The quick assembly and energy efficiency of SIPs makes them a great choice for building your green dream home. In this section, I cover how to design with SIPs, and how to educate your contractor on using them.
Considering Design
A typical SIP comes 4 feet wide. You can really benefit from these standardized sizes by designing your home to be some unit of 4 feet. By designing to this module, you’ll reduce the need for cutting, and speed construction time.
A typical SIP also comes in heights of 8 feet to 24 feet. Size your building to the widest span possible without the need for interior walls or columns; this will create open spaces in your plan. The SIP manufacturer or your structural engineer can tell you how far a distance the panels can be used as a floor or roof.
The panels themselves are very boxy, so SIP buildings tend to be boxy. If you want to do curving walls, SIPs are not the right choice. Consider making openings fit within the 4-foot module of the SIP, instead of punching holes for windows and doors.
After they’re erected, the SIPs must be covered with siding. You can use any green siding you want — stucco, board siding, shingles — allowing the building to be either very modern or traditional, based on your tastes. (Find suggestions for siding)
Convincing Your Contractor
If your contractor is unfamiliar with SIP construction, contact the Structural Insulated Panel Association (http://www.sips.org) for a list of workshops in your area. These workshops educate builders and homeowners on how to build with SIPs. If your contractor is reluctant to go, offer to pay for the workshop or to go with him. The Structural Insulated Panel Association can also steer you toward certified installers around the country.
When your contractor tries SIPs, chances are he’ll see the logic and efficiency of them and want to continue building with SIPs. If he’s new to the SIP world, you may want to share the following tips with him.
- Seal all the joints with a special sealing mastic or an expanding foam sealant. Fill the space between the panels and in any unused electrical chases with low expanding foam. Proper sealing between the panels is very important in a SIP building.
- Although a 4-foot-wide-by-8-foot-high panel can be lifted by two people, longer panels can require a crane to install.
- Take the time to plan the building properly and precut the panels. When the SIPs arrive at the construction site precut, they can be rapidly assembled.
- Store panels under cover, out of the sun, and off the ground. Keep them dry and cool.
- Set aside panel scraps for later use for headers, filler sections, and anywhere small pieces are needed. ....read more
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