What is insulation sheathing

After the strips are installed, fold the screen over the strip ends and fasten to the top surface of the furring before installing the cladding. Cladding There are many types of cladding. Choose a siding pattern with narrower boards 8 inches or less that are thicker. Thick, narrow siding is more stable than thinner, wider patterns and better able to resist dimensional changes. Use kiln-dried siding for more dimensional stability. Prime all field cuts.

The end grain of all wood products absorbs liquid up to times faster than other wood surfaces. Pre-drill holes at mitered corners, near edges and near ends to avoid splitting, if needed. Make sure the fastener length satisfies the wind pressure ratings requirements for your area. For wood studs: For foam sheathing up to 1 inch thick, add the foam thickness to the code-required fastener length to penetrate the framing by at least one inch. For foam sheathing 1.

For metal studs with screws : For foam sheathing up to 1. For foam sheathing that is more than 1. Fasten each piece of siding independently. Do not nail overlapping pieces together as this restricts the natural movement of each piece and may cause splitting. Apply fasteners snug to surface but avoid overdriving fasteners, which can result in dimpling of the siding due to the compressible nature of the foam sheathing.

Heavy nailing distorts the wood and may cause splitting. Avoid the use of pneumatic nailers, if possible. If a pneumatic nailer must be used, reduce the air pressure and tap nails flush. Fill overdriven nail holes with exterior-grade wood putty specifically designed for filling exterior nail holes. Use light-colored finish coats to maximize heat reflection and reduce dimensional movement.

Insulated siding is not a watertight covering. It functions as an initial barrier to rain and reduces the amount of water that reaches the underlying water-resistive barrier.

Be sure to use accessories that will accommodate the full thickness of the insulated siding. Use the starter strip specified by the insulated siding manufacturer to ensure proper performance.

When installing a panel, it is critical that the lock is fully engaged with the piece below it. Without stretching the panel, reach up and fasten it into place. On the factory-cut ends of insulated siding panels, the foam is set back from both ends of the panel. This set-back is required to ensure correct overlapping of adjacent panels. To correctly overlap the panels, insert the vinyl tab at the end of one panel in between the foam and the vinyl of the adjacent panel.

Slide the panels together until the ends of the foam touch. For best appearance, lap factory ends only. Apply this measurement to the final panel, measuring the foam instead of the panel. This will ensure foam-to-foam contact, with the necessary amount of room for expansion of the siding.

Using a circular saw with the fine-toothed plywood blade turned backwards, cut slowly with the vinyl face up. Be sure to cut all the way through the foam. Avoid using panels shorter than 24 inches long. When cutting insulated siding, use a circular saw with a fine-toothed plywood blade inserted backwards and cut slowly with the vinyl face up. Be sure to cut through the frame. Do not attempt to cut materials other than vinyl siding or insulated siding with a reversed direction saw blade.

Around windows and doors, because insulated siding is thicker than vinyl siding, use wood shims and either aluminum trim coil or vinyl lineals to build out door and window openings if needed. Cut the panel to the required measurement and cut back the foam 2 inches. Using a snap lock punch, punch the vinyl siding along the cut edge every 6 inches, so the raised lug is on the outside face.

Install utility trim along the top of the wall to receive the top edge of the siding. Use shims under the utility trim to match the angle or distance from the wall of the siding edge. Push the siding into the utility trim. The raised lugs will catch and hold the siding firmly in place.

Ensuring Success. Source: IECC Rigid insulation sheathing can provide a vapor-resisting layer, depending on the thickness and whether the foam is open cell or closed cell. Right and Wrong Images. Right — Continuous rigid insulation has been installed.

View Image Download. Wrong — Rigid insulation is being installed without cap nails. Right — Rigid insulation is being installed with cap nails. Wrong — If the insulated sheathing will serve as an air barrier and drainage plane, any cuts and seams must be taped or sealed. Wrong — Insulated sheathing seams should align with framing members. No insulated sheathing seams are visible from the inside during framing. Wrong — A visible gap in the insulated sheathing introduces unwanted outside air, creating a thermal bypass and encouraging convective air flow.

Wrong — When insulated sheathing is installed correctly, you should not see daylight. Nail holes were also left unplugged. Preview Image. Publication Date. Video describing how to properly install continuous rigid insulation sheathing and siding.

Exterior Walls Air Sealing Sheathing. Video showing a technique for airtight sheathing installation on exterior walls using foam gasket strips.

Author s. Cold Climate Housing Research Center. Organization s. Video from Cold Climate Housing Research Center on complete wall system construction guidelines in cold climates. Part 1 of 2. Part 2 of 2. Case Studies. Case study detailing techniques used to prevent thermal bypass in new homes.

Environmental Protection Agency. Guide describing details that serve as a visual reference for each of the line items in the Thermal Enclosure System Rater Checklist.

Guide to Insulating Sheathing. Guide provides information about enhanced thermal enclosures and performance. Information sheet about what length screws should be used, and how closely to space the screws when fastening furring strips to a foam-sheathed wall.

Document presenting step-by-step process for installing rigid insulating sheathing over wood studs or house wrap. Water Management of Noninsulating and Insulating Sheathings. Report summarizing current research, summarizes issues that have been experienced with current best practices, and recommends ways in which the best practices can be improved for water managing sheathings.

A guide for users and energy raters of insulated siding as home insulation. Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. Research study exploring retrofit procedures and simulated post-occupancy data for three homes in an effort to determine the effectiveness of retrofit packages. Fenestration Manufacturers Association,.

Guide describing the installation of windows in walls that have foam plastic insulating; guide provides several methods for attaching, supporting, and flashing windows in walls with rigid foam sheathing. American Society for Testing and Materials. Without the typical gaps found in the sheathing, the continuous insulation can provide more even coverage across the entire exterior.

This means a tighter envelope can be achieved with less labor. The biggest drawback to using continuous insulation in a tight building envelope is moisture. The difference in temperature between the interior and exterior, along with the difference in humidity levels and the lack of air transfer, often means that moisture can build up inside the walls of the home or building.

At the same time, not having a tightly fitted exterior sheathing can allow water to infiltrate the home from the outside. Over time, this leads to issues such as wood rot and mold growth. With moisture damage to the walls themselves, even the structural sheathing may begin to fail over time, particularly if plywood is the material being used.

Thermo-Brace offers superior moisture management in addition to strength and stability. The tight seal offered by the sheathing helps prevent water infiltration at the sight of the joints — a common issue with most sheathing, which can become spongy. When paired with typical vapor barriers, which allow moisture to escape, Thermo-Brace provides the first line of defense against moisture damage that can lead to structural failure over time.

Thermo-Brace also offers the ability to help enhance the energy performance of the home or building — a plus when designing a building with continuous insulation. This is provided by the reflective foil facings that are available on each sheet. Used as part of a full system of products designed to offer support and insulating properties, Thermo-Brace structural sheathing can help create a more structurally sound building without the worry of damage. However, this is just a short-term, fixed cost.

Rigid foam often pays for itself with lower utility bills over the long term. And it may put off or prevent costly work to repair rot in walls or framing. These decisions are determined somewhat by climate. The lowest cost, highest performing rainwater management strategy is rigid polymeric foam sheathing with sealed joints Lstiburek , There is an existing construction challenge of sealing the joints in rigid polymeric foam sheathing in a reliable and durable manner to prevent water ingress.

The Building America Solution Center has the following builder guidelines for taping rigid foam:. When working with any new material, you have to make sure you have enough available surface contact.

Which is exactly why ECHOtape launched our new, next generation seaming tape. PE-M is a proprietary high-performance building tape, made from an advanced polyester backing, which makes it extremely strong and easy to apply. Available in red, silver and white, it is a versatile product used in a wide variety of building envelope sealing applications, including cold weather applications.

Do you have a specific need or seaming challenge? Tell us about it! We love to solve tape challenges. Understanding its specific properties as well as…. Everyone instinctively knows that when you go outside on a cold day, you must zip your coat to stay warm. The truth is quite the opposite. Long a…. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn.

February 18,