Insulating finishable panel

Abstract

A rigid faced foam cored panel system utilized to produce an insulating finishable surface in interior and exterior applications. The long edges of the rigid foam panels may be indented to form a recessed space for tapping, applying joint compound and assisting in achieving a level finished surface. The inside surface of the rigid foam panel may be radiant reflective with air spacers attached to the reflective surface to produce the needed air space for effective radiant heat reflection. The interior application may entail using the rigid foam panel both as insulation and as a finishable varied color painted or textured wall or ceiling surface. In exterior wall or other exposed surface applications the insulating rigid foam panel may be covered with moisture resistive coverings such as stucco style textures.

1 . A finishable rigid foam panel assembly, comprising:
 a. one face with a reinforced surface; and   b. the other face may have a radiant reflective surface;   c. wherein the reinforced surface is usually made of a metallic primed material such as aluminum but may be made of a composite material and is fairly hard to penetrate;   d. wherein the finishable rigid foam panel can be attached to another surface by either or both adhesive and/or mechanical means;   e. wherein the rigid foam panel when applied to an interior surface where the reinforced surface is does not need to be covered by another material to meet fire code approval;   f. wherein the surface of the reinforced face can be finished at the joints with a possible support strip, exterior/sheetrock joint tape and exterior/sheetrock joint compound; possibly sanded and/or textured; and covered with one base coat and finish stucco coat or just a finish coat or painted to reach the desired finish as other stucco or sheetrock style finished surfaces;   g. the foam core has good insulation values, usually around a 5 to 7 R-value per inch;   h. wherein the foam panels' weight is considerably lighter than sheathing or sheetrock, ½ to ⅓ the weight of sheetrock, and easier to handle than that of comparable size sheetrock panels.   
     
     
         2 . A finishable rigid radiant foam panel assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein in an interior application air spacers, usually made of fairly firm foam, are placed upon the adhering surface of the finishable foam panel, create the space between the foam panel and the attaching surface for electrical lines, cables and other utilities to be located and which are attached to the wall surface between the radiant reflective/adhering face and the opposing adhered-to surface. 
     
     
         3 . A finishable rigid foam panel according to  claim 1 , in an interior and exterior application, having a face opposite the reinforced face that may have a rippled or dimpled texture that moisture may drain out or be allowed to evaporate when said face is placed against another surface. 
     
     
         4 . A finishable rigid foam panel according to  claim 1 , wherein low rise adhesive foam is applied (usually in vertical strips) to an opposing surface that will touch the none reinforced surface of the finishable foam panel where the adhesive foam helps adhere the two surfaces together; can produce the air space for effective radiant reflection and can assist in moisture drainage or evaporation. 
     
     
         5 . A finishable rigid foam panel assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the foam core may be reinforced with fibers or other strengthening materials for added strength and support. 
     
     
         6 . A finishable rigid foam panel assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein fibers or other strengthening material may be added to the reinforced surface for added strength and support. 
     
     
         7 . A finishable rigid foam panel assembly according to  claim 1 , such that the strength of the reinforced surface is durable enough to accept screws or nails to be driven directly through the foam panel, attaching the foam panel to another surface, such as framing members or wall:
 a. wherein the screw or nail heads do not penetrate through the outer exterior layer of the finishable rigid panel's reinforced surface, and;   b. wherein said screw or nail heads, which may be slightly recessed and indenting the outer layer of the reinforced surface, can be covered with exterior/sheetrock style joint compound, possibly sanded and/or finished.   
     
     
         8 . A finishable rigid foam panel assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein indentures are created along the edges of the foam panels to accept the recessed placement of possible support strips, exterior/sheetrock joint tape and exterior/sheetrock joint compound so as to assist in achieving a visually level joint finish. 
     
     
         9 . A finishable rigid foam panel assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein usually in interior applications, the adherence side opposite the finishable reinforced side is radiant reflective and air spacers, usually made of fairly firm foam, can be placed and adhered to the radiant reflective face, or in some instances to the adhered/opposing surface, to maintain the desired depth of air space, for effective radiant heat reflection, between the radiant reflective face and another opposing surface that the radiant reflective surface will be attached. 
     
     
         10 . A finishable rigid radiant foam panel assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein said air spacers are used in conjunction with low rising foam adhesive which is usually applied to the opposing surface (usually in vertical strips) that the radiant reflective face is to be adhered. The air spacers may be slightly compressed by applying pressure against the reinforced surface of the foam panel toward the adhered surface to promote good adhesion to the foam adhesive. The air spacers may then be slightly decompressed to obtain the desired air space depth. 
     
     
         11 . A finishable rigid radiant foam panel assembly according to  claim 6 , in that the created air space assists in ventilation and/or moisture evaporation.