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What Kind of Caulk Should I Use on Rigid Insulation Sheathing?

Rigid insulated sheathing adds thermal protection to a house, improving the performance of the whole wall system, often at less cost than standard sheathing materials. Sealing joints and gaps in the sheathing is an important part of making your home airtight. Products for caulking rigid insulated sheathing are usually tape or foam, but tape meets the International Residential Code specification for weather-resistive building.

  1. Rigid Insulation Sheathing

    • Foam insulated sheathing covers the exterior framing before siding is installed, replacing noninsulating sheathing, such as wood or oriented strand board. Foam sheathing has an R-value of R-2 to R-35, per 1/2 inch of thickness; thicker foam will produce higher R-values. The sheathing is available in 8-, 9-, and 10-foot lengths, and 2- and 4-foot widths, for complete, continuous coverage of a wall. Continuous application over studs reduces thermal bridging -- gaps between insulation and structural materials that lead to heat loss.

    Application

    • Rigid insulative sheathing is covered and sealed to the top plate of the wall, and to the band joist at the floor. Rigid insulated sheathing isn't structural -- let-in or corner bracing provides structural support, or sometimes the insulated sheathing may be applied after wood sheathing. The boards are installed vertically, with joints bearing on a structural member. Joints in the sheathing need to be sealed to prevent air and moisture from entering through the gap.

    Sealing

    • An air-barrier house wrap may be eliminated if rigid insulative sheathing is properly installed and sealed. Construction tape is used to seal the joints and patch any damage to the sheathing that occurs during construction. The tape has an oriented polypropylene backing with a UV-resistant film -- while it can't be left in sunlight for more than 120 days, it's protected for the construction period. The tape bonds better to foam board sheathing faced with polyethylene than unfaced board.

    Building Codes

    • Holes and penetrations in rigid insulative sheathing are sealed with non-expanding polyurethane foam sealant. Foam sealant fills gaps up to 3 inches, forming a permanent, water-resistant and airtight bond to building material. Both tape and foam sealant reduce air infiltration through the seams of the sheathing, but when the sheathing is placed as a weather-resistant barrier (WRB), to prevent water intrusion into the wall system, the International Residential Code specifies the use of tape for sealing the joints.

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