How to Put on Exterior Rigid-Foam Insulation Panels on the House
Most houses will benefit from increased insulation. In older homes, especially brick or masonry houses and old farmhouses, the walls are poorly insulated. Adding a rigid-foam insulation to the exterior, over top of the wall structure but beneath the siding, will add tremendous insulating power. Your heating and cooling costs will decrease and your house will be more comfortable. The insulation will virtually pay for itself, especially since you are doing it yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hammer
- Caulk or expanding foam insulation
- Felt
- Staple gun
- Staples
- Construction adhesive
- Exterior rigid-foam insulation
- 2-inch cap nails
- Power actuated nail gun
- Carpenter's square
- Utility knife
- Foil insulation tape
Instructions
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1
Remove any siding present, if you are installing on a wood frame house. Pry siding up carefully, working from the top of the house down. Remove all trim, such as corner pieces, door and window trims. Strip the wall down bare, exposing the wood sheathing--the house frame--underneath. Set the siding and trims aside for re-installation, if desired.
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Inspect the sheathing carefully. Nail loose boards to secure. Seal around window and door openings with caulk. Fill any cracks, holes or gaps with either caulk or expanding foam insulation, taking care not to overfill the hole; you want it roughly level with the exterior.
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3
Starting at the bottom of the house, unroll felt--also called tar paper--across the wall sideways. Secure it every 12 inches with a staple gun, with one staple at the top, one in the middle and one at the bottom of the tar paper strip you are applying. For a masonry wall, use construction adhesive.
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Repeat the process with each additional row of tar paper, which is 3 feet wide. Overlap each row 3 or 4 inches. Avoid any tears or gaps in the tar paper, which acts as a water barrier to prevent any rain or moisture from penetrating though the walls and causing structural damage.
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Place a panel of exterior rigid-foam insulation against the prepared wall, starting at the highest point. Secure by driving 2-inch cap nails into the insulation every 12 inches, vertically and horizontally. Use a power actuated nail gun if you are working with masonry. Avoid unnecessary holes in the insulation.
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Cut additional pieces of insulation as needed, using a square and utility knife. Mount each piece snugly against adjoining pieces. Tape over seams with foil insulation tape.
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Patch any holes or blemishes with caulk. Run a bead of caulk down the outside edge, where the insulation meets the corner boards.
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Mount the siding you removed on top of the rigid-foam insulation, or replace with desired siding. Purchase new siding to cover insulation mounted to a masonry frame and secure with a power actuated nail gun.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose the correct R-factor of insulation to use based on your climate. R-factor is a measure of insulating properties. In some instances, local code may dictate a required R-factor.
Consult local building code for any requirements or restrictions.
Always have a helper when working on ladders.
References
Resources
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