Top 5 FAQs: Question #1

Q: How are panels put together?

A: Panels arrive on the jobsite with the foam recessed from the edge of the OSB ready for installation. The installation area should be prepped with a bottom plate of dimensional lumber attached to the foundation or building below. (The lumber for top and bottom plates is not usually included in panel packages.) The panels should be stood up along the bottom plate that has been prepped with mastic to make an airtight seal and nailed through the OSB skin. For example, the typical wall panel is called a 6-inch panel, which is designed to sit over a 2"x6" bottom plate. The bottom plates should be set in from the edge so the outer OSB skin rests on the structure below.

Panels in the same plane (not the corners) are connected to each other with a spline that is either made out of the same material as the panel, just narrower, (an insul-beam) or dimensional lumber. The joint is sealed with three beads of mastic, nailed together on the inside and outside, the panels are nailed to the bottom plate (inside and outside), and any seismic straps attached.

At the top of the wall, lumber matching the core width is dropped into the top of the panel after mastic has been applied, and nailed in. SIP tape is applied over joints to further ensure airtightness. Now the wall is ready to build on as indicated in your plans.

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