![]() By anchoring an over-wide bottom plate to the slab first, then adding a 2×4 or 2×6 on top (whichever matches the thickness of panels you’re using), you raise panels and drywall 1 1/2” up off the floor, well away from any water that might accumulate on the floor from time to time. If your SIPs wall rests on a poured concrete slab, consider the value of the double bottom plate. All recessed panel edges are sized to fit over standard widths of lumber, and as you’ll see, this fact is key when it comes to the way these SIPs are fastened at the bottom.īefore you decide on a bottom plate design, there’s something you need to think about. Bottom plates must also be absolutely straight. It’s important to take the time to firmly bolt the plates now, since they hold the wall panels vertical as they go up. Work begins with a 2×4 or 2×6 bottom plate anchored to your foundation. Various SIPs manufacturers offer assembly manuals that outline the details of construction, but all systems are put together in similar ways. When you’re done, the foam is hidden and all you see is OSB on the inside and the outside faces of exterior walls. Solid wood 2x4s and 2圆s are also installed in the recessed edges around door and window openings. The foam is factory-recessed along panel edges to allow joint connectors (called splines) to be installed between panels. Rectangular panels arrive on site, you cut them to create door and window openings, then tilt the panels upright one at a time to make walls. I’ve built structures with timbers, logs, stone and studs, and my experiences with SIPs has impressed me enough that I’ll use them again. SIPs cost just a tiny bit more than insulated stud frame walls, but they go up much more quickly. SIPs are also virtually free from the risk of internal moisture condensation and mold growth that plagues stud walls in cold climates. And despite any ideas you might have about foam, these panels yield buildings that are actually three times stronger than stud frames. SIPs can even be used in place of roof trusses and rafters. Panels are usually four feet wide, up to 24-feet long, and take the place of conventional stud frame walls. ![]() SIPs are factory-bonded sandwiches of rigid foam sheathed in wood-based sheet goods, typically 7/16”-thick oriented strand board (OSB). That’s good news for owner-builders creating or improving their own place, and an option that’s generically called structural insulated panels (SIPs) are especially promising. And many of the newer options are faster, less skill dependent and yield more energy efficient structures than anything in the past. There are more ways to raise a good building these days than at any other time in history. SIPs panels empower ordinary people to create extraordinary building. ![]()
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