Arrival of the SIPs

It was a balmy evening preceding a frost (...warning, at least). Winds gusted a cold front, making it nearly impossible to cover and protect our budded peach tree (not to mention the pregnant belly that seemed to restrict the stretching and jumping). 

oh, boy, SIPs have arrived!

My fourth attempt ended in frost fabric over my head. Unveiling my awkward cloak, I looked up to see the welcome arrival of a trailer bearing 21st century building materials, just in time for another scheduled wall removal.

It was Al Cobb from SIPschool who made the big delivery from PanelWrights that brisk evening. 

He was bearing structurally insulated panels, or SIPS for short, to use for the walls and ceiling of the addition. Fabricated nearby Virginia by PanelWrights, panels are simply thick foam sandwiched between two OSBs. Rather than framing a house first, these SIPS just "lock" into place, forming walls and roofs. There's an animation of the panel construction here.

the visionaries of the project - Al Cobb (l) and Chris Bailey (r)

This is just the beginning of the SIP use, however; they'll be used to wrap the entire house (sides and roof), as part of a Green Retrofit.  From what I gather, SIPs have been used in West Virginia only for new construction - there's not a case where they've been used for a retrofit.

Because it's new, our little SIPs house wrap will also serve as as a local and regional training opportunity by SIPschool, coordinated with Rising Sun Construction. Stay posed for details!

Al chat with Chris about construction details - walls and roof soon to cover the "deck" upon which they stand

The SIPs have arrived! Now, out with that side wall...(depending on how you're counting, we're up to four...)