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Frequently Asked Questions About SIPs

What is a SIP?

  • SIP stands for Structural Insulated Panel. SIPs consist of two layers of wood sheathing or fiber cement board laminated to a foam core.  installed in a home, the SIP provides both structure and insulation. While most commonly used in walls, SIPs can also serve as load-bearing floor, ceiling and even foundation components. Most SIPS are designed carry the entire range of structural loads in a building.

What gives a SIP its strength?

  • The resulting sandwich panel product acts like an engineered I-beam, resisting both compressive forces from above and buckling forces from the side. Engineering tests show that, depending on the type of structural test being administered, SIPs range between two and seven times stronger than traditional framing.

Does the foam lose R-value over time?

  • Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam stabilizes at a relatively high R-value (about R-4 per inch) once it is placed in a home's wall and ceiling system at that point, the R-value of a fully cured EPS panel is about twice that of a fiberglass wall.

Are SIP homes too tight for good indoor health?

  • No. Research indicates that the best way to provide a home with good indoor air quality requires two essential steps. First, the home has to be built as tightly as practical it is easier to control air movements in a tight home than in a leaky one. Second, you need some upgraded mechanical ventilation features that can provide a steady flow of fresh air.

Are building codes a problem?

  • Global Building Solutions has a cordial relationship with regional code bodies, which facilitates acceptance of their products by local code officials. Yet while SIPs have been around for several decades, some code officials still aren't familiar with them, so check with your local building department. Global Building Solutions is happy to follow up with local code authorities, if assistance is needed.

What about shingles on SIPs roofs? Do I need to ventilate?

  • A ventilated roof is not necessary in most climates as once thought. Using Global Building Solutions' panels  results in an open, vaulted ceiling -  the opportunity for a attic does not exist. CertainTeed Corporation warrants  their shingles over GBS  roof systems with or without ventilation. Click here for their Technical Bulletin on the subject.

What about SIPs in fires?

  • To the surprise of some building researchers, data from extensive laboratory fire testing as well as reports from house fires indicates that SIP structures tend to be more resistant to house fires that standard wood-frame structures.

Are ants and termites a problem in panels?

  • All Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam used in the construction of GBS Structural Insulated Panels is manufactured with an additive formulated to resist normally occurring exposure to wood-boring insects, specifically carpenter ants and termites. It is a process which uses a natural mineral (Borate), and this non-toxic treatment is Registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, meeting the standards of ASTM D3345 and WPA EL 12-72. This same treatment has been proven to not support the growth of three types of common Mold, as well as Mildew, far outperforming foam untreated for mold resistance. Further, the foam used in GBS SIPs is environmentally sound – the product contains no CFC’s, HFC’s or HCFC’s. The additive allowing for termite repellence and mold resistance is inert, non-nutritive, highly stable, and therefore will not decompose, decay, or produce undesirable gases or leachates. It is also recyclable, safe for waste-to-energy systems and landfills.

Is a SIP a " green building product?"

  • SIP homes require considerably less framing lumber than a conventionally framed home. Note too that 95% of a tree can be used when it is cut into wood chips to make OSB for SIP facings, vs. 63% of a tree when it's sawn into solid lumber.  The panel's foam core is recyclable, thus reducing the need for raw material and reducing the amount of material reaching our landfills. Construction material waste is a major component in landfill volume.

Do SIPs contain formaldehyde? 

  • The answer to this question is technically yes, realistically no. This is the case because the amount of formaldehyde emitted by the oriented strand board (OSB) used in SIPs is less than 0.1 PPM (parts per million). This is well below levels established as acceptable by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, (HUD). In fact, the HUD Standard now in effect exempts OSB that is produced with these phenolic type adhesives. Large chamber testing demonstrated that emissions of formaldehyde from OSB is less than would be encountered in the normal atmospheric levels of an urban environment. Testing done by APA - The Engineered Wood Association, has been extensive and conclusive. With their permission, a report that provides more detail on this subject has been reprinted and is available from the APA or SIPA offices. The rigid foam cores and the structural water base adhesives used in the panel manufacturing process have no formaldehyde content and are inert plastics prior to leaving SIP manufacturing facilities. (courtesy SIPA) Click for a technical  bulletin from the Structural Board Association entitled Negligible or Non-existent Formaldehyde Emissions from OSB.

Do SIPs walls cost more than frame walls?

  • A SIPs home will retain its energy efficiency for the life of the home, and will give the homeowners an “upgrade” that will result in actual dollars and cents savings.

Are panels a nearly foolproof product?

  • No. Like anything else, panel manufacturing requires considerable quality control in the factory. Make it a point to ask us about our QC process. A knowledgeable designer or engineer needs to review plans to make certain that the panels selected for a particular plan are capable of meeting the structural loads involved. Later, at the job site, assembling panels into a strong, airtight and watertight shell requires someone in the lead with some SIP experience.

Why should I choose Global Building Solutions Panels over stick-built framed methods?

  • Save On-Site Construction
  • Time & Money
  • Quiet & Comfortable
  • Excellent Quality
  • Energy Efficient
  • Hurricane and Earthquake resistant strength

Tell me more about how you deliver these panels, as well as the costs involved.

  • Panels are delivered by common carrier on a flat-bed trailer. Panels are bound in units and are very compact, and do not take up a lot of load space.

How do I wire and plumb a panel house?

  • Wiring and plumbing are simple, and not much different than in any other house. Plumbing is no different, as there are rarely any pipes run through exterior walls. Electrical is only slightly different, and electricians who have worked with SIPs generally agree that it is easier, once they learned the differences. All of our panels come with horizontal electrical chases at socket and switch height (and can be custom-ordered if different or additional chases are required) through the panels to facilitate running wiring through the exterior walls (keep in mind that all interior walls are conventionally framed and therefore, no different).

How long does it take to build with SIPs?

  • Our SIPs can be installed in much less time than a site built stud frame. This reduces site labor costs, pilferage, carrying costs and exposure to the weather. also provide structure, sheathing and insulation in one component. This reduces the number of subcontractors required, supervision costs, and administrative overhead.

What style of houses can be built with SIPs?

  • All styles - see HERE

Bottom line, are SIP houses better?

  • Assuming the SIPS are properly installed, a Global Building Solutions SIP house will be stronger, more energy-efficient, and more comfortable.

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GLOBAL BUILDING SOLUTIONS • 2509 CLEMENTS FERRY ROAD • CHARLESTON • SOUTH CAROLINA • 29492 • 843-270-0733 • INFO@GLOBALBUILDING.NET