Frequently Asked Questions

Structural Insulated Panels, more commonly known as SIPs, are top-tier panels used in place of more traditional framing, such as stud walls. Both residential and smaller commercial builds utilise SIPs for their flooring, walls and roofs to achieve better insulated, eco-friendly and energy efficient buildings. Our Smart SIPs panels are expertly crafted under meticulously regulated factory conditions by sandwiching a durable Neopor core insulation between two robust structural facings. The structural facings vary depending on the skin material chosen for your specific needs. SIPs are precision cut to your specifications and allow for tailor made designs. Opting for SIPs streamlines the construction process, leading to significant time and labour savings, along with being a more cost-effective option long-term.

SIPs costs are dependent on the size, volume and specific needs of your build. Please contact us today to get a ballpark quote on how much your SIPs build may be. While the initial costs of SIPs, when compared to timber framing, are about 5% more, using SIPs is a more cost-effective option when considering the reduced labour times, onsite waste and ongoing operating costs of your home. Reduced labour times include time spent on electrical, plumbing and framing. A study conducted by R.S. Means demonstrated that a SIPs build’s labour time was decreased by up to 55%, when compared to traditional framing.

Building a SIPs home is much faster than building with other traditional framing methods for many reasons. According to research conducted by R.S Means, when using well-trained SIPs installers, you can see up to a 55% reduction in framing times (when compared to traditional framing). How? As we provide jumbo size panels which can be cut as big as 2.440m by 7.200m (or 8 by 24 foot), you can quickly assemble whole sections of your wall and roof. This also reduces drying time. Our panels are pre-cut to your specifications and arrive ready to assemble, reducing, if not eliminating, jobs like framing and insulating. Our panels provide the framing and insulation, combining two jobs into just one.

The short answer is, yes! Building a SIPs home can certainly reduce your building and long-term operating costs of your new build. Builders, homeowners and owner builders alike can save money through reduced labour time. The reduced labour time will decrease the costs of your construction, leading to a more streamlined and cost-effective build. Using pre-cut panels, such as SIPs, also significantly reduces job site waste, reducing your spend on waste removal. On top of that, the ongoing high-performance of your new build will yield lower energy bills long-term. The Brock University Study demonstrated significant energy bill savings for SIPs homes - an $88 reduction in a winter month when compared to the stud wall home. This was based on the Canadian energy price of 2001 when the test was made. Energy costs in Australia are over four or more times the cost of when the study was conducted, so using SIPs and reducing your home’s energy usage is more important than ever.

SIPs are among the most sustainable building materials available on the market. From reducing jobsite waste to creating homes with significantly reduced energy consumption, it’s hard to find a building system that is more eco-friendly than SIPs. By using SIPs, you'll decrease your, and your build’s, carbon footprint. SIPs buildings are incredibly airtight, reducing air leakage and the need for cooling and heating. Your energy-efficient home will positively impact the environment by reducing greenhouse emissions for the life of the home. For example, a home we’ve built (featured on our homepage) has an energy rating of 8.2. When compared to a 6 star rated building of the same size and in the same area, the 8.2 star rated home’s cooling bills will be 85% less while the heating bills will be 67% less.

Our website is loaded with information about SIPs. Please explore our website to learn more information. If you have a question that isn’t covered on our website, we invite you to contact us so we can provide you with an answer. We are experts in SIPs and we’d love to answer any of your SIPs related questions.