Building With Structural Thermal Insulation Panels​ | Jedpanel

Building With Structural Insulation Panels: The Most Important Factors

In a time when sustainability has become an essential focus, the construction industry has not escaped untouched. Sustainable home construction has emphasized the need for insulated homes. In the quest to find more efficient, energy-saving, low-wastage and sustainable homes, innovations have been made to improve insulation techniques.
Structurally insulated panels are one of the efficient design practices to save energy. They deliver strength and efficiency both in the construction of new homes and insulating them.  They not only offer superior insulation protection to traditional homes, but they also use fewer resources to give a stronger result.
There are different SIPs to choose from, so the question becomes; which one do you pick? The answer to this question will be more apparent at the end of this article.

But first, what are SIPs?

SIPs are prefabricated panels that frame wall, roof or floor. They frame and insulate your home, in one package. SIP refers to different types of materials and products. The most common type is the sandwich panel which consists of insulating material within two outer ‘skins' such as plywood, metal, fiber-cement beard, calcium silicate board or even MgO board.

The outer ‘skin' along with the other materials used provides structure. Most of the available panels use polystyrene as the insulating material. There are two forms of polystyrene used.

EPS (Expanded polystyrene) sandwich panel
This is the most common foam insulation used in SIPs. It is the least expensive, the most readily available, but also the one with the lowest R-value.
R-value refers to the measure of the thermal resistance of a material or the ability of heat to travel through a material. This means that the most effective insulators will have the highest R-values. Practically, it means that if your walls, roof or floor make it harder for heat to flow through, you will have lower heating and cooling costs.
EPS has an R-value of 4 per inch. EPS is also used in constructing roads, bridges and so forth, which require a strong structural foundation. It is utilized because it is light, non-biodegradable and soft. This means that it will not need heavy-land moving equipment.
EPS is the easiest to modify on site, and most contractors have experience with it.

Benefits
·         Energy efficient
·         Dimensional stability
·         Adaptability
·         Measurable energy savings
·         No bacteria or mold growth over time
XPS (Extruded polystyrene) sandwich panel

XPS is similar to EPS in appearance, but the manufacturing process is very different. It is stronger than EPS and boasts of a higher R-value.  XPS has a higher melting point than EPS and a lower perm rating which means that it is harder to work with but also makes it more durable and more fire resistant than EPS.
In general, low, XPS structural insulated panels are more expensive than EPS SIPs.

Benefits
·         High R-value
·         Longevity of life
·         Fire resistance
·         Strength
·         Sustainability
·         No bacteria or mold growth over time

If not polystyrene, what else is there?
Rockwool
Rockwool insulation uses mineral wool as opposed to polystyrene. It is manufactured from a blend of a volcanic diabase rock. The rock is heated and spun into fine wool and then put in between outer ‘skins' as an insulating material.
It has advantages such as a very high melting point of over 1000°C which means that were there a fire in your home; it would be much less likely to spread. Rockwool has excellent insulating properties, therefore, improving the Thermal Insulation Panels​  comfort, and it has acoustic insulating properties as well as breathability.
However, to use Rockwool stone wool in insulation systems, you need different materials which make it expensive.
Benefits
·         Fire resistance
·         Breathability
·         Soundproof properties
·         Durability
·         Chemical inertness

So which one do you choose ?

Whichever insulated panels you choose, you stand to enjoy benefits such as having exactly what you need on the site, straighter walls, pre-insulated homes, and much faster dry-ins among other similar benefits.

You will then only have to choose which one of the three discussed best suits your budget, requirements and the skill of your contractors. Come to Jedpanel and get more detailed specification or quotation. 

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