But in the spread of foam mirrors across the internet, one name has been buried by the hype: that of Anna Louise Kragelund, the independent Danish designer credited with creating them.

I am sure that we have all seen this before: Expanding pink foam squirted into oversized gaps around fire doors Standard B3 expanding foam is the most common type of expanding foam. There are other types of foam on the market which act in similar ways but have different properties. An example is firestop - FR or B1 foam - which is fire rated. In sharing her process – later covered by design blogs – she no doubt contributed to foam mirrors’ outwards spiral. “Up until then it was a cool thing to be retweeted.”Kragelund first exhibited mirrors upcycled with expanding foam at a design fair in Copenhagen early last year, generating online buzz that “Danish design is cool again”. If you need advice on the fire rated foam or sealant you need for your project, get in touch with our expert team who will be happy to help you. Fire foams are usually tinted pink to distinguish them from other non-fire rated foams, but they’re all different and have varying functions and properties - make sure you’re using the right one. Compliance Issues: Reputed organisations such as ASFP, BMTRADA, FIRAS, and IFE strongly recommend the removal and replacement of pink foam installations with authentic fire-rated alternatives. The primary concern lies in the difficulty of accurately tracing the product without conducting chemical composition testing. To ensure reliable fire safety measures, it is advisable to opt for fire-rated materials with suitable test data that can be easily identified and verified for their intended use.

There are life safety implications – use the foam correctly and in the right situations to achieve conformity with the Building Regulations. Expanding foam is a hugely versatile product that is incredibly useful for construction. Here are some of the circumstances where expanding foam should be considered. Filling Gaps Expanding Foams are not an intumescent, it cannot close or crush a plastic pipe and should never be installed as such. Buildings rely on a lot of large, solid components which can’t always connect fluidly. To ensure standards regarding insulation and moisture ingress are met, expanding foam can be used internally and externally to close small gaps. Note that these products are very different to expanding foam in a can, and as such have other properties and uses not discussed here. Make sure you’re using the correct product for your project. Expanding Foam UsesExpanding foam is not a miracle cure. While it is hugely useful, it should not be used to solve all problems.