Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 15, 1999 08:29pm | #1

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   I find SIPs to be great. The only problem being shipping cost since they don't compress like a stack of 2-by's and bags of insulation. They go up very quick and are much stronger than stick framing. Siding is very easy since they are very solid. The thermal performance is about as good as you can get because of the minimal thermal bridging. Steel studs are the WORST for thermal bridging. SIPs are time proven.

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   Guest_ | Jan 15, 1999 09:24pm | #2

   *We choose SIPs for our house and they are cost competitive and easy to put up. A 3 person crew can put up an SIP between 12 and 14 feet long by 8 feet high without any special tools. Larger than that you need more people or a wall jack(s). Getting them up to your second floor would probably require a crane so you may as well schedule one for erection also. A small company here in Boise, Id. ships a great deal of their production overseas to Japan. SIPs aren't terribly heavy but they take up a lot of space so shipping costs will be factor. The the 2x6 thickness walls run about $3 a square foot delivered to the site. The factory I bought from was 400 miles away in Montana so there was some transportation costs involved. We are not yet living in the house so I really can't comment about longevity. SIPs make a very sturdy wall that has very few thermal bridges when compared to a typical 2x6 stud constructed wall. And while there seems to be a constant swirl of concerns about the durability of engineered wood products like OSB, I have seen nothing to suggest that the wall will not out last conventional stud wall construction. Be aware that SIPs change the way the electrical system is installed. They come with awiring chase cut into the wall so installing outlets is not difficult, just different.

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   StevenH_ | Jan 27, 1999 08:07am | #3

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   We built our one and one-half story house using SIPs in 1996, and are very glad we did. We live in a part of the US where the wind comes straight off the mountains and the house stands solid. On the electrical - - be sure to put in pull strings on the horizontal electrical chases, and to drill holes for any vertical chases BEFORE nailing each panel. Otherwise you'll need to use wiremold for any electrical on outside walls. Plumbing must be in internal walls or chases, not in the SIP.

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   Guest_ | Jan 27, 1999 11:53am | #4

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   David,

   I have never seen a house anywhere in Israel built any other way than the post and beam reinforced concrete construction you describe. Even in the upscale neighborhoods where the homes look more like the homes in the U.S. the underlying construction is concrete. Have you checked with the local authorities about alternative construction techniques? Have you considered using ICF's? I think ICF's are well suited to your climate and similar to the local construction methods.

   What part of Israel?

   Jerry

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 27, 1999 10:26pm | #5

   *Although I like SIPs very much, My current favorite wall is 9.5" TJIs or other wood I-beams 24" O.C. as wall studs with a caulked poly vapor retarder and blown in cellulose insulation. The TJIs are made from fast growing small trees, not old growth, and the cellulose is recycled so both are environmently sound. Shipping is less also.

4. 
   David_Rothberg | Jan 28, 1999 08:13pm | #6

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   I have a single story flat roof house in Israel. The house is made out of concrete pillars filled in with insulated cement blocks. I want to add a second story. I am investigating different building methods. Wood is scarce here and expensive (I am originally from the States and have worked on framing houses). What about Structural Insulating Panels. Are they proven over time? Are they cost effective? Are they easy to work with? What about using steel studs? Any comments or suggestion would be most appreciated.