Homsher Building Systems, Ltd. - Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

R-Control SIPs are experiencing double-digit growth rates because they offer real, tangible benefits to everyone in the building cycle - builders, homeowners and lumberyards.

"SIP walls are superior to conventional walls in a number of ways. SIPs combine a high insulation R-Value with speed and ease of construction. The solid foam core eliminates air movement within the walls and minimizes thermal bridges through wood studs. Together, all these reduce air infiltration, and with proper installation, make a tightly sealed/easily controlled house."
- U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

"SIPs construction allows builders to quickly construct an exterior building envelope that is strong, airtight, and energy efficient."
- Article from www.toolbase.org, a site funded in part by HUD

Remarkable new homes being built by Habitat for Humanity in Loudon County, Tennessee are projected to break new records showcasing state-of-the-art energy efficiency. The high "whole wall R-value" and nearly airtight construction relies on structural insulated panels to give the houses their unprecedented performance, shattering existing concepts of how energy-efficient homes should be built. The goal for these net-zero-energy dwellings is to be so energy efficient that on an annual basis, the energy usage will not exceed what is produced on site. These new Habitat homes, as part of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America and Zero Energy Building programs, are the first structures ever to combine a number of new energy-efficient design concepts and are the first attempts to attain zero energy on affordable houses in the United States. In fact, the homes could be used by the DOE as a concept model for constructing a similar Zero Energy Building Habitat House in each state of the country. (News Release on Net Zero Energy homes built by Habitat for Humanity)

• Save 30-40% in labor time; most of the crew can be unskilled
• R-Control SIP panels are manufactured and cut to size in climate controlled facilities, and arrive at your jobsite straight, protectively shrinkwrapped, and numbered for assembly. All window and door openings can be precut.
• Once the framing is complete, your insulation is also complete!

• Once R-Control's EPS foam is laminated between 2 OSB boards, the resulting panel acts as an i-beam.
• SIPs homes have withstood tornados, earthquakes, and fallen trees.
• Load tests on transverse, vertical compression, and racking shear have passed national building codes.

• A 4 ½" R-Control SIP wall outperfomed a 2x6 stud wall.
• SIPs buildings use 15-40% less energy than comparable stick-framed buildings, and have very little heat loss or drafty areas.
• These buildings keep their efficiency over time. Fiberglass insulation will eventually sag.
• Because SIPs buildings are extremely air-tight, you'll be able to install a smaller (and less expensive) heating and cooling system.
• R-Control SIPs are an Energy-Star product. Certain lenders offer better ineterest rates and/or discounted closing costs on mortgages for Energy-Star homes.

• SIPs use less lumber than stick-framing, generate less jobsite lumber waste, and the trees used to create OSB are a young, renewable material source.
• 15-40% less energy is used to heat and cool SIPs buildings.
• R-Control EPS contains no CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, or formaldehyde, and are recyclable.

• R-Control's EPS foam incorporates a natural mineral that resists termites and carpenter ants
• R-Control warranties the structural integrity, termite resistance and thermal performance of their SIPs. Quality control standards are monitored by Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
• R-Control offers a complete system of accessories including specialty fasteners, sealants, and pre-engineered I-beams and headers.

• SIPs initially cost 2-5% more than comparable stick-framing. However, SIPs buildings have a lower monthly operating budget.
• Don't forget labor costs will be lower, you'll purchase a smaller heating/cooling system, and you've eliminated the need for fiberglass insulation and its installation.
• As dimensional lumber prices continue to soar, the cost of panels made with OSB will be increasingly more competitive.