SIPs below Ground: Comfort Where It's Least Expected PATH Case Study

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Once they got the floors in, Stendel's crew could add the upper wall panels and the SIPs roof system. Many manufacturers maintain a standard panel width of 4 feet for ease of transportation and handling. Typically, SIP packages from Extreme Panels include all door and window cutouts, gable wall and roof precuts, electrical chases, framing materials, fasteners, sealants and expandable foam. Extreme Panels delivers its SIPs on a 48-foot covered trailer with a forklift attached to facilitate unloading. Panels are bundled in sequential order to speed the construction process. Installation "In April, after the ground thawed, we started with the basement walls, then set the basement floor panels on the gravel," Stendel says. "Then we set the floor system — conventional floor trusses and subflooring— since it's really not cost-effective to use highly insulated SIPs for an interior floor. Once we got the floors in, we could add the upper wall panels and the SIPs roof system. We had everything we needed to put the whole shell together." Panels weigh approximately four pounds per square foot, so 4-foot panels are light enough to be set by hand. Exterior walls for most houses can be erected in less than a day. Nails, panel sealant and expandable foam are used to fasten the panels to top and bottom plates. Vertical connections typically use plywood splines with nails being replaced by screws. "The installation went smoothly, but we did have to do everything by hand," Stendel says. "Also, we had to do it in stages, because there wasn't a second floor in part of the house. We had to do the main floor walls, but leave the back wall off, so we could get our panels for the upper wall where we could handle them." "Projects just go much faster when using SIPs. And when you can get in and out faster, your customer is happier because you have provided them with good service in a shorter construction time." Cost savings With SIPs, the ease and speed of assembly makes it possible for houses to be placed under roof within days rather than weeks. While basic carpentry skills are required, assemblers need not have the skill levels of conventional framing crews, which further reduces builder costs. PREVIOUS  1 | 2 | 3 | 4  NEXT