Basement – Which tape to seal seams between XPS panels

basement-refinishinginsulation

I am planning to insulate my basement walls with XPS. I'll be gluing the panels to the wall and taping the seams. However, I'm finding conflicting information on which tape to use. The most common recommendation I've found is Tyvek tape, but apparently Tyvek has recommended against its use on XPS:

Tyvek warns against the use of Tyvek tape for sealing seams in plywood, OSB, or XPS foam. “The tape is designed to stick to Tyvek wrap,” said Alan Hubbell, a residential marketing manager for Tyvek. “Plywood and foam will expand at different rates from the tape, and over time it will crinkle and wrinkle and pull off.” link

I've also seen foil tape recommended, which seems like a good option, but I don't know if it's adhesive is compatible with XPS. Any other recommendations?

Best Answer

I ended up going with Owens Corning JointSealR Foam Joint Tape, as it's the only tape I could find that mentions working with XPS, specifically. From the manufacturer:

Owens Corning JointSealR Foam Joint Tape is an effective product to tape the joints of FOAMULAR® extruded polystyrene (XPS) board in vertical wall applications when it is used as continuous insulation over steel or wood wall framing, or as masonry cavity wall insulation.

https://www.owenscorning.com/insulation/products/jointsealr-foam-joint-tape

I found only one place that sells it, and it wasn't cheap at $37.50 for a 90 ft. roll.

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