| [Image: Structural Insulated Panel System] |
| [Image: SIPS roof] |
| [Image: SIPS roofing] |
East Wing (dining, home office, part of kitchen)
Structural Insulated Panel System (SIPS)
- Factory made panels of insulating foam core with ½ in. thick oriented strand board (OSB) panel skins
- Borate-treated EPS foam & OSB for termite resistance
- Panels form structure and insulation in one step
- Openings lined with studs
- Panel size from 4 x 8 to 8 x 24 ft.
- Precut chases for wiring
- Very fast assembly with less skilled labor, fewer trades – but requires crane to lift large panels
- Can be fully precut in factory or openings cut on site
- Highly energy efficient system
- Continuous insulation (no gaps from framing) outperforms higher R-values between studs
- Creates airtight building envelope
- Panels glued and nailed to insulated spline joints
- High strength, stability, shear resistance
- Little construction waste – less to landfills
- OSB is efficient use of renewable wood resource
- Cost 0-3% more than standard wood frame
- higher material cost, lower labor & finance costs
- transportation cost – distance from factory matters
- simple designs on 4 ft. grid, model plans cost less
SIPS Roof and Attic
Two options exhibited:
- SIPS ceiling creates airtight, fully insulated, walkable attic floor (see attic over home office from exhibit room)
- SIPS roof creates unvented, semi-air conditioned attic (see attic over dining area in exhibit room)
- No HVAC, duct losses + climate-controlled storage space
Weather Barriers
- Triple sill gasket – air seal plus adhesive flashing in one
- Hot-humid climate housewrap installed shingle fashion
- Water vapor retarder (ideal 6 perm, semi-permeable)
- Strong, tear-resistant, well fastened
- Withstood Katrina and Rita
- Non-perforated; surfactants won’t cause leakage
- Plastic window sill pan flashing with sloped channels drains to outside (see semi-circle window in exhibit room)
- Protects vulnerable corners, sills from water leaks
- Fast, easy installation; no need for slope, backdam
- Mortar dropping collection system behind brick veneer to protect weep hole drainage
SIPS Energy-saving features
- Exceptionally airtight system without added air barrier
- Continuous insulation throughout building envelope
- 4 in. wall = R-15 - outperforms R-19 between studs
- 8 in. panels (R-30) for roof (see exhibit room over dining) or ceiling (see attic floor over home office)
Fortified SIPS features (to resist 130 mph wind & flood damage)
Walls:
- Anchor bolts tie bottom plate to slab every 16 in.
- Metal connector plates secure wall panels to sole plate to resist both uplift and shear (racking) forces
- Panels provide inherent resistance to lateral wind forces
Roofs:
- Hurricane straps tie wall panels and plates to rafters, wrap over every rafter (framed roof over home office)
- Close spacing of fastening screws tie roof panels to wall panels
- Rafter 2x8 splines between roof panels extend full length of roof porch overhang
- Peel & stick membrane roof underlayment – secondary water barrier for storm protection
- Breezeway roof reinforced with micro-laminated beams and bolted through both building walls for high uplift resistance