Building with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

Steve Maxwell

Structural Insulated Panels, known as SIPs, are energy-efficient and easy to install for homebuilders working alone or in small groups. These factory-bonded sandwiches are made of foam insulation covered by oriented strand board (OSB is made from thin wood chips arranged in cross-oriented layers and glued into sheets. SIPs can do triple duty as the framing, insulation and sheathing of most structures.

There are three reasons SIPs are particularly good for building:

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2. Simplicity: SIPs eliminate the need for standard stick-frame construction. SIP wall sections can be raised and easily nailed into place by one or two people. Panels are typically 4 feet wide, and can be tipped into place one at a time onto a solid-wood bottom plate. On a calm day, 10-foot-tall panels can be raised by one person.
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4. Strength: SIPs are three times stronger than similar stud-frame walls.
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6. Energy-efficiency: SIPs can be 75 percent more energy efficient than typical walls in a stud-frame structure built to code.
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To learn more about using SIPs for your next building project, check out the Oct/Nov 2005 issue of Mother Earth News.