Polyfoam: what to cut so as not to crumble?

Polyfoam is used by builders for a variety of purposes. This material shows high thermal insulation qualities, so they are warmed by facades of buildings, floors and other objects. Also from this material are made various decorative elements.

Polyfoam is easy to process, it is easy to cut. But the material can crumble strongly. Destruction of the array is a negative phenomenon. Therefore, it is necessary to properly handle the foam. Than to cut this material, it is necessary to learn before the beginning of work. At the same time, it is possible to create from the array of foam plastic not only plates for insulation, but also decorative products. Their appearance will be neat, and the material will not be destroyed.

Features of foam plastic

Polyfoam in all respects is an easy material. The polymer is mixed with air and foam filling components. Its structure is similar to glued balls. It is this feature that explains why we cut foam, and do not break it. Otherwise, the cut is uneven.

In some varieties of material, the structure balls stay denser, do not crumble. But quite often the styrofoam crumbles, and at times very much. Such destruction of the material is dangerous for the sheet. The fragility of the foam leads to a change in shape, a decrease in properties and functional qualities.

If you want to adjust the dimensions of the array, this operation is carried out using a special tool. In this case, the sheet will not collapse.

Types of tools

When studying the question of how to properly cut foam at home, it is necessary to pay attention to the variety of tools. They are divided into mechanical and thermal. For independent cutting of the array, with small amounts of work, the first group of means is preferred.

For domestic processing of foam plastic, novice masters are advised to choose a mechanical tool. Professional installers and designers prefer thermal cutting. In this case it will be possible to create high accuracy of the edge, create objects of any complexity.

Thermal cutter is quite expensive. Beginner masters doing repairs at home, rarely get such a technique. But with large amounts of work, it is simply indispensable. Actions with the help of a thermal cutter are made quickly and qualitatively.

Method of production of tools

Considering the question of how to properly cut foam so that the sheet does not crumble, it is necessary to consider in more detail the method of manufacturing the tool. It can be factory or homemade.

Professional builders are obliged to purchase special certified equipment. Whether it is a mechanical or thermal tool, for this purpose it is necessary to produce works of factory equipment. The fact is that when creating such devices, the developers have maximally provided it with all the necessary qualities, safety and comfort. When doing a lot of work, this is very important.

But, doing repair by own hands, it is unprofitable to acquire special equipment. In this case, you can create it yourself. It will be a more primitive device, but it will be able to cope with the tasks assigned to it.

Mechanical cutting

First of all, you should consider the basic mechanical devices that can be used to cut foam. What to cut the material, depends on the abilities of the master and the amount of work. These tools include a knife, a Bulgarian, a saw and a jigsaw. For self-cutting plates in the process of arranging the layer of insulation is better to use a knife. Its blade should be of medium stiffness. Such a tool allows you to cut the slabs up to 8 cm thick in a fairly high quality and quickly.

A jig saw, a Bulgarian or a saw are only used for special work. Professional builders use such equipment. In this case, the tool differs in a number of parameters from conventional ears, jigsaws or saws.

If a thick blade and high speeds are used, the foam can easily be spoiled. Therefore, at home, a knife with replaceable blades is used for cutting.

Thermo cutter

To achieve high accuracy of cutting allows thermal equipment. It is acquired by professional masters and designers. When carrying out a large amount of work at home, this type of equipment should also be considered. In this case we cut the foam with nichrome wire.

The device is powered by a system or battery. Through the elements of this technique, electricity is supplied to the nichrome thread. The metal heats up quickly and strongly. This allows qualitatively to cut excess foam, cut it in any directions.

The most accurate treatment of the material is obtained by using a thermo-cutter. It should be noted that the foam does not respond well to heating, but in this case the cut is performed very quickly. Therefore, its quality is high.

Homemade Cutter

You can create a thermo-cut yourself. To do this, it is necessary to assemble a set of necessary parts. First of all, you need a small transformer. You can take this part, for example, from an old TV.

In this case, it will also be necessary to cut the foam with a string of nichrome. It is pulled between two long screws. They need to be fixed on a wooden bar. Such material, as is known, does not conduct current. Therefore, electricity from the transformer will come only on the screws and string.

After connecting all the elements, the voltage should be corrected. It depends on the thickness of the nichrome thread. Too much a red-hot string will not allow the material to be cut out qualitatively.

A simple way to cut

Presented approaches make it easy to cut foam. How to cut such material, give advice to folk masters. They came up with another way. It will be quite effective, especially when cutting large sheets of foam.

This requires a thin and strong string. Its ends are tied to wooden handles. If the sheet is large, it is necessary to do the work with the assistant. In this case, 2 people are on both sides of the array. Everyone takes a wooden handle with an attached string. Further along the pre-marked layout they move the thread. It is heated by friction.

The material is cut easily and quickly. If the sheet is small, you can perform this procedure yourself.

Recommendations of professionals

It should take into account a few tips of professional installers that can handle the foam. How to cut it, it will be easy to choose. Experts argue that each of the presented methods is suitable for cutting. Everything depends on the skills of the master and the amount of work performed by him.

Before starting the cutting, the material should be marked with a simple pencil. With a mechanical and thermal method, the foam can become hot. In this case, it releases harmful substances into the environment. Therefore, work is carried out in the open air.

In this case, special equipment is used. Otherwise, when heated, the material will adhere to the blade. Bulgarian or jig saws work at low speeds. So heat manages to retire from the cutting zone.

Carrying out such recommendations, it is possible to quickly and qualitatively expand the foam for any application.