Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: structurally integrated panels

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

Mary English <Mary.English [at] hsc.utah.edu>
is the author of the message below.
It was posted by Fred the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
after restoring the subject line and adding Stuart's name below.
--------------------  FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS --------------------

He ( Stuart Joseph stuart [at] caercoburn.org) wrote:
We have decided to build our home using SIPS.  The electrical chases and
outlets are also precut, so running the wires is easier.


It also means unless you have a lot of interior walls to work with, once
the house is done you can not do ANYTHING about adding or changing any
wiring, be it electrical, cable, TV surround wiring, etc. What you have,
is all that you will ever have, regardless of what technology comes along.

He wrote
The problem with your contractor was that he was unfamiliar with building
with SIPs and that is why the later houses turned out better.


The problem didn't seem to rest with the contractor. The crew did fine
assembling the panels. There was no difference in panel construction, from
1st home to last. The problem is more that the panels do not work well for
frequent changes in angles or decks, or for ground level concrete slab
construction.

Be absolutely certain that the panels NEVER risk getting wet with any kind
of drainage problem. Design to keep water heaters, clothes washers, water
and plumbing lines well away from those exterior panels. Roof and wall
integrity and perfect roof gutter drainage are of utmost importance.  As
well, you must ensure that your foundation stands well off the ground with
more than code required clearance even after sod or mulches are laid.

When these panels get wet under a siding or wallboard, they dissolve like
tissue paper. I would never again consider a house using these panels,
after my experiences.  I too saw the This Old House program where they
used this identical brand in their building. I remember saying to the
other folks in the room that I wished them luck because they would need
it.

Just my two cents on the subject, Mary English