Frank Baker

Made with OSB sandwiching an EPS core, the Insulspan SIP System comes pre-cut and ready to install as walls, floors, and roofs. A 6?1/2-inch wall panel offers a nominal R-value of 21.1; a 101/4-inch roof panel provides a nominal R-value of 35.1. The company offers special-order SIPs using FSC-certified OSB.517.486.4844. More

Consisting of solid one-piece pre-cut SIP units, the Insulspan Structural Insulated Panel System comes ready to assemble as wall, floor, or roof components, reducing construction time and improving efficiency, the company says. According to the firm, the system’s roof and wall assemblies offer a 40% to 60% reduction in heat loss and significantly reduce air leakage. 800.726.3510. More

Structural insulated panels are an energy-efficient framing alternative. More

By now familiar to most builders, SIPs are made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation sandwiched between two structural sheets of oriented strand board. About 12,000 homes were built with SIPs in 2002, according to the Gig Harbor, Wash.-based Structural Insulated Panel Association.Considering how many houses are erected annually, this number is barely a blip on the national radar. The technology, however, is gaining acceptance. Even the nation's largest home builder, Pulte, is testing the viability of producing large quantities of SIPs houses. More

Paul and Peggy Dunckers' residence in Wilson, Wyo., is the kind of house you might expect a pair of architects to design for themselves: hip, budget-minded, energy efficient. The 1,900-square-foot farmhouse has exposed, split-faced concrete blocks, radiant heated concrete floors, geothermal heat, and a metal roof. It also has another, hidden, feature: The roof and walls are constructed entirely of structural insulated panels (SIPs). More