Folded foam sheathing with starter strip

Abstract

An exemplary foam insulation board includes a plurality of insulation panels hingeably connected by hinged portions. The foam insulation board has a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration. The hinged portions allow the insulation panels to fold flat against each other in the folded configuration. The plurality of insulation panels includes a first insulation panel and a plurality of additional insulation panels, one of which is an adjacent insulation panel adjacent to the first insulation panel. The first insulation panel also includes a starter portion that extends beyond at least the adjacent insulation panel of the additional panels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A foam insulation board comprising:
 a plurality of insulation panels hingeably connected by a plurality of hinged portions;   a first insulation panel of the plurality of insulation panels;   a starter portion of the first insulation panel;   a plurality of additional insulation panels including an adjacent insulation panel adjacent to the first insulation panel;   wherein the foam insulation board has an unfolded and folded configuration;   wherein the hinged portions allow the plurality of insulation panels to fold flat against each other when the foam insulation board is in the folded configuration; and   wherein the starter portion of the first insulation panel extends beyond at least the adjacent insulation panel of the plurality of additional insulation panels.   
     
     
         2 . The foam insulation board of  claim 1 , wherein the foam insulation board is 4 feet by 8 feet in the unfolded configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The foam insulation board of  claim 1 , wherein the foam insulation board comprises two additional insulation panels. 
     
     
         4 . The foam insulation board of  claim 3 , wherein the first insulation panel is 18 inches wide and the additional insulation panels are 15 inches wide. 
     
     
         5 . The foam insulation board of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of insulation panels are joined by tongue and groove joints when the foam insulation board is in the unfolded configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The foam insulation board of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one retention portion that prevents the insulation panels from unfolding. 
     
     
         7 . The foam insulation board of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one retention portion comprises an adhesive applied to at least one face of each insulation panel. 
     
     
         8 . The foam insulation board of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one retention member that retains the foam insulation board in the folded configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The foam insulation board of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the hinged portions is perpendicular to the remaining hinged portions. 
     
     
         10 . A method of installing a foam insulation board comprising:
 providing a foam insulation board comprising:
 a plurality of insulation panels hingeably connected by a plurality of parallel hinged portions; 
 a first insulation panel of the plurality of insulation panels; 
 a starter portion of the first insulation panel; 
 a plurality of additional insulation panels including an adjacent insulation panel adjacent to the first insulation panel; 
 wherein the foam insulation board has an unfolded and folded configuration; 
 wherein the hinged portions allow the plurality of insulation panels to fold flat against each other when the foam insulation board is in the folded configuration; and 
 wherein the starter portion of the first insulation panel extends beyond at least the adjacent insulation panel of the plurality of additional insulation panels. 
   securing the starter portion of the foam insulation board to at least a portion of a surface when the foam insulation board is in the folded configuration;   unfolding the foam insulation board into the unfolded configuration; and   securing the foam insulation board to the surface.   
     
     
         11 . The method of installing a foam insulation board of  claim 10 , wherein the foam insulation board is 4 feet by 8 feet in the unfolded configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The method of installing a foam insulation board of  claim 10 , wherein the foam insulation board comprises two additional insulation panels. 
     
     
         13 . The foam insulation board of  claim 12 , wherein the first insulation panel is 18 inches wide and the additional insulation panels are 15 inches wide. 
     
     
         14 . The method of installing a foam insulation board of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of insulation panels are joined by tongue and groove joints when the foam insulation board is in the unfolded configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The method of installing a foam insulation board of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one retention portion that prevents the insulation panels from unfolding. 
     
     
         16 . The foam insulation board of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one retention portion comprises an adhesive applied to at least one face of each insulation panel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of installing a foam insulation board of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one retention member that retains the foam insulation board in the folded configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The method of installing a foam insulation board of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the hinged portions is perpendicular to the remaining hinged portions.