PIR PLYWOOD STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS

PIR PLYWOOD structural insulated panel is an engineered construction board manufactured with a rigid PIR core of high thermal performance insulation, bonded between two outer skins of 6mm PLYWOOD that produces straight walls with higher levels of insulation, airtightness, and strength compared to wood-frame construction. This form of board creates a tremendously strong wall or roof section, which requires little, if any, further support. These panels can be used for floors, walls and roof aplicattions. Externally, SIP plywood boards can be finished with materials such as weatherboards, tiles or slates. On the internal side, SIP’s panels are usually finished with plasterboard. PLYWOOD SIP skin has shown that it can last 50 or more years in an installation. OSB SIP and Plywood SIP offer similar performance in terms of strength and functionality, though Plywood SIP is about 7% stronger. PLYWOOD Structural insulated panels are 2400mm x 1200mm square edge profile boards which can be joined together without any special shaping with the most basic and simple butt joint technique. The thermal conductivity of the 6mm WBP Plywood is 0.13 W/mK (Lambda value). SIP insulation core and composite foil facings resist attack by mould, fungi, bacteria and microbial growth.

PIR PLYWOOD SIP PANELS THICKNESSES

Standard PLYWOOD faced Structural Insulated Panels are available in the following sizes:
27mm | 32mm | 37mm | 42mm | 47mm | 52mm | 57mm | 62mm | 67mm | 72mm | 77mm | 82mm | 87mm | 92mm | 102mm | 112mm | 128mm | 122mm | 132mm | 142mm | 152mm | 162mm | 177mm
U-value of 0.18W/m2K are currently achievable using a 152mm thick panel. Lower U-values are also possible by increasing the panel thickness.

PROS AND CONS OF BUILDING WITH SIP'S

As with any building technology, there are advantages and disadvantages of building with SIPs. People who choose to use this building technique, generally do so because the advantages of building with SIPs appeal to them. While there are several good advantages in building with SIPs, there are disadvantages as well. Before deciding on SIP construction, you should understand these potential problem areas and either have a plan for dealing with them. One of the disadvantages of Structural Insulated Panels is the fact that they are not ready for sale-just like that. They usually need to be custom designed and manufactured for your construction project, therefore the lead time may be anything from 4 to 15 days. Additionally, there are only a few companies in the UK that manufacture such construction boards and therefore they may not be available near your project.

PROS

• Building with SIPs requires roughly half the labour that normal stick framing does. 
• SIP walls have a higher R-value than conventionally built walls, especially if PLYWOOD is used.
• Structural strength throughout.

CONS

• Additional vents, to bring air into the home, may need to be added.
• It can be expensive to make modifications to the home, once construction has begun.
• A crane or forklift is necessary for working with larger SIP panels.
• Composite structural panels and plywood do not have adequate fire performance ratings. 
• When exposed to moisture, SIP’s panels with plywood facings may form unhealthy mold that can diminish the air quality of a home or building.
• Low thermal mass compared to insulated concrete products.

PIR PLYWOOD SIP PANELS COST

Due to the reduced labour requirement in building the home’s shell, the cost of SIP homes is slightly less than that of stick framed homes. More and more developers and local authorities are keen to build with SIPS due to the ever increasing energy bills as SIPS create a very airtight building which leads to lower running costs. Plywood SIP is the more expensive option to build with than OSB SIP. If you are looking for the boarding cost per m2 you should be looking for £55.45 per m2 and £159.71 per sheet (as of 2022). This is based on the most popular 112mm thick SIP board.

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