What are the benefits of SIPS Panels?

SIPS Panels bring a wide range of benefits to construction projects. They deliver exceptional energy efficiency, accelerate construction timelines, and enhance overall structural integrity.

SIPS also help minimise material waste, can reduce labour expenses, and allow for flexible design options. Additionally, they offer superior airtightness, improved sound insulation, and increased resistance to pests and fire.

We’re going to teach you why SIPS are better, faster, stronger, greener and easier.

The new, better, build standard?

Victorian builders created masonry cavity walls to stop damp. Most new homes are still built this way today, with only the introduction of some insulation between the walls. But such “19th century technology” doesn’t work in a low carbon world or stop heating bills from rising.

On the other hand, with SIPS Panels being a modern method of construction, they are a perfect solution for today’s world, giving you a comfortable, warm and energy efficient home.

Here’s why they’re the better option:

Predictability – accurate programming, quality assurance, built as drawn, so the whole project team of SIPS contractors work smarter.
Minimum defect building – because our panels fit precisely together, staircases, doors and windows go immediately into position with little, if any, on-site easing, With little remedial work needed you get a better quality of internal finish with no cracking of plaster
A solid feel – with a thick layer of rigid insulation bonded between skins of Oriented Strand Board (OSB), our Structural Insulated Panels are rigid dense and solid, unlike the open skeleton of a timber frame house
Less heating needed – many SIPS homeowners install modern ventilation and heating systems, like Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery systems (MVHR), which reuse warm air, and which can make a traditional central heating system a thing of the past.

The perfect, faster, solution when time is tight

Traditional building is slow and labour intensive. Each block and brick has to be carefully laid, checked, and mortar given time to go off. If conditions are bad, work stops completely.

Compare all that with our SIPS where just one of our panels can create up to 9m2 of wall – the equivalent of 550 bricks and 90+ concrete blocks!

Here’s why they’re the faster option:

2 weeks on-site – our installation teams aim to be on-site for just ten days for a typical four-bed house – external walls up, the internal walls in place, first floor installed roof on and ready for work inside
Predictable finish – each panel’s precision made off-site, so they fit together first time on-site which means your build progresses very predictably and you can give an accurate completion date to follow-on trades
Faster 1st fix – ‘open-web’ first floor construction means fast, easy, laying of pipe and electric cable. No drilling and notching of solid timber joists needed
Save more time at 2nd fix – as our panels are accurately cut to plan dimensions your doors, windows and bespoke items will fit into place fast, without problem with very little need for remedial works after
Cut down on jobs – no separate fitting of insulation, no clean of mixers or mopping up mortar spills, no brick and block rubble to clear and dispose of.

The stronger ‘new build’ standard

Imagine your new home; every wall is square, true and solid; doors hang sweetly and there are no gaps round fitted units. There are no cold draughts or late-night creaks; and even in a bad winter, your home is warm and comfortable, yet your yearly heating bill has never been lower!

That’s just what you can have with our self-build SIPS Panels package.

In Japan, the US, Canada and Scandinavia, Structural Insulated Panels have long impressed homeowners, And now, in Britain, they’re being talked of as the ‘new build standard’ because of the favourable way they compare with older building techniques.

Speed of build – faster than timber frame, typically our installation team are on-site for two weeks or less for a four-bed house.
Solid and strong – in studies of extreme wind and seismic activity, SIPs have been found to considerably out-perform both timber frame and masonry houses. Making it a proven, robust building solution, ensuring longevity of the structure and affording owners peace of mind.
Quality of finish – our SIPS are precision made off-site, so you’re assured vertical walls and square corners on-site. You can confidently order bespoke items ahead of time knowing they’ll fit.
Smoother project management – because you can eliminate the slow, messy, ‘wet trades’ your site will stay cleaner and be much easier to manage.
Thermally efficient & sustainability – SIPS give you real control over your living environment and dramatically cut your heating bills.
Flexibility – SIPS are used not just for new homes, but can also be suitable for large extensions. They cope with most design needs and can be finished externally as you want.

A green way to build

Ever rising fuel costs and worries about climate change have made us all think more and more about energy efficiency. And with our homes contributing nearly half of the overall UK carbon emissions, it makes sense to ensure that they keep us as warm as possible for as little as possible.

When it comes to energy efficiency SIPS Panels are the greener option:

Continuous Insulation – with insulation an integral part of every panel, 96% of wall area and 99% of the roof is covered with insulation in a SIPS home. Compare that with just 88% of insulated wall in a typical timber frame
Ongoing thermal performance – dense rigid urethane insulation at the heart of a SIPS panel won’t sag or deteriorate over time, and can’t be poorly fitted like commonly used insulation quilt, so no gaps through which expensively heated warm air can escape and cold leak in
Slashed heating bills – so thermally efficient are SIPS, you may not need a heating system at all in your low-heat home
Sustainable building – our panels use wood fibre that would otherwise go to waste while our panels use about a 30% less timber than a timber frame
Less waste – with our panels precision cut off-site, little waste is generated on-site for disposal. You cut skip hire costs and save on site clearing time

7 steps to easier project management

Managing your own self build is an exciting, if daunting prospect, and one that thousands of people successfully take on each year, even if they’ve no construction experience.

But a traditional masonry build is always more difficult to control because rain and cold weather both affect progress, frequent material deliveries need to be organised, ‘subbies’ don’t always turn up, and much time’s lost cleaning mixers and clearing up rubble.

Here’s why SIPS Panels makes project management easier

Expert installation – our specialist team create the SIPS structure for you. There are no additional workmen for you to organize or co-ordinate
Less to organise – panels will come to you from one source so there’s no need to chase multiple merchants for materials
Predictable timing – SIPS is a precise building method with a precise completion date so you can book follow-on trades with confidence – not something you can do with a traditional masonry build
Better advance planning – SIPS lets you build exactly to your plans, that means you can order bespoke items like kitchens and stairs well ahead of time confident that they’ll fit perfectly when they arrive on-site
Improved financing – because you buy a ‘SIPS package’ (structural calculations included) your costs are firm and complete so you can confirm a substantial element of your construction budget upfront to lenders
Fewer on-site problems – precision cutting of our panels ensures ‘minimum defect building’. You won’t have to ‘make things fit’ on-site, so second fix becomes easier with little snagging later.
Better Health and Safety – by helping you keep a cleaner, tidier site, SIPS helps you meet your on-site Health and Safety obligations.