy]

Are you talking about expanding foam??
Any photos of the frame, blocks that might help

[Pirahna]

The wall is built from these, hence the difficulty in getting a fixing. The frame is still covered in foam which I'm gradually cleaning off.

[DefTrap]

I've seen my BIL (an ex builder) do it with doors and windows in his own house. Wedge it in place to make it level, a few fixings to keep it there, foam it up.

[r1flyguy]

The wall is built from these, hence the difficulty in getting a fixing. The frame is still covered in foam which I'm gradually cleaning off.

If it were me doing it DIY, I would try to get the fixings in the mortar if the bed between bricks is thick enough, just drill carefully, failing that mix up some concrete fill every other course either side best you can, wedge a couple of planks against the bricks, wait for it to go off and at least you have something reasonably solid to drill fix in.

Hopefully somewhere here has a better easier idea for you.

[Cousin Jack]

Not seen any inside door fixing recently, but my Dad, a time-served carpenter must be turning in his grave.

[Pirahna]

Not seen any inside door fixing recently, but my Dad, a time-served carpenter must be turning in his grave.

Ok good with metal but know absolutely cock all about woodwork or how to fix it to things.

One of the problems with Spain is people reinvent themselves on the plane over. The place is full of builders, carpenters, electrician and plumbers, very few are. If you go down the Spanish route there's two prices, one for the Spanish and one for everyone else. There are some decent people around but they're busy and the wait is usually in months.

[Count Steer]

I wouldn't try drilling into those blocks. If the foam worked before and you can get the same stuff I'd be foaming away like a foamy thing. (I'm a bit surprised it works though tbh - but some of the modern foams are really )

[mangocrazy]

Those bricks are everywhere in Spain/France and I've drilled into them and fixed plugs into them no end of times. They may look like they disintegrate when faced with a drill bit, but they don't. You do need to use a wall plug that deforms into a knot in the cavity (same as plasterboard fixings). Fischer generally make the best - their 'UX' range are great. I'd fix two or three decent duty screws each side then foam away to your heart's content. I've not met any foam that's good enough for a permanent fixing.

[Cousin Jack]

Traditional way it to fix into brickwork with screws (or blockwork with clout nails), or for partition walls, make the frame part of the partition framing. I have never seen what they do with clay blocks like that. I would be inclined to drill and screw, but I have never tried it.

I have a deep and abiding mistrust of anything that comes out of an aerosol or mastic gun. Yes they work, for a time, but that time can be as short as 2 or 3 years. Then you have a problem, and no-one is interested in fixing stuff like that, they are far too busy creating new problems elsewhere.

[mangocrazy]

Agree with CJ. Those expanding foams are OK if kept away from UV light, but they break down quite alarmingly over time when subjected to sunlight. Especially bright, intense Spanis sunlight.

[cheb]

IIRC there's a specific window fit expanding foam.

[cheb]

There is: https://www.screwfix.com/p/soudal-windo ... rade/1740h

[mangocrazy]

The foam is for gap and perimeter filling and also helps with noise suppression. But mechanical fixings supply the real strength. If you just foamed a door or window in with no mechanical fixings a burly chappie could just kick it down. This guide says to use nails. Personally I prefer screws, but that's just me.

https://www.aspire-doors.co.uk/blog/how ... door-frame

[Cousin Jack]

IIRC there's a specific window fit expanding foam.

Probably the sort used to fit my neighbours Velux windows. He is now claiming on the insurance and needs most of his zinc roof replaced to fix it properly.

It was firm and watertight for 5 years, now it leaks.

[Pirahna]

For those is Europe, if you're drilling into those blocks the secret is to use a ceramic tile drill and don't use a hammer drill.

Those blocks are end on for me so I think r1's suggestion of filling them with cement and fixing to that is a good one. They don't appear to sell pointing guns here, no surprise as everything is built as rough as fuck the covered in monocot to make it look nice. There is little too no brickwork. I'll do a trawl of the hardware shops next week.

[Horse]

A neighbour successfully installed a new front door frame using expanding foam.

Unfortunately, it expanded too much and made the frame slightly 'hour glass' shaped.

You might consider cutting woods strips to size and wedging them in to stop the frame distorting.

[Silly Car]

A neighbour successfully installed a new front door frame using expanding foam.

Unfortunately, it expanded too much and made the frame slightly 'hour glass' shaped.

You might consider cutting woods strips to size and wedging them in to stop the frame distorting.

I was advised to not use expanding foam to draught proof around the frames of my new sash windows* for this very reason, lots of blocking and tapered wedges were brought into action with rockwool stuffed unto the gaps before sealing with ‘mastic’.

*springs rather than weights with narrow sections for the frame stiles to keep the conservation dept happy.

[demographic]

Personally (in the UK and not with those ceramic blocks) and if its fixed into blocks I usually put 16 fixings into a door casing/lining thats 8 either side in pairs side by side.
Sometimes thats down to 8 in total (4 each side) depending on the type and style of casing.
The heights I put the fixings in at depend a bit on the heights of the mortar joints which I avoid but generally its 100mm down from the top of the casing, 100mm up from the bottom of the casing, ellend beight and nipple height.
With most normal height people this means the fixings are away from where the hinges and locks go.
Most hinges are 150mm and down from the top, 225mm and up from the bottom and generally centred between those top and bottom hings for the middle hinge.
The handles (and consequently the locks have to match) generally have the spindle at 1000mm or so.
Personally I think I'd give concrete fixings a go so I generally drill at 6-6.5mmm hole depending on the hardless of the concrete/masonry then screw em in with torx bits.
I set opposing wedges to get my casing plumb which are faster and simpler to adjust than placky packers then I foam the gaps to stiffen the whole deal up, lock the wedges in place better and to some extent act as a fireproofing, then when its set I cut some foam back into the gap slightly to allow me to put intumescent fireseal in the last few mm to further protect against fire.
Make the casing fit the door before you foam it up though, or itz a pain in the arse and just costs time.

Ive fitted some small sash windows with wedges then foamed them in place then framed the inner reveals with timber which wouldnt allow movement of the window even if the foam totally failed though. The outer gets sealed up with mastic or silicone and the foam is an excellent sealer/insulation but I've never ever just used foam to fix a door casing, its additional to proper fixings.
Ive done some jobs where Ive walked away thinking things weren't quite as good as I'd have liked but I'm not that fucking rough.

Maybe with a very light eggbox internal door it could work but I'd rather walk away from a job than knowingly make a complete arse of it.
Fixing into a timber partition is waaay simpler but we're noton about that.

[demographic]

Oh and yer maybe wondering about bellend and nipple heights?
It's a good way to get prentices to remember the basic rules, they do a bit of a Beavis and Butthead laugh but years later they can still remember it.
Female carpenters can adjust the bellend height or just guess, no hard and fast rules.
You can do a setting out rod to ensure all the fixings are at the same heights in a building if you need.
Some places put ten fixings on each casing leg which does my fucking head in cos the muppets frequently put the centre fixings right where the lock strike plates and centre hinges are. If you must (very high doors may need additional fixings) then at least think about where the ironmongery goes and try to avoid those areas.