SIPs stand for Structural Insulated Panels and they are fast becoming the material of choice for the walls and roofs of new homes. A SIPs construction might be a little more of an outlay at first but as you’ll see, the real value is in the savings of time and labor costs you’ll make as you erect your house as well as the energy savings you will make annually.

That’s not all, a SIPs build will increase the value of your home and use every inch of space.

Construction Benefits

SIPs are made using two sheets of oriented strand board sandwiching a thick piece of polystyrene or polyurethane. This material offers wonderful insulation value. The sandwich board is compressed in a machine and then cut into a variety of shapes custom designed for your home. The sections are delivered by truck and are assembled on site like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Because of the ease of construction, the house can be put together in a much shorter time than conventional stick frame construction meaning that work can begin sooner on internal fitting s and GPI. Not only that the house will be far stronger and longer lasting as the SIP boards are very sturdy. A SIP build will eliminate the need for a loft and increase the floor space of your new house: effectively turning a three bed house into a five bed one, increase the value of your house at no extra cost.

Financial Benefits

While more expensive to buy initially due to the prefabrication process SIP boards can save you money across the board, reduce the cost of the overall project and increase the value of the finished product. One significant saving in a SIPs build is the cost of labour, this can be reduced in terms of labour used and time spent on a build. SIP shells can be erected and weatherproof in days, not weeks ready for the installation of windows, doors, and internal fittings. There’s estimated to be an overall 60% reduction in labour costs. Once assembled the SIPs home brings further savings in the form of lower energy bills. SIPs insulation is incredibly airtight and the foam centre is ideal for trapping heat in the winter. A 60% reduction in your annual energy costs is not unrealistic in a SIPs home, and when it comes time for selling your home will have added value due to the extra floor space.

Environmental Benefits

One of the primary environmental benefits of using SIPs is their extremely high insulation value that can improve the home’s efficiency by up to 60%. The airtight shell is warm in the winter and cool in the summer reducing energy consumption significantly and eliminating the need to burn carbon dioxide emitting fossil fuels. The need for builders to use environmentally friendly materials as well as methods is on the rise. The OSB strand boards which sandwich the polyurethane are made using young fast-growing trees in plantations vetted by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Young trees are more efficient at extracting carbon from the atmosphere than mature ones – they also grow fast, provide excellent strength, and are renewable and non-toxic. The polystyrene or polyurethane used is free from CFC and HCFC, with an ozone depletion value of zero. If you want to build a home for the future, increase its living space and sell on value, as well as reducing your energy costs and carbon footprint, seriously consider a SIPs construction.