Our company “Ecopan” is often asked the question: “What is the durability of houses made of SIP-panels, and what is their service life?” In this article, you will find answers to these questions.
Factors that affect the longevity of any houses, and houses made of SIP-panels in particular:
1) Loads on the structure.
For example, snow load, wind load, the weight of the structure, furniture, people, the movement of the foundation, natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, etc.).
In this respect, the house of SIP-panels is more reliable than almost any alternative. Imagine two sheets of OSB 12mm, between which – foam 140mm. All this is glued into a single sandwich panel under factory pressure of 5 tons. A vertically located SIP panel (wall) can withstand a load of 20 tons. This means that the load-bearing capacity of the walls of the first floor of a house of SIP-panels is enough to build three more floors of brick walls on top! Did you know that?
Horizontally placed SIP panels (floors, ceilings) can bear 450 kg per 1 m2. This means that it is possible to ride on it in a jeep!
All these panels are glued through the bar with foam and screwed together. The average house takes about 30 thousand screws. As a result, houses made of veneer panels can easily withstand earthquakes up to 8 points, hurricanes, and falling trees.
For example, shifts in the foundation “tear” the house from aerated concrete very easily. The blocks are simply glued together. In the house of SIP-panels, all the elements are twisted together: the cracks and the house of SIP-panels are incompatible things!
2) Destructive natural factors.
Besides the obvious and rare, such as natural disasters (SIP-panels are very fond of in Japan for the fact that during earthquakes they are much safer and recover quickly), there are two – water and sun (UV light).
For protection from these factors (in any house) is responsible exterior trim and roofing. Built a house of fiberglass panels cannot be left without exterior decoration for more than a year. It is necessary at least to outfit it with a waterproofing film (the house in such a condition can stand for several years waiting for the facade finish). If the facade finish is made qualitatively, the house can serve almost forever.
Imagine that you put a SIP panel in a dry garage or attic. What will be its service life? The same as that of bricks or aerated concrete block if you put them in the same conditions. OSB is an improved wood and some wooden churches in Ukraine for 300 years. Many frame houses in North America for over 100 years and the house of SIP-panels is much more reliable because the insulator in the frame house is the wool, which can get wet with the poor installation of vapor barriers due to the “dew point”, and in the SIP-panel inside the no air – there is no place to form moisture.
In conclusion, let us mention that the house of SIP panels was invented in the U.S., and built throughout this large country, as well as in neighboring Canada. That is why we often refer to this technology as a Canadian construction technology, and SIP house – a Canadian house. In North America, the climatic conditions in many areas are very similar to ours. Each year the volume of SIP-building in the U.S. is growing by 30%. From SIP build not only individually home turnkey, but high-rise buildings (this is an extra confirmation of their strength and durability)! Not only that, they are built all over Europe (from Cyprus to England and Romania to Spain), built-in Australia, Japan, New Zealand.
