I’m thinkin of changing the roof on my sunroom from shed to a gable. I have some cypress planks that I’m thinkin of cuttin into exposed rafters so I need to insulate the ceiling somehow. I’m thinkin foam panels so my question is can I make my own sip panels or is there a company that sells sip’s for small jobs?
Wayne
Replies
Do you have a nearby source for Foam? If so it is possible but difficult. SIP's are manufactured using heat activated glue. they are put in a large press and a heat source activates the glue on the osb..
There were many people making SIP's in the early days and many of those companies had inconsitant results.
You can buy a single panel that is as small as 4x8 or up to a 16x30.
I can get 2" foam. Im thinkin of layering it but trying to figure out how to fasten it. Do you have a source for single panels?
Wayne
I don't think you want an SIP for this.
I would frame your roof and install your sheathing. I'm assuming you will use the cypress boards for the exposed sheathing as well.
We have two local foam manufacturers who can make foam in whatever size I need. I would order some 6"-8" 4'x8' panels and install them over the sheating. Then you can install a plywood or OSB nailbase on top of the foam for the roofing finish to attach to.
SIP's are a whole lot of cost and complexity that you don't need.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Jon's right about this. Use foam in the thickness you want (some's good,, mores better,, and too much is just starting to get to be fun!)
what you'll want is the long screws to connect everything together.. My SIP manufacturer called for them every 4 inches.. so I used 14 inch screws for my 12 inch panels. I went through the panels and into the timbers below.. Torq's head screws trip out less than the square bit ones do and if you strip out a few screws in a row replace the drive bit.. once the corners are rounded you play heck getting the screws..
I just started the thought process on this project. I've been wanting to rais this roof and I was out back looking at the cypress planks, they came off of a pickle vat, and I said to myself, Self why not use them for rafters. So I hadn't got to the...what to use for the ceiling part. The last time I worked with cypress t&g boards for a ceiling was a nightmare. The stuff was so crooked it took a lot of work and cutting out bad spots I said never again. The stuff that is sold today is farm grown and not what I would call quality material.
So if I set my rafters. Lay down an exposed ceiling then the foam then a osb deck screwing through all that into the beams I should be good to go, right?
Now I have to locate 6-8" foam.
Wayne
I would imagine you could use several layers of thinner foam to accomplish the same thing.
You should be fine. As others mentioned, you can use thinner foam. Thinner pieces would be easier to cut but you have to deal with multiple plies and keeping them from moving around.
If using multiple plies, you can use Enerbond or something similar to bond the plies together.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
I found a supplier of 6" foam 4by10 sheets ...$48 apiece. I think I could work it out by using 2" and layering it. Thanks for all the ideas guys.
Wayne