A Blueprint for Better Building

(Page 5 of 5)

August/September 2005
By Steve Maxwell 
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SIPs also make excellent roof panels. They easily can span 10 to 15 horizontal feet without rafters, depending on the panel thickness and roof load.o your plans include an all-weather loft? A SIPs roof is the easiest way to create this design feature, especially when choosing a geometrically easy 45-degree pitch.

RELATED CONTENT

There are many paths to a terrific homestead building, but eventually, you’ve got to make choices. In the next issue, I’ll give you a detailed look at the SIPs I chose and how they go together from foundation to peak.

Build it Yourself and Save Money

There’s something to be said for the convenience of a contractor-built home. But there’s also added value in building it yourself. A basic new building project costs about $80 to $100 per square foot when you pay for typical materials and all labor. I’ve found that when you do all of the labor yourself, you can cut that figure down to about $40 to $50 per square foot using the same typical building materials. If you do something more unusual, such as a log building using timber cut from your land, you can pare this figure down significantly.

Steve Maxwell is a Mother Earth News contributing editor who likes to build beautiful things. He lives and gardens with his wife and four children on a hand-built homestead on Manitoulin Island, Ontario.
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