Advantages for Builders

Speed of construction.

You get the SIP panels with all pre-cutting performed in a factory. They show up on the jobsite all pre-numbered, pre-made reinforced corners,  ready for assembly corresponding to numbers laid out on a set of shop drawings. On most jobs you should be out of the weather and dried in sooner. Time is money.

Fewer framers.

A crew can consist of one lead framer assisted by minimally skilled helpers. Whenever a job involves craning panels up to frame a roof, it helps to have two people familiar with panels: one on the roof and one on the ground.

Rigid frame.

It’s easy bracing SIP walls. In fact, once you have the corner up, you can lean a ladder against the panels when needed. SIP panels “lock” together with a special connection system. Starting with a corner you build a wall. As the panels are screwed they form a straight rigid uniform wall that becomes a single structure.

No wet trades.

There are no wet trades to worry about, and unlike other systems, winter construction is not a problem even at -15°C.

Less jobsite waste.

You get the SIP panels with all rough openings for windows and doors pre-cut at the factory, the only true waste you’ll have is taking a few cases of empty tubes of adhesive caulk containers to the dump. And the factory can efficiently collect and recycle their cut-outs much more effectively than you can at the job site.

Less theft.

While 2x4s and 2x6s are prone to “walking off” unsecured job sites, SIP panels are too specific to the site’s building system to be worth hauling off somewhere else.

Cost competitive.

While most builders say they pay a little more for SIPs than for the comparable framing and insulation package in a stick-built home, as a group they believe the benefits are worth the costs. The amount extra they pay varies; while a few say it costs them an extra  1€ per square meter of finished floor area, the amount may be higher when roof panels are used. However, when roof panels enclose extra living space in a loft, the price per square meter is surprisingly competitive. If at the design stage you optimize a structure to use panels, the most experienced SIP builders then say a house framed with Siphaus-SIPs should cost about the same as a house framed with comparably sized dimensional lumber, and maybe even a little less.

Easier to hang drywall.

There is solid backing for all drywall against exterior walls, which means there is less cutting, faster attachment and less waste material.

Fewer framing callbacks.

Wall panels go in plumb, square and straight. Once in place, a SIP won’t warp, twist or check.