Abstract: In a house structure in which insulated material is placed between and over attic floor joists, an insulation vent provides an air channel to allow free flow of ventilating air along the underside of roof sheathing between the exterior soffit and the interior of the attic above the insulating material. The vent is molded of one piece of expanded polystyrene. The vent has a base with longitudinal ribs, a pair of walls extending upward at an angle, and a pair of flanges extending outward from the edge of the wall, for attachment to the roof joists. The cross section of the vent is generally U-shaped. The vent is installed by flexing the walls inward, inserting the vent between a pair of roof joists and against the roof sheathing, and releasing the walls. The walls expand, pushing the flanges against a pair of roof joists. Friction holds the vent in place. The center of the U forms a channel for the passage of air.

Abstract: An insulation material having relatively high moisture permeability, includes an inner sheet of expanded polystyrene of substantial thickness. Attached to the polystyrene is an impermeable kraft supported aluminum foil outer layer having the paper side facing the polystyrene. An adhesive layer is provided to join the outer layer to the inner layer. Finally, a plurality of moisture permeation creating perforations are intruded through the outer layer and the adhesive layer and extend into the inner layer to render the outer layer and adhesive layer moisture permeable. The perforations are formed by bonding the layers with the adhesive, allowing the adhesive to set and thereafter passing the bonded layers against a means for forming perforations.

Abstract: A sheathing panel is adapted for mounting to the outside of a structure wall framework. Each panel has an inside surface including top and bottom portions positionable against horizontal frame members of the framework, and two side portions positionable against framework vertical frame members. Grooves in the inside surface extend downwardly from the panel top edge below the top edge portion to allow passage of air between said portion and its associated horizontal frame member. A horizontal channel in the inside surface allows passage of air between the surface and any abutting vertical frame member. A horizontal manifold at the panel bottom edge substantially spans the panel width. A plurality of slots in the inside surface extend downwardly from above the bottom edge portion toward the manifold, stopping short thereof to form a partition between each groove and manifold. The side edges of the panels are shiplapped to facilitate mounting of a plurality of panels in a horizontal row.