What are SIPs?

SIPs, or Structural Insulated Panels, are a type of building material that combines the best of two worlds: wood and foam.

SIPs are made up of a sandwich of two sheets of oriented strand board (OSB/3) sandwiched between a rigid thermoset polyurethane (PIR) insulation core. The OSB/3 provides rigidity and strength while the PIR provides insulation.

SIPs are manufactured under factory controlled conditions. This offsite fabrication means that your weatherproof building shell can be complete just a few days after the ground works are ready to receive them.

SIP panels are available in 7 thicknesses, these being 125mm, 142mm, 150mm, 172mm, 175mm, 200mm and 225mm thick. The panels are typically 1220mm wide and can be as long as 7.5 metres in length to suit each individual project. 

SIPs are fabricated using timber from sustainable sources. SIPs use less timber than timber frame and are one of the most economical and eco friendly forms of construction.

The high strength to weight ratio of SIP Panels allows large sections of your building to be fitted at once, speeding up the time required on site for erection. The Offsite fabrication reduces waste and also helps reduce embodied and transport energy.

SIP insulation exceeds the current Building Regulation requirements on its own. The foam insulation has an Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) rating of zero and has a low Global Warming Potential (GWP).

SIPs, through their strength and ease of connection, offer the designer more versatility than other construction materials, allowing possibilities beyond the conventional, such as sloping roof panels creating an open space that when utilised, properly maximises any building plot.

The result is a building system that is extremely strong, energy efficient and cost effective. Building with SIPs will save you time, money and labour.7