February 7, 2018
Lets take a look at some 21st century building material!
This efficient building material is called SIPs and it stands for Structural Insulated Panels. These panels work for high performance building systems in residential and small commercial structures.
This product consists of a recycled ESP insulation foam board between two layers of sheathing material to create a high efficient R-Value wall, ceiling, or floor in your home or office. SIPs are a great way to stay in tune with your energy efficient side, while building your dream home, dream office, or even tiny home!
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SIPs can be used for exterior walls, roofs, floor and foundation systems, and work exceptionally well to improve a buildings thermal, vapor, and air barrier in a single panel. Some of the advantages of SIPs will include a continual layer of insulation witch is an obvious benefit to increase the R-Value of a home. Sandwiching this foam board between the outer surface and inner surface gives a higher effective R-Value than just fiberglass or insulation itself. These insulated panels give a tighter seal on the buildings envelope so indoor air quality can be better controlled and maintained. A tighter seal and a higher R-Value means more efficient, comfy homes, with a lower utility bill!
Given the nature of the packaging for these SIPs, construction time can sometimes even be cut in half when using this material depending on the size of the home. If it’s a bigger home, using SIPs may take a bit more time than a traditional style home. Though patience is key, my friends!
We can see that there are many pros to this efficient building material, but there are some cons that should be considered as well. The cost of SIPs is a little higher than materials used for a basic framed structured home. However, given that the R-Value is much higher and the building envelope is much tighter with SIPs, this leads to less airflow and drafts in the home as well as money spent on utility bills. SIPs should be carefully protected as moisture can easily damage them, waterproof panels or outer structures should be considered.