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Taped Insulating Sheathing Drainage Planes

Guide

Guide describing techniques for installing insulating sheathing as a continuous drainage plane on walls.

Stucco is installed over rigid insulation, which is installed over a drainage plane consisting of a drainage gap and building wrap layer over the sheathing

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Right - Basement slab with a capillary break of either gravel or a drainage mat.

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Right – Furring strips provide a drainage gap between the rigid foam and the siding.

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Proper flashing around windows is especially important when the rigid foam serves as the drainage plane in the wall

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Wrong – If the insulated sheathing will serve as an air barrier and drainage plane, any cuts and seams must be taped or sealed.

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Seams in the ICF block are sealed so the EPS foam surface can serve as the drainage plane; no house wrap is needed.

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Right – This foil-faced foam sheathing has taped seams and proper flashing details so it can serve as a drainage plane.

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Rigid foam insulation can serve as the drainage plane when all seams are taped. Furring strips provide an air gap behind the cladding.

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Right - XPS foam insulation is attached to the existing exterior wall with wood furring strips that serve as a nail base for the siding and are installed vertically to allow for drainage and drying behind the siding

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Spray foam extends down the inside of the foundation wall to the uninsulated slab; because the wall lacked exterior perimeter drainage, the slab was cut and an interior footing drain was installed.

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This basement is insulated on the exterior with rigid foam over dampproofing, with granular backfill and footing drains to facilitate drainage away from the foundation, a termite shield to protect from pests, and cellular PVC to protect the rigid foam.

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A typical Las Vegas hot-dry climate home made of wood frame construction and insulated with R-25 expanded polystyrene externally over a drainage plane, with an unvented wood frame insulated attic and roof assembly.

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Good water management practices like sloping grade away from house, and installing gutters, perimeter drain pipe, a capillary break, and free-draining soils or drainage mat protect the foundation from water saturation.

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Over the taped rigid foam board, 2x4 furring strips provide a ventilating air gap and drainage plane under the engineered wood lap siding. The furring strips were attached with structural screws to provide an attachment surface for the siding.

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Stucco Over Rigid Foam Insulation

Guide

Guide describing how to install stucco over rigid foam insulation in new and existing homes.

Lower wall insulation installation

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Upper wall insulation installation

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Upper wall insulation installation with butyl z-flashing

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Tape horizontal joint with minimum 3" wide tape placing tape offset high on the joint, adhearing to the upper sheet without wrinkles

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Terminate 4" tape with 2" wide tape placing tape offset high on the joint, 2/3 of the tape should be adhered to the sheet of insulation

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Blown Insulation for Cavities of Existing Exterior Walls

Guide

Guide describing methods of installing blown insulation in exterior wall cavities of existing homes with minimal disruption to occupants.

Reducing Thermal Bridging in Mass and Steel-Framed Multifamily Buildings

Guide

Guide describing common areas of thermal bridging in mass (concrete) and steel-framed multistory buildings and methods and materials for addressing those points of thermal bridging.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

Guide

Guide describing how to construct homes with structural insulated panels.

Exterior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Guide

Guide describing how to insulate a new foundation wall or an existing foundation wall by adding rigid insulation to the exterior side.

Flashing of Roof-Wall Intersections in Existing Homes

Guide

Guide describing how to install and properly integrate flashing at the intersection of the wall and roof on an existing home.

Continuous Rigid Insulation Sheathing

Guide

Guide describing continuous rigid insulation installation procedures to reduce thermal bridging and help provide thermal protection.

Rigid Foam Board Interior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Guide

Guide describing how to insulate closed crawlspace walls and band joist areas with rigid foam board insulation.

Air Sealed, Insulated Basements

Guide

Guide describing how to insulate a basement to improve the overall thermal performance of the building and provide more dry, usable conditioned space for home occupants and HVAC equipment.

Air Sealing and Insulating Walls to Reduce Heat Gain

Information Guide

Information guide listing Building America Solution Center guides that describe ways to air-seal and insulate a new or existing home's walls to resist heat gain.