Blog
Off-site construction – SIPS – GreenBuildingAdvisor
- November 18, 2024
- Posted by: wendy
- Category: Uncategorized
I have had a strong interest in off-site construction. Through the last 11 months I have been comparing site-built vs. off-site construction using volumetric modular and determined due to the delivery costs it made sense to shift to on-site construction which I will very likely execute in the same time frame.
Recently, I had watched a video that Matt Risinger posted regarding SIPS construction using Extreme Panel and it peaked my interest.
After looking into the costs again with SIPS the overall costs seemed to be a factor and since the house design didn’t allow the roof panels to work I again tabled the idea for this particular house.
Then in researching further I found a company that is local to my area called Eco Panels. This could align well and now I am thinking while not on this particular project maybe I am able to consider this in the future. I was able to meet the founder and he gave me a factory tour.
My question: From a green building point of view coupled with energy efficiency the difference between EPS and Spray foam…but, what Eco-Panels says is a proprietary blend of closed cell polyurethane foam created in part from a poly-alcohol derived from post process sugar-beets, what questions should I be asking or considering?
Is this marketing or is this a better version of foam?
This is from their website:
https://www.eco-panels.com/
Flame Retardant and Organic-Based Foam Core
We’ve never seen anyone else take a less than one-inch thick piece of insulation on their upturned palm and hold a 3,600° F torch on it for long periods of time like we can (please do not try this with your own insulation!). Our custom blend of closed cell polyurethane foam core is without peer for its structural and adhesive strength, thermal insulating ability and it is free of any formaldehyde, styrenes or VOCs, and rated with an ozone depleting potential (ODP) of zero and a global warming potential (GWP) of less than one. While most SIPs on the market use a urethane adhesive to bond the foam core to the siding materials, our injected foam itself is the only adhesive that bonds together all components of our building panels with a force of almost 50 lbs per square inch. That’s around 14,000 pounds of bonding force for every panel square foot! By comparison a typical stud frame wall system has only one hundred to two hundred pounds of bonding force per square foot with nails and sheathing. With our panels having a bonding force this strong, significantly fewer fasteners are needed to build a very strong home or structure.