Foam Laminates of Vermont -- SIPs Manufacturer : Components Of A SIP

One of the best features of building with SIPs is there fast erection time. Indeed, some analysis have shown that the construction time of a SIP building can be shortened from four weeks to one week when compared to a similar stick frame building. In fact, the Energy Studies in Building Laboratory at the University of Oregon conducted extensive testing on the labor requirements of SIPs and determined that SIP homes could be completed in 161 hours less than their equivalent counterparts. This amounted to about 34% less on-site construction time.

In the Fall of 1997, Habitat for Humanity built two similar single dwelling family homes, one with SIP panels, and the other with stick fames. The SIP home located in Sedro-Wooley, Washington contained 1,293 square feet and four bedrooms. The 2x4 stick-built home located in Plains, Georgia consisted of 1,064 square feet and four bedrooms. In a report summarizing the findings of the comparison of labor man-hours between the two homes, Habitat for Humanity determined that the "the SIP home saved 65% of the site labor when compared to the stick-built home (1)."

The reason for this increase in construction efficiency is due to the fact that SIP manufacturers - including Foam Laminates of Vermont - fabricate large sections in their own facility, rather than have carpenters construct the stick framing assembly on-site.

When building with SIPs, on-the site construction time is dramatically reduced and this can have some considerable advantages to the homeowner. For instance, a long fabrication cycle can limit access to construction labor and poor weather conditions can hinder progress. In a time where labor can cost more than the construction materials, perhaps the most alluring feature of SIP buildings is that they can save labor and hence money.