SIP panel home proved to be one of the most comfortable, quiet and clean structures. Unlike a stick-frame home, in which thermal performance is an afterthought, insulation is an integral part of a SIP Panel home - the insulation is already incorporated into SIP Panels. Air and moisture penetrations are greatly reduced because there are so few thermal breaks.
SIP Panels are structurally stronger and straighter, considerably quieter and reduce costs of heating and cooling. SIPs also reduce construction time because house is actually installed rather then built. Furthermore, the electrical chases are factory installed in the foam, eliminating the time and labor expense associated with on-site drilling.
R-Value is a measure of a material's resistance to thermal movement. The higher the number the better the material is at insulating. Thermal breaks such as corners, windows, doors, and stud walls dramatically reduce the stated R-Value of virtually every product on the market except SIPs. As an example, a 2x6-stud wall 24” OC with R-19 fiberglass has an R-Value of 13.7. A six-inch SIP wall has an R-Value of 24.7. Simply put, a 6" SIP wall outperforms a 6" stud wall by 58%. Different tests showed that SIP houses have been proven to outperform conventional frame construction by at least 66% for energy efficiency. In a SIP house, the panels form an uninterrupted shell around the home. The seams between panels are sealed with expanding foam sealer, the wiring goes into a special `chase' that runs through the panels, and window and door openings in the panels are carefully cut out and framed in.
Strength of building materials and systems are judged by their ability to withstand the forces of nature. Data to determine strength properties is gathered through destructive testing. Specific tests are utilized to evaluate a wall's performance in high winds or earthquakes. SIPs structural characteristics are similar to a steel I-beam. The skins act like the flanges of an I-beam, and the rigid core provides the web of the I-beam configuration. This composite assembly yields stiffness, strength, and predictable performance. Not only do test results show SIPs are stronger, but natural disasters have proven it time and again. Homes built with SIP Panels withstood the Great Hanshin (Kobe, Japan) and North Ridge earthquakes, as well as Hurricane Andrew.
Although termites and other insects do not feed on the foam panel cores, panel cores could be hollowed out by these insects and used as a nesting ground. There are few methods of prevention such as:
- Using SIP with borate treated foam to provide termite resistance.
- Coating of ESP beads with a natural insect resistant product before the
molding process
- Termites may also be deterred through the use of a specifically designed steel mesh.
- Spraying SIPs with a natural, non-toxic insect resistant mineral
Though methods are highly effective, they are not a substitute for careful termite prevention and maintenance, as with any other wood structure. Good construction practices should be used in the design and construction of SIP buildings to avoid insect infestation.
Advantages of SIP house
- Cost effective to build
- Fast to build (most SIP buildings can be erected in a few days)
- Lightness of construction components (convenient to transport, does not necessarily require lifting machinery and decreases foundation load)
- Seismic stability
- Weather does not affect construction process
- High insulation value of SIP building
- Plumbing and electrical wiring are channeled inside the walls
- All exterior and interior finishes are much easier to complete (panels have flat and smooth surfaces to work with, wall-floor and wall-ceiling butts are almost ideal)
- SIP houses provide comfortable living environment in the range of ambient temperature from -50ºС to +40ºС
- SIP houses 4 times stronger than conventional wood-frame buildings and 8 times warmer than brick or concrete houses.
Manufacturing of set of panels for the building of 150 sq m takes few hours only. Erecting of such house can be completed in 3-4 days due to technology which is based on modules and special type of butt-joints used for panels assembling. Architecture of Ecopan buildings varies from classic conventional houses to cottages of exclusive and elegant design. SIPs are also successfully used for industrial, commercial and agricultural buildings, hotels, schools, etc.
