Key Advantages Of Structural Insulated Panels

By Charles Baker


The concept of using SIPs in construction has become popular over time. Homeowners and residential building owners can use this material to construct walls, ceiling, and floors. The material is quickly replacing the traditional use of concrete and lumber. The most common material used to make this product include expanded polystyrene, polyurethane, and compressed straw-core. The following are key advantages of structural insulated panels over other construction materials.

Light and sturdy. Structurally insulated boards are light as compared with other types of materials used in construction. Such property does not make weak since they have a strong property making them ideal to use. They can endure harsh conditions despite the fact they are lightweight.

Resistant to mold growth and infestation from insects. Quality-standard panels should not rot or deteriorate under any condition. Therefore, there are fewer risks of health hazards associated with mold infestations. Most of these products have a waterproof covering making them suitable for use. Besides that, most materials used to make the products do not have essential nutrients to feed insects. For that reason, they are safe from insect infestation.

Benefits to residential and home occupants are noted. People living in places with such materials have a couple of benefits from them. They offer soundproof, reduce the rate of heat loss and are easy to separate office spaces. For that reason, they reduce utility bills by almost a half since one does not have to use a lot of power to heat a room. Besides that, they cut the cost used to separate offices into smaller compartments.

Quick to design and build a house. This product allows creativity in developing a home during the developmental stage. One can easily create a full computer-aided assembly using the design making it easier to come up with an accurate model of a house. Building using the product reduces the construction period to about three times the average construction time using other materials. Besides that, builders do not require specialized tools and need less supervision during the construction period.

These materials are environmentally friendly. Timber and concrete have a high environmental impact compared with SIPs. This product is factory-made and designed to fit a particular house design. Therefore, there are minimal chances of waste if matched with lumber and concrete. Besides that, their ability to conserve heat reduces the rate of global warming which is highly influenced by other materials.

Offer resistance to the hurricane and seismic movement. SIPs are ideal products to use in areas that are prone to hurricanes and seismic activities. Their high level of stability guarantees the safety of a house that has used them in withstanding such natural events. Even so, the capacity to design them to fit a particular architectural design provides an opportunity to design and construct a house to withstand such activities.

There a couple of disadvantages despite the advantages of using these products. Those that have poor fire rating puts occupants at risk of fire burns or smoke inhalation since they are airtight. Such a situation is common when the drywall is faulty. Also, SIPs that are poorly maintained can easily rot or get infested with rodents. Therefore, one should look for those that have a waterproof casing and have boric acid to reduce chances of infestation.




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