The Best Application for Structural Insulated Panels

Structural Insulated Panels—also known as SIPs—are high-performance building panels that consist of two sheets of OSB and a layer of rigid expanded polystyrene or extruded polystyrene foam insulation in between. Trying to decide if using SIPs are right for your project? Let us help you with your decision.

Structural Insulated Panels for your walls, roof & floor

We believe SIPs are the superior material for building and think everyone should use them. But are SIPs right for your project? If you want the cheapest building material, SIPs are probably not the right choice. However, if you are willing to invest a little more now to build a higher quality structure for the future that provides benefits for decades, then yes is your answer. The check-off list below will help you with your decision.

Choose SIPs if:

• You are building a Net Zero, Passive House, Energy Star, LEED Certified, EarthCraft, or just a darn good building. A building envelope made from SIPs (roofs, walls, and floors) is the simplest way to build a superior-performance structure. Achieving higher continuous R values, low air infiltration rates, and satisfying program criteria has never been easier.
• You care about the environment and want your decisions to help create a better future. Buildings and their construction together account for 36 percent of global energy use and 39 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions annually. A high-efficiency building made with SIPs saves hundreds of thousands of pounds of CO2 emissions over the life of the building. An efficient house made from SIPs provides a greater reduction in greenhouse gases.
• You worry about Hurricanes? High Winds? Flying Debris? SIP buildings withstand the extreme forces of nature better than stick-framed buildings. SIPs buildings are up to 4x as strong at resisting lateral forces such as wind, and each panel acts as a shear wall for added sturdiness. Panel walls also make the building safer from flying debris and projectiles.
• You are building or managing the project yourself. Short on framing labor? SIPs (roofs, walls, and floors) go together extremely easy to create a high-quality building envelope with accuracy in construction. Your building envelope can be erected quickly and correctly the first time to give you more time to manage the rest of the building.
• You are building with a Timber Frame or Post and Beam Structure. Structural Insulated Panels are the natural choice for completing these buildings – they can be quickly installed in large sections to provide a strong and efficient shell to get you roughed in fast. Panel ceilings provide longer spans between beams when designing elegant vaulted ceilings.
• You want a certified quality control and warranty. Our SIPs (roofs, walls, and floors) are made in a controlled environment with a documented Quality Control program that is certified and audited four times per year. Engineering values are set through extensive testing of our SIPs, documented in an NTA Code report, and monitored with periodic testing.
• You are building to newer IRC or IBC Codes? Newer IRC and IBC building codes have higher standards for R-values, continuous insulation, and lower air infiltration requirements, which are increasingly difficult to meet with Stick Frame construction. Hence, requiring more steps from the builder to get right with an uncertain result. SIPs are designed to go together to make it easy to meet the new building code requirements confidently.