| Frequently
Asked Questions Regarding Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
What
are SIPs?
SIPs are high performance building panels for floors, walls, and roofs
in residential and commercial buildings. Each panel is typically made
using expanded polystyrene(EPS), sandwiched between two structural skins
or oriented strand board (OSB), but other surfaces are also available
to meet your needs. The result is a building system that is very strong,
predictable, energy efficient and cost effective.
Why do
SIP homes outperform others?
SIP buildings are vastly more energy efficient, stronger, quieter, and
more draft free than other building systems, such as stud framing with
fiberglass insulation. Rigid insulation is used as a solid component
insulation in almost every industry for its inherent efficiency and
lack of air movement. These attributes are built right into a SIP building.
Less air leakage means fewer drafts, less noise, lower energy bills,
and a much more comfortable indoor environment.
How much
more energy efficient are SIPs?
You can slash energy costs by up to 50%. Because SIPs create a tighter
building envelope than conventional insulation, your builder can actually
reduce the size of heating and cooling equipment. Better yet, SIPs keep
your costs down from season to season, year after year, for as long
as you own your home.
How are
electrical and plumbing installed?
Chases or channels are built into the foam cores of a SIP panel that
work like a conduit. Electricians use a fish tape and feed the wires
through panel chases without compressing the insulation or drilling
through studs. Typically, plumbing is installed in interior walls and
floors, not exterior. Where exterior wall vent pipes are necessary,
chases can be formed in the form cores. Installing island vents or loop
vents is also a common practice and can be found in plumbing codes.
Are SIPs
more expensive?
Building with SIPs generally costs about the same as building the typical
frame wall structure, only when you use a comparable insulation like
Icynene® spray foam, not fiberglass. The value really adds up when
you factor in the savings gained by reducing the size of the mechanicals,
monthly energy savings and faster rough frame completion.
Seven
Ways You Save With Structural Insulated Panels
Slash
energy costs by up to 50%.
Because they are far better at tightening the building envelope than
conventional insulation, you can actually reduce the size of heating
and cooling systems. That, in itself, reduces costs immediately. Better
yet, SIPs keep your costs down from season to season, year after year,
for as long as you own your home- often saving homeowners as much as
50% on energy bills.
Qualify
for energy efficient loans.
Building with Sips may help you qualify for an energy-efficient mortgage.
Monthly savings resulting from energy efficiency can be used to qualify
borrowers for a larger mortgage.
Cut down
on drafts.
Why are SIP homes so draft-free compared to ordinary houses? Consider
ordinary insulation. The most common,fiberglass, lets air pass with
surprising ease. In fact, because air moves through it so freely, it
is often used as furnace filters.
SIPs, on the other hand, permit no air leakage. That means you home
will maintain a more even temperature throughout the day and night.
Your furnace and air conditioner system won't have to work overtime
to keep you comfortable, and you won't be annoyed by drafts interrupting
your daily activities.
Save
construction time.
Materials are delivered cut-to-shape and assemble with trouble-free
precision. Because the insulation is already in place, the time consuming
task of installing fiberglass or other material is eliminated completely.
Reduce
construction waste and associated costs.
Part of every construction job is the clean up afterward, which includes
landfill charges. Because structural insulated panels are made to order,
they fit together exactly and create far less waste.
Reduce
worry. Increase peace of mind.
The phrase "solid construction" takes on new meaning with
SIPs. The panels are literally solid, which results in a stronger home.
Not only do laboratory tests bear this out, but houses built with SIPs
fare far better in events such as straight line winds and tornadoes.
So why worry, when you can enjoy the peace of mind SIP construction
offers.
Decrease
noise.
SIPs give you another kind of peace as well. Peace and quiet. Thanks
to their solid core, they muffle noise coming from outside the home.
And when used in floors and ceilings, they really cut down the noise
created inside your home - good news for everyone who enjoys a peaceful
atmosphere around the house.
http://www.enercept.com
http://www.extremepanel.com
|
Insulated Concrete Forms
(ICFs)
Healthy
Indoor Air/Comfort
Homes built with ICFs allow very little air to escape or infiltration
resulting in a reduced level of airborne dusts and allergens,
especially when a fresh air exchanger is used. The home will
also maintain a more uniform temperature throughout the day.
Mold
Resistant
Moisture during the building cycle invites dry rot, mildew,
and mold. Because the absence of wood in the exterior envelope
of an ICF foundation/home, this type of damage is virtually
unyielding.
Savings
ICF home owners save 50-80% on energy costs and 15-25% on insurance
premiums. Lower maintenance costs and higher resale values also
put money back in your pocket.
Noise
Reduction
An ICF wall greatly reduces outdoor noises like busy streets,
freeways, airports, or barking dogs and lawn mowers on early
Saturday mornings.
Strength
and Durability
ICFs, with a reinforced concrete center, tested below grade,
resist buckling and cracking nearly 5 times better than traditional
hollow concrete block foundations. ICF structures are more resistant
to severe weather conditions than wood framed construction.
http://www.cemstone.com/Pages/ConProdICFC.html
http://www.logixicf.com
http://www.polysteelisbetter.com
http://www.nudura.com
|
|
 |
