SIPs are high-performance building panels suitable for walls, roofs and even floors in residential and commercial buildings. The most common SIPs use expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation sandwiched between two structural skins of steel or oriented strand board (OSB). The result is a building system that is very strong, predictable, energy efficient, and cost effective. Of the two systems, th
e superiority of the steel system is indisputable. Steel SIPs (structural insulated panels) are engineered panels made from a dense core of EPS (expanded polystyrene) sandwiched between two exterior layers of factory painted galvalume steel, resulting in a solid one-piece component that provides structural framing, insulation, and exterior sheathing. Approximately 4’ wide, the interlocking panels are strong, light and easy to handle. The technique of sandwiching a foam core between metal skins has been used in refrigeration technology for decades and many screen room additions and carports have been built using the panels. What is relatively new is their acceptance and approvals nationwide by building departments as a material suitable for home construction. SIP systems are now recognized by all major code organizations and have received the highest seismic rating available from California. The panels are put through extensive and rigid testing to insure they continue to meet and exceed building code requirements for wind, live and dead loads, racking, and impact. They have been “hurricane tested”, and have proven to be stronger than block or wood frame construction, sustaining only very minor exterior siding damage in winds exceeding 140 mph, with no structural failures.
