How to Install Foam Bead Board and Exterior Finish

Install beadboard insulation over wall sheathing made from plywood or oriented strand board, or OSB, after first wrapping the house in a moisture or vapor barrier. Start at one corner of a wall. Draw a level chalk line an inch above the bottom of the sheathing as a guide. Put the first panel in place and nail it with a hammer through the wood sheathing and into studs in the wall. Use galvanized nails long enough to penetrate the studs. Do not drive the nail heads below the surface of the beadboard.

Cover all the exterior walls, including door and window openings, with foam board. Run the board to the top of the walls. Use a utility knife or drywall saw to cut openings for exterior electrical outlets or water pipes and to trim panels as needed to fit the length of the wall. Butt panel edges together or fasten them with tongue and groove joints, if the board has them.

Use a utility knife, drywall saw or reciprocal saw to cut out door and window openings. Seal all the seams between panels and all edges at openings with tape that matches the type of beadboard you're using. Put tape over nail heads, too.

Finish over beadboard insulation with any kind of siding, including brick, wood clapboard or tongue and groove, cement fiber board and vinyl. Specific installation techniques will vary with the siding. Leave a 1-inch air space between insulation and brick, but fasten wood, cement fiber or vinyl directly over the foam board. Be sure to fasten wood or cement fiber or vinyl connecting strips with nails long enough to penetrate studs and always nail into studs, rather than beadboard and sheathing.