Installing Wood Siding Over Rigid Insulation

I don t think builders should install wood siding directly over plastic foam insulation.

Installing wood siding over rigid insulation.

Exterior rigid insulation 1x3 wood furring strips masonry structure 2x4 framing attached to surface of masonry. What are the risks of installing cedar siding directly over foil faced rigid foam insulation should tar paper or housewrap be used as well. Installation details are key. How should wood siding be installed over rigid foam insulation.

A vented drainable air space keeps wood siding dry and stable. In fact the two products combined make your home super insulated from outside wind and weather. Installing house wrap with rigid foam insulation. Cover the house walls with 4 by 8 foot sheets of rigid foam insulation typically 1 2 to 1 inch thick nailed to wood sheathing with 1 1 2 inch broad headed galvanized nails every 16 to 18 inches.

To siding 1 embedment 3 5 0 5 1 5 1 5. The answer happily is yes. A homeowner in southwest virginia wants to install engineered wood siding over exterior foam insulation but finds that the manufacturer s installation instructions raises concerns he hadn t thought of. One of the biggest questions homeowners have about house wrap is whether it can be installed together with foam insulation.

Cladding attachment over thick exterior rigid insulation peter baker p eng. The illustration below comes from the vinyl siding institute. Wood siding including cedar siding should be installed over an air space regardless of the type of sheathing used. It adds up to a robust system.

The vsi installation manual notes when the fastener must penetrate through a non nailable material such as foam sheathing the thickness of that material. And other non nailable substrates e g. When installing wood siding over rigid foam sheathing you must protect the siding from moisture and heat buildup and use proper nailing. Julie the installation instructions of the vinyl siding institute and most if not all vinyl siding manufacturers allow vinyl siding to be installed over rigid foam sheathing.

Since foil faced foam is a moisture barrier it should be used with a continuous film vapor retarder on the inside wall. Plus rigid foam insulation applied over the outside walls. Method 1 james hardie siding installed directly over continuous insulation c i and other non nailable substrates e g. Wood siding applied directly to foam has a history of failures.

Moisture protection and heat buildup.