Saturday, October 31, 2009

insulation slowness

i was surprised to find the installation of rigid foam insulation to the exterior of the foundation a slow process. i am working with 2" 2'x8' sheets, so i rip them all into 2'x4' sheets. they have a tongue & groove edge along the 4' edge. these are then laid along the 4' tall foundation walls.

i apply spots of adhesive along the back of the panel, then stick it in place, shoving it into the adjacent groove, and against the overhanging sill plate above. the sheet is then pinned into place using whatever i can find. i've been using approx. 4' scraps of OSB to wedge the sheet upward into place, and using a chunk of CMU debris at the base to keep the bottom in.

it would go faster if i had a good way of pinning the sheets in place, rather than finding makeshift items as i go.

also, proper selection of an adhesive for this application proved to be difficult. my requirements: exterior application, adheres to polystyrene foamboard and sealed/painted concrete block. the best i could find after reading every tube's label at lowes was liquid nails. the label doesn't appear to disqualify my application, with my only concern being a recommendation of an ambient temperature of 60F for 24 hours following use. however, temps remained around 58F throughout the night, so it should be OK.

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