SIPS stands for Structured Integrated Panels. The
concept and construction has been around for more
than 75 years. Unpopular with contractors because
it cuts labor time and cost for the consumer,
it's only recently, with the energy crisis
causing utility costs to skyrocket, that
Americans have turned back to SIPS energy
conserving construction. The concept is simple.
If you've ever seen how cold a 2-4 inch thick
styrofoam cooler can keep your ice and drinks on
a hot day, then you have seen the SIPs concept in
action.
About SIPS of America and Owner Jimmy Farlow
I'm Jimmy Farlow, a Danville, Virginia native. I
saw the value of SIPS the first time I heard
about it - so I bought the company in Lumberton,
NC and a year or so later moved it to Danville.
SIPS has now been operating in Danville for a
little over a year. But it's not just the concept
and the business that impressed me. I'm also
building a large retirement community here in
Danville - called "Dodson Estates," a gated
community located in the midst of a beautiful
natural landscape dotted with magnolia and
dogwood trees, a babbling brook that runs through
the community next to a shaded walking path with
a gazebo and benches along the water's edge. It
will be a truly beautiful community.
Dodson Estates will offer a range of floor plans
from 1400 to 1,800 sq. feet. All units will be
ground floor level with no steps, for
accessiblity and safety. Property owners will
have a voice in the construction and amenities of
their home to ensure that we meet the needs of
each resident. Because so many retirees are on a
fixed income SIPS superior insulation will enable
each resident to save thousands of dollars on
their heating and air conditioning needs.
Dodson
Estates will use all SIPS construction.
Why Use SIPS?
Why SIPS? Structured Integrated Panels are simply
the better way to build. SIPS panels offer a
superior insulation envelope on new home
construction, but can be adapted into existing
homes as well. SIPS panels are more energy
efficient, up to 10 times stronger than a stick
built home in a tornado, high winds or an
earthquake, are flexible to most designs and meet
both commercial and residential requirements.
SIPS panels are ICC code approved, HUD approved,
"Energy Star" compliant, cost effective and more
energy effective. Not only is the SIPS panel
stronger, it is also safer. All materials are
free from Urea Formaldehyde and
Chloroflurocarbons, making them safer for you and
the environment. SIPS of America panels are
environmentally friendly and a "Green Certified"
product.
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are high
performance building panels used in floors,
walls, and roofs for residential and light
commercial buildings. The panels are typically
made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic
insulation between two structural skins of
oriented strand board (OSB). Other skin material
can be used for specific purposes. SIPs are
manufactured under factory controlled conditions
and can be custom designed for each home. The
result is a building system that is extremely
strong, energy efficient and cost effective.
Building with SIPs will save you time, money and
labor.
SIPS Outperforms Stick Built Homes
SIP buildings are vastly more energy efficient,
stronger, quieter, and more draft free than other
building systems, such as stud framing with
fiberglass insulation. As a matter of fact,
fiberglass is sometimes used for furnace filters
because air moves through it so freely.
Rigid insulation is used as solid component
insulation in almost every industry for its
inherent efficiency and lack of air movement.
These attributes are built right into a SIP
building. Less air leakage means fewer drafts,
less noise, lower energy bills, and a much more
comfortable indoor environment.
Are Structural Panels More Expensive?
Building with SIPs generally costs about the same
as building with wood frame construction, when
you factor in the labor savings resulting from
shorter construction time and less job-site
waste.
Other savings are realized because less expensive
heating and cooling systems are required with SIP
construction.
SIPA does not maintain pricing data from
individual manufacturing members. If you are
looking for pricing information, please contact
our members directly by clicking on "Find SIPs"
or complete the form located under "Let's Talk
SIPs" and our members will contact you with
information specific to your request.
Energy Savings
Oak Ridge National
Laboratories
tested SIPS panels in an extensive, closely
monitored test to measure air infiltration. They
concluded tht SIPS construction allows 15 times
less air infiltration than conventional
construction. ORNL testing compared a room built
with four-and-a-half inch thick walls, ceiling
and doors with wire chases and electrical outlets
to an otherwise identical room built from
two-by-six walls, OSB sheathing, fiberglass
insulation and drywall. The stated insulation
value for the six-inch wall was R-19 and for the
four-and-a-half inch thick walls was R-15. Even
though the conventional wall had a 25% higher R
rating, the SIPS construction performed 88%
better!
The
results in energy savings are just as dramatic.
Your energy bill in a SIPS home can be as much as
50% less than in a stick-built home. Not only
that, your air-conditioning system is 60% smaller
in a SIPS home because they're so energy
efficient. SIPS homes qualify under the
Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Star Program,
resulting in a savings in your energy bill
through the life of the structure.
What is SIPA?
SIPA
stands for The Structural Insulated Panel
Association (SIPA). SIPA is a non-profit trade
association representing manufacturers,
suppliers, fabricators/distributors, design
professionals, and builders committed to
providing quality structural insulated panels for
all segments of the construction industry.
SIPS Of America, Inc. 200 Learner Ln, Blairs, VA 24527 (434) 836-2275
