I spotted a mouse in my ground-level apartment and in a bit of a rush, I took action based on my neighbor's advice. I packed the gaps around the baseboard and radiator pipes with steel wool and applied spray foam on top to seal everything up. It ended up looking a bit messy, so I even added some duct tape for good measure. Now, I'm feeling a bit anxious about my hasty decision and could really use some guidance. How can I clean up the spray foam? The radiator cover hides most of it unless you look closely, but I'm worried I didn't install the layers correctly—should I be concerned that mice will just chew through the foam? Also, should I consider removing everything and using hardware cloth instead, especially since some gaps are only about the size of a dime? Oh, and I've got copper wire coming in tomorrow to seal some gaps outside.
3 Answers
Be cautious about using steel wool near copper pipes because it can cause corrosion over time due to galvanic reactions. Instead, you might want to use a different material like copper mesh or foam rod that won't react with the copper. Just a heads-up!
You did well by using steel wool first since mice can't chew through it to get to the foam. They shouldn't be able to move the steel wool either. Also, it might not be a bad idea to set up some traps because usually, if there's one mouse, there are likely more nearby. Snap traps work great—just make sure to bait them with something tasty like chocolate mixed with peanut butter!
Cleaning spray foam can be tricky. If it’s still wet, try using a cloth soaked in acetone to wipe it off, but be careful with the surfaces you’re cleaning. If it's dry, a razor knife might help, but be gentle to avoid damaging anything. As for the installation, check if everything's secure, and no need to panic; just pay attention to how you seal the gaps in the future!
What do you recommend instead of steel wool if I'm dealing with copper pipes?