SIPs or Structural Insulated Panels are high-performance building panels used for floors, walls, and roofs for residential, commercial, and agricultural projects. The panels are made by sandwiching a polystyrene foam core between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB), or plywood. The skin thickness may increase for larger buildings. SIPs are manufactured under factory-controlled conditions and can be custom designed for each home. The result is a building system that is strong, energy-efficient, and cost-effective. Building with SIPs can save you time, money, and labor.

The superior whole wall R-values and building tightness of SIPs allow HVAC equipment to be downsized and ductwork to be minimized. When combined with other energy-efficient technologies, SIPs can cut annual heating and cooling costs by 50 percent or more.

The structural characteristics of SIPs are similar to that of a steel I-Beam. The OSB skins act as the flange of the I-beam, while the rigid foam core provides the web. This design gives SIPs an advantage handling in plane compressive loads.

The tightness of the SIP building envelope prevents air from gaining access to the interior of the home except in controlled amounts. A controlled indoor environment is both healthy and comfortable. Ventilation systems can be used to filter potential allergens from entering the home. Humidity can be controlled more easily in a SIP home resulting in a home that is more comfortable for occupants and less prone to mold growth and dust mites.

Electrical wires are pulled through precut channels inside the core of the panels called “chases.” Manufacturers cut chases during the manufacturing process according to the electrical design of the home. Electricians can then use fish tape to feed wires through panel chases without compressing the insulation or having to drill through studs.

Our panels are treated with an effective, non-toxic additive that will deter insects. The additive is environmentally sound and contains no dyes, formaldehyde or ozone-depleting HCFC’s. The additive is inert, non-nutritive, highly stable and therefore will not decompose, decay or produce undesirable gases. The insect-resistant foam panels are recyclable and safe for waste-to-energy systems and landfills. The treatment is a process which uses a natural mineral formulated to resist normally occurring exposure to woodboring insects, specifically carpenter ants and termites. The non-toxic treatment is EPA Registered, meets the standards of ASTM D3345 and WPA EL 12-72, and lasts as long as the rigid insulation.

SIP buildings can go up significantly faster than traditionally framed structures when being erected by a properly trained SIP installation crew. This reduces dry-in time and allows interior and subcontractor work to begin earlier. SIPs can be manufactured as large as 8′ X 24′. SIPs can be supplied as ready-to-install building components when they arrive at the job site, eliminating the time needed to perform individual operations of framing, insulation, and sheathing. Window openings are pre-cut in the panels and electrical chases are provided in the core of the panels, so there is no need to drill through studs for wiring.