Proper use of sheathing tape on outlets
 

Does anyone know the right way to use sheathing tape to seal around power outlets and light fixtures in a wall/ceiling? I'm working on the garage ceiling right now and am ready to start taping things up. A quick web search didn't find anything real useful.

they make these little plastic bags specifically for the outlets/fixture boxes. basically you put the box in the bag then attach it to the wall.

Next slice a small hole in the bag and put the wires through the hole reattaching everything in the box.

Tape the hole shut as best you can.

cover the entire wall with poly and cut a small hole out by the bag making sure it overlaps 1/2" or so.

tape the edges of the bag to the poly and you're air tight.

It's a pain in the *** to do this after the fact because you have to remove and reinstall the box to do it right. You could just let the box swing free and skip the dewiring with a big cut requiring a bit more tape that never seems to get it completely sealed.

tape to stop drafts?
I used foam in a can to seal around my outlet boxes, to do this I cut the power to the box and put foam in the holes in the back of the box and around the outside edges, this keeps drafts from even getting to the box to make it cold.

That blocks the rear of the box. What about the front of the box?

I use those sticky foam covers like in this article.
http://www.green-talk.com/2010/04/20...ut-the-window/

You can also stick your outlet covers on with seal and peal caulk.
But I agree, the foam backers that go behind the covers would work best.

Would it be horrible to lay the plastic over the front of the receptical, cut the plastic, then apply the tape on the inside of the receptical out to seal the plastic? Here is a pic to illustrate what I mean.

Receptical = black
Plastic = grey
Tape = red

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1292243475

your box should stick 1/2" beyond the plastic so that it ends up flush when you add the drywall (adjust depth for different boarding materials) so just tape the poly to the outside of the box if you'd like. It's not great since those boxes are really leaky through the openings for the wires, but it's better then nothing.

Add in one of those foam gaskets to seal across the front and the last major holes are through the outlet itself. You can get outlets with sliding covers for child protection or just use those plastic safety plugs if you want to go that far.

I don't need to get crazy on the garage. I was just wondering what the correct way was to do it. Is taping to the inside of the box a bad thing?

I'm not sure if it's necessarily a bad thing, You just wouldn't normally do it since taping to the outside is easier. I'm not sure what the code requirements on the taping are if you don't go with the poly box.