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Structural Insulated Panels FAQ
- Why should I choose Structural Insulated Panels over stick built methods?
- What are Structural Insulated Panels?
- What is the cost, and is it more expensive than 2 x 6 construction?
- What is the insulation value?
- How do you run electrical?
- Is this a modular home?
- Can I make changes in the field?
- Do Premier SIPs meet building codes?
- How strong are these panels?
- Are Structural Insulated Panels dangerous in a fire?
- This system has so many benefits, why isn't every one building with it?
- I have a large amount of time and money into my project. What assurance does Premier offer should a problem arise?
- Are SIPs susceptible to ants, termites, and other insects?
Why should I choose Structural Insulated Panels over stick built methods?
There are several excellent reasons:
Money — Structural Insulated Panels save you labor costs on the installation because panels can arrive pre-fabricated. Panels save interest on your construction loan by consolidating your construction schedule. But the most prominent savings are pocketed with every passing month, be it a frozen December in Alaska or a July ovenbake in Arizona. You will pay significantly less than the neighbor living in the drafty stick built house.
Comfort — Without hesitation, your Premier home will be one of the most comfortable, quiet and clean structures you will ever own. Unlike a stick-frame home, in which thermal performance is an afterthought, insulation is an integral part of a Premier Panel Home. Air and moisture penetrations are greatly reduced because there are so few thermal breaks.
Quality — Have you ever looked down the edge of a stud wall and noticed how it bends, bulges, twists and cups due to the increasingly poor quality of lumber? It does not happen with a Premier wall. Our walls are straight, plumb and square. The continuous wood surface gives you a sound nailbase for any exterior and interior finishes.
Speed — Framing a 2000 square foot house with Premier walls and roof panels has been done in a matter of hours. While every project may not go that fast, SIP construction will certainly shave significant time off the schedule. A good choice is our jumbo 8´ x 24´ pre-engineered, factory cut panel. They arrive numbered with a layout diagram ready to be tilted into place, loaded with top and end plates and window bucks, then nailed off. It's the fastest wall in the west.
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What are Structural Insulated Panels?
They are an extremely strong structural product with a super-insulating core of rigid expanded polystyrene, structurally laminated and pressure cured between two sheets of engineered wood called oriented strand board (OSB). When used in walls, floors and roofs, a SIP home is a fortress against the forces of nature.
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What is the cost, and is it more expensive than 2 x 6 construction?
The cost is dependent upon the design and finish of your home. And homes are like fingerprints; no two are exactly alike. This makes figuring cost on a square foot basis about as difficult as alchemy. For return on investment, however, Structural Insulated Panels beat stick-frame and most other enclosure systems handily. Your panels account for a fraction of your home's cost usually ten percent or less. These dollars can be made up very quickly in energy savings alone. Over the life of the home, the savings are quite staggering. Energy consultant Mark Whitaker of Mesquite, Texas compares various thermal envelopes (SIP, stick, concrete etc.) and projects the utilities one can expect to pay based on the type of HVAC system, local utility rates and heating and cooling days. Here is an analysis comparing the operating costs of a 1522 s.f. Dallas home using two different thermal envelopes.
Assumptions for Estimating Operating Costs:
| SIP Energy Efficient Home |
Conventionally Constructed Home |
Home Owners Pocketed Savings |
||
| Estimated Operating Costs @ 4% Annual Cost Increase |
5 Yrs |
$2,464 |
$5,647 |
$3,183 |
| 10 Yrs |
$5,463 |
$11,552 |
$6,089 |
|
| 15 Yrs |
$9,111 |
$17,742 |
$8,631 |
|
| 20 Yrs |
$13,549 |
$24,246 |
$10,697 |
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What is the insulation value?
R-Value is a measure of a material's resistance to thermal penetration. The higher the number the better the material is at insulating. According to the Dept. of Energy real world thermal breaks such as corners, windows, doors, and stud walls dramatically reduce the stated R-Value of virtually every product on the market except SIPs. As an example, a 2x6-stud wall 24" on center with R-19 fiberglass batts has a real world R-Value of 13.7. A six-inch Premier wall has a real world R-Value of 21.7. Simply put, a six-inch Premier wall out performs a six-inch stud wall by a whopping 58%. Structural Insulated Panels have the following ratings:
| R-value @ 40° |
R-value @ 75° |
| 4" panel - R-16 |
4" panel - R-15 |
| 6" panel - R-25 |
6" panel - R-23 |
| 8" panel - R-32 |
8" panel - R-23 |
| 10" panel - R-40 |
10" panel - R-37 |
| 12" panel - R-48 |
12" panel - R-45 |
| R-values stated are within FTC guidlines |
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How do you run electrical?
It's very simple because Structural Insulated Panels have horizontal chases pre-cut at 16 and 45 inches off the floor. There is also a vertical chase spaced every four feet. Just drill access holes during the framing and your electrician won't even have to drill studs.
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Is this a modular home?
No. This is an engineered wood building material. Premier can customize virtually any home design or plan that you and your architect dream up. We will utilize from 4x8 ft. panels to jumbo 8x24 ft. panels. Our factory will pre-cut the doors, windows and any openings following your blueprint so that there is less jobsite waste and greater speed in the field.
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Can I make changes in the field?
Yes. Because it's made of wood, carpenters can easily make adjustments to panels using tools they work with every day.
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Do Premier SIPs meet building codes?
Building codes are minimum standards of construction. Premier SIPs have national code listings for every major model building code in the US and several international listings.
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How strong are these panels?
In 1995, a 7.2 earthquake rocked Kobe, Japan. The entire city was devastated. Among the ruins however stood six panel homes utilizing Structural Insulated Panels that survived, almost unblemished, a testament to the strength of panel construction. These panels were manufactured at our plant in Washington state.
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Are Structural Insulated Panels dangerous in a fire?
Any building material protected by gypsum drywall has a period of adequate protection. In a panel wall, however, there are no voids through which oxygen can feed a fire. Fire tests have also been conducted which compare EPS foam insulation with Douglas Fir. As you can see, EPS produces less toxic fumes than a burning piece of wood.
| Douglas Fir |
EPS |
|
| Hydrogen |
0.696 |
0.000 |
| Methane |
0.866 |
0.000 |
| Water |
0.337 |
0.217 |
| Acetylene |
0.018 |
0.000 |
| Ethylene |
0.227 |
0.000 |
| Nitrogen |
75.303 |
78.984 |
| Carbon Monoxide |
5.408 |
0.000 |
| Oxygen |
6.81 |
19.542 |
| Argon |
0.926 |
0.941 |
| Carbon Dioxide |
9.404 |
1.216 |
| Benzene |
0.006 |
0.000 |
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This system has so many benefits, why isn't every one building with it?
More people are educating themselves to system thinking everyday. Panel homes are not new. The first home was built in the 1930s and is still in use today. More than 60,000± structures are built every year using SIPs. The list of projects runs the gamut from luxury homes, tract developments, and multifamily to churches, wineries, health care, and retail shops. Stick framing has remained essentially unchanged for over one hundred years. Premier Panel technology is the next step in the evolution of building.
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I have a large amount of time and money into my project. What assurance does Premier offer should a problem arise?
We treat every project as a custom project. We will be with you through every step of the panel process. It all begins with a no obligation estimate based on your blueprint and continues to the day we put on our nailbags and help erect the first panels. The act of building is nothing more than a series of solutions leading to the desired result. With the most technically proficient staff in the panel industry, we are the solution.
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Are SIPs susceptible to ants, termites, and other insects?
Ants, termites and other insects are common throughout the United States and can effectboth stick frames and SIP buildings. Premier combats these types of vermin by treating our cores and skins with a nuturally occuring insect resistant mineral to aid in the prevention of infestation. SIPs are no more susceptible to infestation than stick frame. Good construction practices should be used in the design and construction of any buildings to avoid insect infestation. Preventative treatment of the site before construction, clearance of vegetation against the structure and trimming of overhanging tree limbs will also limit access to the building by insects. Structural Insulated Panels are treated with a naturally occurring insect resistant mineral to aid in the prevention of infestation.
© Builder magazine June 1998 "straight talk about sips"
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