We live in a time when so many things we use daily have become described as toxic – recently diesel, clingfilm and wood burning stoves.
One of the materials that is being quietly added to the list is the cement used in concrete and concrete blocks which are so prevalent in UK construction.
Just because cement was used by the Romans it doesn’t make it good – we don’t feel the need to carry on with slavery, the lion’s den or infamy (Carry On film reference) – and it will continue to be a necessary evil for some time to come but for building walls it’s generally not necessary.
The Structural Integrated Panel is simply a panel of polyurethane foam sandwiched between two layers of Orientated Strand Board.
This makes a unit strong enough to form both walls and roofs.
Polyurethane is a by-product of oil, but it isn’t burnt so is not harmful to the environment. If it is used instead of bricks or cement then there is a positive trade-off.
SIPS panels can be used both for roof and wall construction.
Typically a specialist SIPS provider will put up the walls roof, intermediate floors and stud walls on a concrete plinth laid by others.
This allows the windows to be fitted as soon as the SIPS contractor leaves site and work to the building can continue inside and out concurrently.
SIPS construction is no more expensive than traditional construction but can show savings in speed of construction and its superior insulation will save on the cost of heating.
There are several SIPS manufacturers but we prefer the system provided by Kingspan Tek which has been thoroughly designed and tested: