home · Installation · What the panel of a panel house consists of. What is a sip panel

What the panel of a panel house consists of. What is a sip panel

Nowadays, an increasing number of people want to have not an apartment, but a private house. However, many are stopped by the long and rather labor-intensive construction process: laying the foundation and erecting walls, Finishing work, high costs for the necessary building materials and equipment.
I would like to quickly build my house and start furnishing it. These dreams become reality thanks to SIP panels. Many people know or have heard about this modern building material, but do not quite understand its purpose and main qualities.

Content

What are SIP panels?

The word SIP stands for structural insulated panel. This building material is a structure of three layers: two OSB boards and a layer of expanded polystyrene in the middle. Using polyurethane glue, under a pressure of 18 tons, these components are connected to each other. The panels come in two types: wall and ceiling.

Let's characterize the main components

  • Oriented particle board(OSB) - 97% of the material is wood chips, folded in several layers and glued together using various resins. Everything is preserved in wood chips beneficial features wood, but there are no various defects: knots, change in direction of fibers. To give elasticity and strength to the slab, the chips during the gluing process are located in different directions, in the outer layers they are located longitudinally, in the inner layers – transversely. Thanks to this multi-directional orientation, as well as special treatment that ensures water resistance, resistance to mold and rot, the slab becomes ideal building material.
  • Expanded polystyrene - located in the middle of the SIP panel, 98% consists of air, and the remaining 2% is styrene. Foam plastic is an environmentally friendly and non-toxic material, characterized by a long service life, low weight, and high thermal insulation characteristics. Thanks to these properties, the material is the most popular insulation in construction work.

Characteristics of SIP panels

This building material is used for the construction of frame-panel buildings, country houses, verandas or outbuildings.


Main properties of the panels:

  • size - maximum height - 350 cm, width - from 63 to 150 cm, thickness - 5-23 cm, it all depends on what the panel is intended for, internal, external or ceiling;
  • mass – characterized by light weight. For example, a panel measuring 250x125x18 cm has a weight of 50 kg. The total weight of SIP panels for the construction of a house with an area of ​​150 sq.m. will be 15 tons. The mass of bricks that will be needed to build a house of the same area is 60 tons. Due to the light weight of the slabs, you can save significantly when constructing the foundation and when transporting the purchased material;
  • increased resistance to load - the material has a three-layer structure, so it can withstand longitudinal load(10 tons per 1 sq.m.), as well as transverse (more than 2 tons per 1 sq.m.). During vertical bending, one of the plates is compressed, while the other is stretched, which provides the structure with high resistance to bending. These characteristics allow the structure to withstand strong gusts of wind, snow and rain. Maximum permissible load what the ceiling can withstand - 150 kg per 1 sq.m;
  • high thermal insulation properties - this is due to low thermal conductivity and the three-layer structure of the panel. A SIP panel with a thickness of 12 cm has the same properties as brickwork with a thickness of 2 meters or reinforced concrete with a thickness of 4 meters;
  • high resistance to fire - the slabs are treated with a special substance - a fire retardant, which leads to self-extinguishing of fire on the surface. The fire resistance of the material is 7 times higher than that of wood.

We can conclude that SIP panels are ideal as a building material for prefabricated houses.

Positive properties of panels

There are certain qualities of this material that determine its effectiveness and demand in comparison with other building materials:

  • increased heat retention of the building by 1.5-2 times;
  • accelerated installation - the turnkey house will be ready within 3 months from the start of construction work;
  • strengthening and strengthening the building structure;
  • SIP panels are not subject to deformation during operation;
  • You can build a lightweight frame, because the panel itself will take on some of the load;
  • eco-material - the panel consists of 97% wood chips, and impregnations, waxes, fillers and polystyrene foam are completely harmless to health;
  • The panels are even, thanks to this you can immediately finish the room, which will significantly save time and money, because there will be no need to putty;
  • SIP panels do not require insulation;
  • the small thickness of the slab makes it possible to increase the usable area of ​​the room by almost 30%.


We see that building a house using SIP technology meets all the characteristics of thermal protection, durability and reliability.

Cost of SIP panels

In order for the final product to be truly high quality, you need to select good material and do everything correctly technological processes. A SIP panel made to all standards is expensive.


Of course, you can save money and buy panels made by hand in private workshops. But as a result, you can purchase a poorly glued surface with an unevenly applied adhesive coating and a layer of low-grade polystyrene, for example, PSB-15.

As a result, the building will be built with violations, which will reduce all the characteristics of the material used, and over time may even pose a danger to the residents of such an “economical” and “handicraft” house.

Therefore, it is better not to save money, but to buy guaranteed high-quality SIP panels from a factory manufacturer in order to have a reliable, warm and modern home.

No matter what anyone says, unification has always had a positive effect not only on the speed of production, but also on its cost. And the construction industry is no exception. Unification in frame housing construction led to the development of SIP panels and similar enlarged building materials.

The SIP panel itself was invented in 1935 in the USA; insulation was first glued into it in 1952. Since the early 60s of the last century, it began to be mass-produced, which influenced the reduction in the construction time of houses and their price in America, and then in Canada. SIP panel technologies came to Russia in the late 90s.

And this procession, unlike the USA, where tens of millions of square meters Such housing has not yet become a triumph, and its cost is 30-40% higher than abroad. This is partly due to the mentality of our developer, partly due to the high cost of components imported from abroad, the prices of which are used by rare domestic producers who have mastered the production of similar products. But once upon a time, before releasing our own semi-truck, we also purchased a batch of Ford trucks.

What does a SIP panel consist of and how is it produced?

The design of the SIP panel is extremely simple, which means it is easily repeatable, but the copyright holders and patent holders will not miss theirs, so they factored their interest into the cost of the equipment for its production. And the essence of the technology is to glue between two sheets of OSB (oriented strand board - OSB) a polystyrene foam block PSB-S-25, where C is self-extinguishing, and 25 is density (from 15 to 25 kg/m3). Its thickness ranges from 100 to 200 mm, depending on the type of construction and climate zone where it is being built. Also more thin panels can be used in the construction of partitions inside frame house from SIP panels. Along the contour of the panel there are grooves for connecting and fastening bars. It must be said that panels with 100 mm insulation in terms of thermal conductivity correspond to approximately a one and a half meter wall made of solid burnt clay brick, but according to the current Russian standards for middle zone you need 120 mm polystyrene foam. Therefore, most manufacturers of SIP panels offer standard products with 140 mm PSB-S-25 and OSB thickness of 10 - 12 mm.

Making SIP panels with your own hands

The best way to cut foam is nichrome string, which you must apply for D.C. from an adjustable transformer (parameters are selected depending on the length and thickness of the wire). Its role can be a car charger or a welding machine.

In the manufacture of SIP panels, one-component polyurethane adhesive is used. On standard equipment, it is applied using 4 dozen nozzles for greater uniformity of distribution. The gluing process itself is carried out under pressure. For this, either vacuum or mechanical presses are used. The number of panel blanks in a stack and the number of glued stacks depend on the parameters of the press.

At home, it is not difficult to make a SIP panel with your own hands. Of the entire chain of technology, it is necessary to highlight only one process for explanation - applying glue and suggest pressing parameters. The rest is not difficult to implement, and a thinking person will also create a couple of devices for the relative positioning of the panel components.

So here's how to apply the glue. Choose almost any polyurethane balloon adhesive for polystyrene foam (the best known one), take a paint sprayer with an upper tank and a 2.5 mm nozzle. From an old professional spray foam gun, unscrew the assembly for connecting cylinders with a ball valve. Immediately make sure that it is working properly or clean it with a special washing liquid. Make a simple adapter with the appropriate threads and connect them together. Connect to the compressor and get a uniform layer of glue (or foam) adjustable in thickness.

To be fair, it must be said that ordinary professional polyurethane foam will work no worse than glue, but will require a little more skill from you. The grooves in SIP panels are made with a depth of 25 to 40 mm, while the lower and upper trim boards will have exactly this thickness, and the connecting beams will be twice as thick.

Place the resulting sandwich under an evenly distributed load at the rate of 15 - 20 kg/m2 and leave for a couple of hours. The standard panel has an area of ​​3.11 sq.m. The load can be several wooden beams. As panels are made, add them to the stack, moving the load to the top one - the newly made one. The main thing when laying is not to move the sheets. Tip: Cut 6 pieces of board to the appropriate width and use them as templates during assembly, joining with self-tapping screws.

You will be able to fully use your SIP panels the next day.

On what foundations are SIP panel houses assembled?

Such houses can be mounted on any foundations and here main role should not be carried out by the type of frame formation (in this case it is platform, American, Canadian, pallet), but by the condition of the base - the soil. It is clear if you have swampy soil, the area has complex terrain or is located high groundwater, we will recommend screw piles with a powerful wooden bottom frame, or a platform immediately formed on its basis.


If you have soils subject to large frost heave, make a well-insulated floating foundation. It will also serve as a platform on which you can directly install SIP panels by securing the installation board with anchors, which partly serves as the bottom trim.


At standard conditions For this type of frame, a grillage on pillars is best suited.

Floor panels can be assembled directly on it, having previously treated them with a primer. In addition to sufficient strength for such a foundation, there will be one requirement when choosing SIP panel construction technology: ensuring good ventilation of the underground space.

SIP panel assembly technology

The connection of SIP panels to each other is carried out by gluing on polyurethane polyurethane foam timber, evenly fitting into their grooves. Fastening of panels to a floor or ceiling platform is also carried out using a tongue-and-groove system, with the role of a tenon being performed by boards of the lower and upper trim of the appropriate sizes.

The bottom board is also called the installation board. Its thickness can be from 25 mm to 40 mm. Corner connections are made according to the same principle, only the installation board is attached to the vertical panel.

As a rule, its thickness is half the thickness of the connecting beam. Fixing parts at seams is most often done using wood screws, less often with a nail gun. Design SIP- panel house so strong that for the lower and upper trim, as well as corner joints, a 25mm thick board is sufficient.

If you decide to make SIP panels with your own hands, and we tried to convey to you that this is not so difficult, then we hope that you will make the panels of specific sizes and configurations, with ready-made connecting nodes, and you will not need additional trimming on the site. But, if you find it more profitable to buy ready-made panels from the manufacturer, we recommend ordering them to be cut for your project. Many companies sell house kits.


To cut standard SIP panels yourself, you will need at least a large grinder with 230 mm discs, or the same hand-held circular saw, a long thin one sharp knife for cutting and a simple device for cutting out foam plastic with a nichrome string (see photo below). Expanded polystyrene is cut to a little more than half the thickness of the connecting beam.


Time frame for assembling a house made from sip panels

Assembly one-story house 2-3 people can easily make SIP panels; it is better to make panels together. The weight of a standard SIP panel with dimensions 2500 x 1250 x 160 is 43 – 44 kg, and with a thickness of 164 (OSB-12) – up to 50 kg. Floor and roof panels are often made longer and narrower for rigidity, or additional beams are glued into them during manufacturing.


From practice, two strong men on the first floor can handle a panel with dimensions of 1250 x 5000. Above that, helpers are needed. Attic or two-storey house assembled by 4 people with the involvement of 2 helpers for a couple of days, if you do not use lifting and transport mechanisms.


And if you have a cozy place for the production of SIP panels and a site for their temporary storage, then of all the frame house building systems, this is the most optimal, believe me from experience. A 100-square-meter house without any special architectural frills can be assembled by a team of the above-mentioned composition in a maximum of a week, with measured work in compliance with the hourly standards of labor legislation. And if it is you personally and yours will help you Good friends or relatives, it will take even less time. And you can adapt to the weather.

Below is an accelerated video of the assembly of a house from sip panels - it’s very interesting to see how it looks from the outside.

Dear readers, if you have any questions, please ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)

The main components of SIP panels are two OSB boards s along the edges and polystyrene foam in the middle, which acts as insulation. This “pie” is glued together with modern polyurethane glue with a pressure of more than 10 atmospheres.

Now more details.

OSB stands for oriented strand board - it is tightly compressed wood chips. Moisture-resistant resin is used as a connecting adhesive.

Expanded polystyrene are small balls of styrene. When heated with steam, the granules increase in volume until they fill the entire mold.

Dimensions and weight

Height - 3000 mm; Width - 1250 mm. The thickness depends on the place of use (internal, external wall or ceiling) and varies from 60 to 220 mm. The weight of the panel is 2500x1250x174, about 55 kilograms, which gives an undeniable advantage over other building materials, because the lighter the weight, the less special equipment needs to be involved in the work (cranes, manipulators, workers).

How much load can the vultures withstand?

SIP stands for structural insulating panel, and for good reason. A factory-produced panel can withstand very large longitudinal and lateral loads. The load test showed that they can withstand longitudinal loads of up to ten tons per meter. These are 5 average cars. Vertical load (transverse) - up to five tons per meter.

Energy efficiency

Due to the porous structure of polystyrene foam, the thermal conductivity of a standard SIP panel with a thickness of 174 mm is 0.035 W/(m °C). For comparison, to achieve such thermal conductivity, it is necessary to build a wall of brick with a thickness of 1900 mm, of concrete - 2300 mm.

Fire safety

At OSB production slabs, a fire retardant (self-extinguishing element) is added to the adhesive composition, and the fire resistance increases 7 times compared to ordinary wood. Tests have shown that the surface can withstand a flame of 900 degrees for more than 10 minutes. This result can be increased several times. If used when interior decoration plasterboard, then such walls can contain the flame for 20-30 minutes.

Environmental friendliness

OSB is one of the most environmentally friendly materials (it consists of 95% wood), and modern adhesives and natural waxes are completely safe. As for expanded polystyrene, it is also harmless.


Most packaging for fish, vegetables and other products consists of polystyrene foam. All modern building materials are certified, sip panel is no exception. Based on the results of the inspection, the following are issued: certificate of conformity, certificate fire safety, certificate of sanitary and epidemiological conclusion.

If you put all these characteristics together into a single picture, it becomes clear: the sip panel is an excellent building material for private housing construction.