H.E.R.E. International, Inc., a subsidiary of North Palm Springs, Calif.-based Aquentium, Inc., announces the company’s entry into the California structural
H.E.R.E. International, Inc., a subsidiary of North Palm Springs, Calif.-based Aquentium, Inc., announces the company’s entry into the California structural insulated panel (SIP) market. A factory is currently being equipped to begin SIP fabrication. Notes Aquentium SIP Sales Manager Mark Taggatz, We believe our initial manufacturing location in Palm Springs is highly strategic, since the three fastest areas of growth in the U.S. are Phoenix, Ariz.; California (Riverside County); and, Las Vegas.
SIPs are high-performance panels for floors, walls and roofs in residential and commercial buildings. Each monolithic unit typically comprises expanded polystyrene (EPS) rigid-foam insulation sandwiched between two structural skins of fiber-cement, metal or oriented strand board (OSB). The building system, originating in the 1930s, is said by proponents to offer the benefits of increased strength, durability, predictability, energy efficiency, and cost effectiveness.
Building with SIPs generally costs about the same as building with wood frame construction, when you factor in the labor savings resulting from shorter construction time and less job-site waste. Other savings are realized because less expensive heating and cooling systems are required with SIP construction, affirms H.E.R.E International, Inc. President Ted Ciotti.
According to the producer, the rigid insulation of SIP buildings makes them more energy efficient, quieter, and more draft free than other building systems, such as stud framing with fiberglass insulation. The energy efficiency and lack of air movement intrinsic to solid-component insulation systems are built into an SIP structure. Less air leakage means fewer drafts, less noise, lower energy bills, and a more comfortable indoor environment, the company asserts.
In a study conducted by the Oak Ridge National Labs, a 4-in. SIP wall surpassed both 2- _ 4-in. and 2- _ 6-in. stick-and-batt construction in terms of thermal performance. By contrast to the losses in a stud wall Û standard components in stick and batt construction can reduce R-values in as much as 30 percent of the wall area Û the Oak Ridge study found that SIPs perform at approximately 97 percent of their stated R-value overall, losing only 3 percent to nail holes, seams, and splines. As wiring chases are precut or preformed into the foam core, a continuous layer of insulation is provided; and, because SIPs constitute structural elements, no studs or braces cause breaks or gaps in the insulation.
An SIP wall also outperforms stick-and-batt construction in maintaining consistent interior temperatures. Oak Ridge research confirmed that the interior surface temperature of frame construction drops precipitously at every stud, while the SIP wall remains consistent across its entire surface.