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Why and When to Use Structural Insulated Panels: A True Story

As a Design-Builder, we take on the role of advocate for our clients and put ourselves in their shoes while carefully making design and construction decisions. What would they choose to do to effectively save money and time without sacrificing quality or building longevity?

We are currently working on a building for Chippewa Nature Center that our Architect, Neil Frank, resourcefully designed using materials that would save time and money. He selected Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) to be used in the carpentry package for the roofing material.

According to the Structural Insulated Panel Association, SIPs are “high-performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings. The panels are made by sandwiching a core of foam plastic between two structural surfaces, such as <OSB>…. SIPs are manufactured under factory-controlled conditions and can be custom designed for each project.” SIPs are also known to save on labor due to sheathing and insulation being installed in one step by one trade.

In order to provide a vaulted ceiling to match buildings currently on their property, Frank chose to use the SIPs that are ideal for buildings with no attic and selected tongue and groove wood for the finish. The ceiling materials can be directly affixed by nailing to the SIPs, which speeds up the carpentry process with no furring or intermediate framing needed. Also, by eliminating attic areas that would typically hold unconditioned air, in this instance there is no need for soffit and roof venting, resulting in both a cost savings and more streamlined construction process.

Additional benefits include built in superior thermal performance and heating efficiency for the client, whereby HVAC equipment can be minimized. The SIP Association claims that “the airtightness of the SIP building envelope prevents air from gaining access to the interior of the <building> except in controlled amounts. A controlled indoor environment is both healthy and comfortable.”

Frank’s, along with our construction team’s, vast knowledge of building materials and installation allows us to design and provide efficient final buildings for our clients. Call us to see how we can resourcefully save you time and money on your commercial building design and construction.

 

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