Rigid Foam Under Vinyl Siding

Fit the rigid foam insulation snugly and seal all seams with the specialized tape.

Rigid foam under vinyl siding.

To secure the foam use two inch cap nails. Almost any type of siding can be installed over the rigid foam cedar or redwood planks exterior plywood sheets cement fiber board or vinyl siding are common options. The nails have a plastic cap that keeps them from damaging the foam. It is designed to prevent a house from losing heat.

Rigid foam insulation is one of the most important and efficient forms of insulation. Installing foam board insulation under vinyl siding today more than ever before homes are being built with foam board insulation installed on the outside of the sheathing and under the siding. Some people use roofing nails but if a strong gust of wind gets under the siding it may not hold. Although rigid foam insulation is more expensive than fiberglass insulation it is more efficient.

Whenever vinyl siding is installed over rigid foam with or without foil facing studs should be spaced no more than 16 inches on center and the thickness of the foam should be limited to 1 inch. In reality rigid foam board which sometimes comes in fanfold usually only has an insulating factor of r 1 and does not add any appreciable insulation effect to your home. This detail is used with both new construction and also with renovation work. And even though some manufacturers call it rigid foam insulation for the purpose of vinyl siding it basically has the same insulating value as a piece of plywood.

In a typical situation.