My Industrial Cabin Build

[dstig1]

I've never worked with SIP Panels, so this is really interesting to me. Did they tell you how long it would be when you ordered them? How long did they say?

Can't wait to see you installing them, that's going to be a great day!!!!

It won't be "a day". Unless you have a simple plan and an experienced crew it will take longer than that. If you are new to it, the first day will be setting a handful of panels at best. You will find out that, while it can go easy, some panels just don't want to fit together easy, even though they should. I farmed out this part of my build to Roger, a local builder that had years of experience with SIPs and general construction. He had a few "specialized" tools for the job, but nothing major. First off was a beater block. He had a 1x6 screwed to a 2x8 (8' long). This was so that the 2x8 could bear on the OSB flanges without crushing them and the 1x6 kept it in place and didn't interfere with the foam. This was used with tool #2 which was a whole new take on the BFH. He had taken an offcut from a glulam post that was like 15" square maybe 18" long and put a handle on it - like an axe handle or the like. He was looking for mass here to move things... He would have a crew member hold the beater board up in place and then whack it with the BFH to "convince" a stubborn panel to go to the home position. Think Thor's hammer... Then there is the heated foam cutter, which is a heating element that just plugs in but allows you to remove foam easily if you need to make changes. That one is best to just buy, not make, but not too pricey.

Don't forget the sealant everywhere as you go, and you will have an airtight wall system. And then install a fresh air ventilation system to control your air changes.

A bit late in the year to be framing exterior, but you are in a warmer climate. Still you will want to try to race a bit to get that dried-in before it gets too nasty. I barely made it up here when we did it, and it cost $400 a month to use a construction heater in the otherwise uninsulated shell (only the wall were SIPs) for the winter. I was putting in windows and doors in early Nov, with the roof shingled a week later, and it turned out to be a very bad winter, and an early one right after that...

Keep on plugging away!

-Dave

 

[Rustyiron]

Don't forget the sealant everywhere as you go, and you will have an airtight wall system. And then install a fresh air ventilation system to control your air changes.

^^^^ THIS
I took a 3 day seminar on SIPS construction. The guy was a contractor, mostly in northern VA and had 300 SIPS homes "under his belt", and could not stress the importance of these 2 items. Air leaks at the seams in the panels were the culprit of delamination and/or the osb turning into mush. The air passing through an unsealed portion of a joint, especially at a roof peak, condensates when hitting the colder air and you have water inside you panel. It works in the opposite during the cooling season. Long term slow death to your structure.
Among all the papers we got during the class was a chart showing how much moisture was added to the air just by normal daily activities like making dinner, breathing or running a load of laundry, the figures were unbelievable. This was all part of his point about sealing, sealing, sealing AND a good HRV!! I'll never forget him saying you have to remind your HVAC guy that there's a V on the side of his van, it stands for ventilation and you want some!
He stressed what he called "drill & fill", that was drilling into (or just to the sides) of the 2x4 spline that joins the panels. This was done with "can & gun" type spray foam, by the case.
It was a great class and we did some "shop time" where he showed us a rig he built to use with a big electricians/plumbers type 1/2" drill that routed out the foam at the edge of a panel (for spline installation) if you needed to make adjustments to a "pre cut" pkg. How to drill a hole for wiring with a heated up ball bearing and a bunch of other practical assembly instructions, I wish I remembered more of it, this was about 12 years ago, but now there's the internet, youtube & smartphones.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Dstig ,This is all great advice and I appreciate it. I will be fashioning a come along and a good persuader similar to what was described. I have been watching all the videos on assembly I can and reading everything.
Eddie Walker, I wrote my check to order the panels on October 21. They said 3-4 weeks. I was told by phone a few weeks before that, that this is a busy season for them. My panels are scheduled for delivery Nov 22.
Because of the terrain, roads, and difficulty in turning around, I am paying $580 extra to have it delivered by 38 foot goosneck trailer (requiring an extra truck) instead of a single 50 foot trailer.

I also called for a quote on timbers so I could order the timber for the living room. It was twice what I was quoted 2 years ago. I called someone else and their quote was even higher. So that is over 10k more just for timbers. I wish I had gone with steel in the original design.
I have work to do this weekend to get the foot plates attached and ready. But I have a plan and it is doable. I’ll try to shoot some video. I will definitely have video cameras going when the SIPS show up.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

My panels are supposed to be here in 4 days. I still have some footer plates to put in. I am hoping to slip up to the house first thing in the morning for an hour Wednesday and Thursday before work. That might allow me to get most of it done. I'm sure the delivery Friday wont be till noon or afternoon So I will be cranking away at it until they get there. Then it's gonna be an hour or so of unloading panels and getting things situated.

I shot a little video on Sunday. SIPS Panel house. Foot plate and some mistakes - YouTube

I cover a couple mistakes I made in the progress that cost me time. I made some changes to the floor plan at the last minute...nothing drastic but a change of where a couple walls were positioned and I realized that it meant my windows and back door would be misplaced. So I had to get tge sips company to make changes before we committed to the final plans. Then the cutting began and now, this week we have panels on the way.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I was wondering about those walls when you notched the plate. I never used SIP, but I thought there was osb both sides.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Yeah, I thought I had it set up with enough space for the panel but after talking to them and going thru the instal docs and asking more questions It had to be moved. There are a couple ways I could have approached this build and I am sure that when I am done I will have a recommendation that is different from how I did it. But there isn't really a paint by numbers instructions set for this. I have a design by my architect. He went over the available info on the Sips company's website. And then we got the cut sheet and initial panel layout from the panel company, based on the architect's design drawings. Then the architects takes their documents and refines his documents to include some of their notes and features and we used that to submit for building permit. We then gave those drawings to the Cement contractor. Each step along the way you interpret and pull someone elses work into yours. There were mistakes made here and there. And we have had to make adjustments. Some of those adjustments have cost me money. And some have cost me time. And some cost both. And I spent time in high school and college, working on constructions sites and I know this is not an uncommon thing. It still sucks. And it slows you down and costs money.This house should have been done a year ago.

 

[airbiscuit]

I'll be curious to know your thoughts on SIP panels when you're done. The theory is that they make things go easier and faster, right?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Actually not uncommon to have issues like this. BTDT. I built my house, I made changes. I made mistakes.

I had my 2nd floor exterior wall blow off in high winds. Cost me a day to rebuild.

Many times I fretted over how best to do something, and I had to pick a way, right or wrong, and keep going. I was working full time and doing a lot of my construction work myself, usually after dark up to 10 or 12 pm, get some sleep, get up go to work and start again the next night. The bank originally gave me 6 months, it took me 9.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Aiirbiscuit, I have always heard they cost more in materials and less in labor. Supposed to be faster. but, at the rate that this has all slowed me down, I could have stick built the exterior walls by now. And it would have been cheaper. The SIPS are also more energy efficient. Ultimately, it comes down to your desires and your plan. Once you get started, it doesn't make sense to change horses in mid stream.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Actually not uncommon to have issues like this. BTDT. I built my house, I made changes. I made mistakes.

I had my 2nd floor exterior wall blow off in high winds. Cost me a day to rebuild.

Many times I fretted over how best to do something, and I had to pick a way, right or wrong, and keep going. I was working full time and doing a lot of my construction work myself, usually after dark up to 10 or 12 pm, get some sleep, get up go to work and start again the next night. The bank originally gave me 6 months, it took me 9.

That is one of the areas, that I have been VERY fortunate. I financed my land, but not my house. So far, I have not had to borrow any money for the house. We are reaching the end of that. I will get Walls, and roof, windows and doors, and then I'm probably gonna be back at a bank, borrowing money to finish. It, shouldn't be too bad, and we should be able to get it paid off quickly, but you can't spend what you don't have on hand. And the faster we move in, the faster i stop paying rent. All of that can then go to paying off any loan on the house.