SIP panels are actively used around the world for the construction of durable and inexpensive residential buildings. The popularity of such building products is due to their special properties.
SIP panels are an excellent material for building a private house
Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) are building products made from two OSB (oriented strand) boards, between which a layer of expanded polystyrene is placed. To connect these elements to each other, a one-component polyurethane adhesive is used. The finished panel is attached to a timber beam. Oriented strand boards are made from sawdust about 13–14 cm long and about 0.6 mm thick. Important point. The sawdust is oriented in different directions (this is how the well-known plywood is produced). They add resinous special composition. It glues wood components into one structure.
Expanded polystyrene acts as insulation. This material has high strength and low weight. It does not get wet and is completely hygroscopic. Rodents do not grow in polystyrene foam. In addition, it practically does not deform during long-term use. The connection of SIP products to each other is carried out according to the standard tongue-and-groove pattern. Such panels for building a house are characterized by a whole range of positive properties:
- Insignificant load on the ground due to low specific gravity. Thanks to this, the foundation requirements for structures made from SIP panels are minimal.
- High reliability and durability of the houses being built. The panels we are interested in can easily withstand loads of up to 2 tons in the transverse direction and up to 10 tons in the vertical direction.
- Increased heat and sound protection properties.
- Fire and environmental safety.
It’s easy to build a house from SIP panels with your own hands in a really short time (in 3–3.5 months). A finished residential building, built using the recommended technology, is guaranteed to last at least 75–80 years. Later we will talk in more detail about the rules for constructing such houses.
What do you need to purchase to produce SIP boards yourself?
Do-it-yourself SIP panels are relatively simple to make. True, you will have to wisely select materials for such an operation and stock up on special equipment. The outer layers of the panels are made from OSB boards-3. It is desirable that they be produced well-known company. Then you will be sure that they use environmentally friendly resins. Expanded polystyrene should be grade C-25-35. Special attention requires glue to connect all layers into one. For homemade SIP panels, it is necessary to use compounds that have a long service life, a wide range of operating temperatures (from +50 to –40 ° C) and a high moisture resistance. Recommended adhesive for SIP products:
- Macroplast UR 7229 or 7228;
- Kleiberite;
- AveniR;
- TOP-UR (15–40).
These adhesives do not contain volatile compounds, harmful solvents, plasticizers, expensive fillers. They are created specifically for SIP panels and are characterized by increased adhesive strength and the required technological viscosity.
Any polyurethane adhesive from the list above provides a moisture- and heat-resistant, as well as elastic connection of the components of SIP products.
You will also need a press used in the manufacture of sandwich panels. If there is none, you can replace it with a vacuum pump. Another essential tool is a thermal cutter (or thermal knife). It is a kind of tubular electric heater mounted on a heat-insulated handle. Thermal knife is necessary for cutting products into pieces required sizes and melting of insulation. Making SIP panels with your own hands should be done on a flat surface (on a table) of a certain length. Its dimensions are always taken large in relation to the geometric parameters of the manufactured products. We will apply glue to the layers of SIP panels either with a notched rubber trowel or using a special sprayer.
We make SIP products with our own hands - simple technology
Place the OSB sheet on the workbench and apply glue to the surface of the board. You should not end up with a continuous layer of composition, but with grooves. Depending on the tool used (spatula, sprayer), glue consumption for each square meter sheet is 150–200 g. After applying Macroplast, TOP-UR or another composition, you should wait about 10 minutes, and then carefully place polystyrene foam on the OSB board and carefully level it. The process cannot be delayed, as the glue polymerizes quite quickly. If this happens, the finished product will be unreliable and weak. Building a house from SIP products of this type will be problematic.
Now you make glue grooves on the polystyrene foam, place a second oriented strand board on it, and press it. Next, the product is sent under the press. If this is not the case, you should act differently. You need to make 5–7 panels at once according to the described method (each subsequent product is assembled directly on the previous one), and then cover the resulting stack with awning fabric. From the latter it is necessary to make a sealed case. Simply glue the fabric along the edges with Cosmofen or any other quick-setting adhesive.
Take it Vacuum pump, use it to pump out the air from under the cover. This action leads to the fact that for each square homemade panels the pressure is about one ton. The technique is called vacuum pressing. The panels are kept in an airless space for approximately 60 minutes. After this, remove the awning fabric and leave the stack of SIP products (in a horizontal position) for 24 hours. After a day, attach a side wooden beam to the panel (to one of the sides). It provides rigid fastening of SIP slabs to each other during construction frame houses. The beam can not be glued, but can be screwed with fasteners of suitable size. The panel is ready for use!
Perform all work wearing safety glasses, gloves, and a gown. long sleeves. The production of panels should be carried out in a well-ventilated and lit room. At home, you can produce SIP products of any size. It is desirable that they correspond to the dimensions of the house specified in the project. The standard dimensions of the panels we are considering are 250 by 125 and 1280 by 125 cm. Such structures are the easiest to work with. They are suitable for any type construction project for the construction of a private home. When using products with similar dimensions, a minimum of joining seams is obtained, which means that the built house will be truly warm.
We build a house using frame technology - the first stages of the operation
Residential buildings made of SIP panels are allowed to be installed on pile-screw, strip, slab foundations. The type of base is selected on site. It is important to consider the condition of the soil here. If there is no groundwater, and the ground is flat, make it simple strip foundation. For heaving, swampy soils, pile foundations are more suitable. Below we provide a diagram of how to build a house on a strip foundation:
- 1. Clear the land allocated for building a house from tree roots and debris. Dig a small hole for the foundation (either manually or using heavy construction equipment).
- 2. Make wooden formwork using standard technology and pour concrete mixture into it.
- 3. For manufactured strip base install cinder blocks. Reinforce them and then fill them with concrete. It is not necessary to use cinder blocks. They are recommended for cases where a house is being built in swampy areas, in regions with frequent rains and heavy snowfalls. Instead of blocks, you can simply fill the base of the future building with concrete mixture.
- 4. Place a waterproofing layer (usually roofing felt) on the foundation.
- 5. Mount the first SIP panel directly on the waterproofing. The very first product should be clearly aligned with the corner of the equipped foundation. Next, lay the next panels, filling the areas where they join with foam.
After completing all these steps, you will have a complete floor in your home. It will be highly durable. Here it is only important to constantly check the installation level of SIP panels in order to eliminate the risk of deviations of the floor base from the horizontal. One more thing. The ends of the mounted products must be covered with trim boards. The latter are attached to the panels with polyurethane foam. Do not forget also about the need to drill technological holes in the floor. They are needed to organize the sewer and water supply systems. Holes in SIP slabs should be prepared in advance - before installing the finished floor.
We assemble a residential building - we act carefully, but confidently!
The assembly of a house from SIP panels begins with the construction load-bearing walls And . This must be done clearly according to the drawings and diagrams of the construction project. And then proceed to installing SIP products directly into the finished frame. The panels are attached without voids or gaps. The tightness of the connection guarantees comfort and warmth in the house. All joints must be blown with foam. Use polyurethane compounds for these purposes.
The panels are connected to each other by gluing timber (using polyurethane foam), which should fit evenly into their grooves. Fixing SIP products to the floors and floor platform is done according to a similar (tongue and groove) pattern. In this case, the function of the spike is performed by trim boards (top and bottom, respectively) of the required sizes. Note. The thickness of the bottom board (often called the installation board) is taken to be at least 2.5 cm (optimally 4 cm).
Connections at the corners are made in the same way. But in such a situation, the installation board is fixed to panels mounted vertically. Fastening the panels at the joints is usually done with wood screws. They provide the necessary strength. Some craftsmen prefer to use nails rather than self-tapping screws (you will need a special one). After assembling the frame, the floors and wooden beams are laid. All that remains is to make the roof. It is also equipped with SIP panels. Experts advise building a special structure to hold rafter system. After its construction, SIP products are installed on the latter.
At this point, the assembly work can be considered complete. Proceed with installation of electrical wiring and other engineering communications, installation of door and window designs. The finishing of panels inside the house is usually carried out with natural wooden products. More a budget option– cladding plasterboard sheets. The best way to finish the outside is with siding. The roof can be covered with ondulin or metal tiles, which are popular these days. It is allowed to use other roofing materials.
It will take 2-3 people no more than 90-100 days to build a small residential building using SIP slabs. If a building is being built on two floors, the time frame for completing the work will not increase. But in this case, you will have to attract several more assistants to work at height or use special lifting and transport devices. Good luck with your construction!
Currently Canadian SIP technology(structural thermal insulation panel) is rightfully considered one of the most advanced technologies, used in construction prefabricated buildings. There are two methods for producing such “sandwich” panels, differing mainly in the pressing method: bench and continuous. Bench development involves periodic pressing of products and includes a number of sequential and discrete operations. This method is effective for small orders. To produce sandwich panels of the highest quality, a technology based on the use of a continuous method is used. It provides the production of a wide range of sandwich panels.
Production of building structural elements
Our company has the necessary set of equipment for the production of high-quality SIP panels.
Assembly of sandwich panels (SIP panels):
- — Place the first sheet of OSB (oriented strand board) on the assembly table and apply adhesive to it.
- — Then lay the polystyrene foam board and apply the next layer of glue.
- — Place a second OSB sheet on top of the adhesive layer.
As a result of the manipulations performed, it turns out three-layer panel, consisting of two layers of OSB and a glued intermediate layer of polystyrene foam. It should be noted that when laying the second OSB layer, it is necessary to ensure that its position relative to the first layer is such that the ribs formed by the corners of the sheets are perpendicular to common plane panels.
At this stage of the production cycle, blanks are cut, which are “sandwich” panels, wooden beams are glued and installed in them, as well as the production of other related wooden structural elements (glulam beams, brackets, etc.).
On cutting tables, grooves equal to the thickness of polystyrene foam are selected along the perimeter of the panels. At the same time, their depth must correspond to the dimensions of the wooden frame.
The next step is to cut out openings in the panels for windows, doors, etc.
Upon completion of the cutting operation, the panels are glued into the formed grooves. wooden beams, forming the frame. After gluing the timber, it is additionally secured with screw or ring nails 45 or 70 millimeters long, depending on the requirements of the design documentation.
Upon completion of the assembly of the structure, the house kit is prepared for shipment to the construction site.
Speed of onset of glue polymerization
Speed of onset of polymerization adhesive composition is about 12 minutes, so on the table you can glue as many layers of panels at once as the workers can assemble them during this time.
Gluing panels under pressure
The plates should be kept under pressure for approximately 60 minutes. Exact time The presence of slabs under pressure is determined by the characteristics of the glue used.
Structural Thermal Insulation Panel
The structural thermal insulation panel consists of two layers of oriented particle board OSB, between which it is pressed using a special binder composition polystyrene foam board thickness from 100 to 200 millimeters, grades not lower than 25 kg/m. A wooden beam is inserted along the ends of the panel.
The thickness of SIP panels varies depending on their purpose and finished form ranges from 110 to 250 millimeters.
The scope of application of sandwich panels is quite wide. Almost all major structural elements buildings: external wall panels, floor panels and interfloor ceilings, large cross-section beams and lintels, window sill panels, load-bearing and non-load-bearing partitions, roofing panels, etc.
To connect the SIP panel to frame structure special nails and screws are used.
These structures do not require additional insulation. Roof covering placed directly on the roof panel, without additional insulation.
During construction, a separately constructed building frame is not used. Its role is played by the upper and lower strapping beams and separate bars glued into the panel at the factory.
The rigidity of the structure is achieved thanks to the exceptional properties of OSB boards. The SIP panels themselves are the main load-bearing element of the structure.
When manufacturing thermal insulating SIP panels and installing houses, it is not necessary work force highly qualified. It is enough to have one supervision specialist for the manufacture and assembly of houses. The process of producing modules and assembling houses is so simple that workers can master it within a few days. Quick installation wall panels achieved using tongue-and-groove type locks.
Electrical wiring is usually carried out outside the panels, heating is in pipes under the floor, and holes for plumbing and plumbing are made in the usual way. When building houses small size truss structures are not needed, one ridge beam is enough.
With the same wall thickness, all buildings made from SIP panels are almost 1.5 times warmer than conventional wooden frame buildings and 8 times warmer brick houses. In addition, they are considered much cleaner environmentally than brick and concrete.
Internal and external finishing home can be made using absolutely any materials, in accordance with the desires and financial capabilities of the customer.
Houses built from sandwich panels can be operated in a temperature range from -50°C to +50°C and provide comfortable living even in the most severe climatic conditions.
Design load on the floor panel, kg/sq.m.
| Deflection | span | ||||
| 3050 | 3660 | 4270 | 4880 | 5490 | |
| L/360 | 340 | 236 | 172 | 122 | 95 |
| L/240 | 454 | 358 | 259 | 186 | 141 |
Maximum axial load on the outer wall depending on the wind force, kg/sq.m.
| Height L, mm | ||||||||||||
| 24,4 | 48,83 | 73,25 | 97,66 | |||||||||
| Deflection, mm | ||||||||||||
| L/180 | L/240 | L/360 | L/180 | L/240 | L/360 | L/180 | L/240 | L/360 | L/180 | L/240 | L/360 | |
| 2500 | 4082 | 4082 | 4082 | 2506 | 2506 | 2506 | 3452 | 3452 | 3452 | 3156 | 3156 | 3156 |
The idea of the business is to produce SIP panels for the construction of buildings using “Canadian technology”. Sandwich panels of this type are widespread in Europe and the USA, but in Russia they are just beginning to enter the wider market and are currently in good demand.
SIP panels (SIP, KTP) are a modern building material made in the form of three-layer sandwich panels on panel frame technology(so-called " Canadian technology"), which is intended for the construction of houses.
The name of SIP panels comes from the English. "structural insulated panel", in Russian other names are also used: SIP (structural insulating panel) and KTP (structural thermal insulating panel).
The quality indicators of houses assembled using this technology are higher than those of frame structures, and they cost several times less, which increases the popularity of this material.
Range
- OSB+PSB+OSB (classical);
- OSB+EPP+OSP (more expensive);
- OSB+PPU+OSB (cheaper);
- OSB+MV+OSB (Russian idea, fire resistant);
- FL+PSB+FL (Russian idea, fireproof);
- DSP+PSB+DSP (fireproof, heavy weight);
- GKL+PSB+GKL, etc. (rarely used).
Accepted abbreviations:
- OSB - oriented strand boards;
- PSB - non-shrinkable suspension polystyrene foam;
- EPP - extruded polystyrene foam;
- PPU - polyurethane foam;
- MV - mineral wool insulation;
- FL—fibrolite;
- CSP - cement particle boards;
- GKL - plasterboard sheet.
By purpose they distinguish wall And roofing SIP panels.
Sales market
- construction companies;
- repair companies;
- dealers building materials;
- private individuals.
Organization of business of SIP panels from OSB and PSB
Required raw materials:
- polyurethane glue.
Necessary equipment
Cost: 350,000 rub.
Cost: 420,000 rub.
Thermal knife or thermal cutter:
| Option #1 |  | Cost: 6000 rub. |
|
| Option No. 2 |  | Cost: 30,000 rub. |
To calculate the return on investment, the following equipment will be used to complete the production site:
- line UIP-6M-3 - price 1,800 thousand rubles.
- format-cutting machine SS-1 - 350 thousand rubles.
- thermal knife RE-100. - 6 thousand rubles.
Total investment in capital equipment: RUB 2,156 thousand.
Brief feasibility study
Capital expenditures
- Purchase of main equipment: RUB 2,156,000.
- Additional equipment, tools: RUB 150,000.
- Delivery and installation of equipment: RUB 500,000.
- Inventory: 500,000 rub.
- Repair, preparation of the premises: RUB 300,000.
- Organizational expenses: RUB 100,000.
- Financing activities until self-sufficiency: RUB 500,000.
Total capital costs will be 4 206 000 rubles
Below is the calculation of revenue for 50% load lines:
*Production profitability according to the expert opinion of the author of the article.
Reference Information:
For this type of activity, the average time to reach self-sufficiency is 3-4 months from the start date of the project, reaching projected revenue is 6-9 months. Return on investment 24-30 months.
Currently, a variety of materials are used for construction. But when it comes to building our own home, everyone tries to choose a more profitable and faster option. And this is exactly what SIP panels are for. They can be used under various conditions, as they are a universal material.
In addition, they have a fairly low cost, which will allow them to be used in different economic situations. But there is also one drawback - it is not always possible to find exactly those SIP panels that are suitable for our structure, no matter what it is. And it is precisely in this situation that you should know that SIP panels can be made independently, with your own resources and resources. But before moving on to this issue, it’s worth first identifying the pros and cons that can be found when using SIP panels.
Advantages and disadvantages
There is a lot of advertising everywhere about the use of sandwich panels in construction. It's very cheap, fast and practical. But before we all decide on them, let’s figure out what advantages and disadvantages they have. 
Advantages:
- The entire box of the future home can be produced within two weeks. It follows that they help do all the work in a short time;
- The interior spaces become larger as the wall of the house becomes very thin.
- The construction of your own home can be done at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions;
- Based on the fact that sip panels mainly consist of insulation, they therefore have good thermal insulation properties;
- During construction, it is practically possible to do without a foundation, and if you do, it will be insignificant. And despite this, such a house can withstand weather conditions very well, including hurricanes and strong winds;
- There is no shrinkage of such a constructed house, which allows finishing work to begin immediately after construction;
- If the panels are installed correctly, we will get a perfectly flat vertical surface;
- The most important thing is the low cost, which attracts many.
But, in addition to numerous advantages, sip panels also have their disadvantages, which are as follows:
- They are not durable, they can only serve us for about 30 years;
- Although a house made of sip panels can withstand weather conditions and hurricanes, it is very weak against mechanical influences (ax blows);
- A controversial, but not particularly proven point regarding environmental friendliness due to the fact that its production is focused on the use of chemical resins and expanded polystyrene;
- Since in the end we will get a completely sealed room, radiator heating cannot be used. Such houses and buildings require air heating devices.
Materials and equipment
In order not to spend your money on buying sip panels for building a house, you can make them yourself. But to start work we will need certain materials and equipment. First of all, we need a flat surface, such as a table, which should be slightly larger in size than the finished panel. In addition, we will need glue. Various professional devices and equipment can be used, but for a single production this is practically not needed. We are talking about a device for vacuum pressing panels, a device with which glue is applied, a press is organized, and much more.
The manufacturing process of sip panels
The easiest option for making sip panels will be when we have the appropriate equipment at hand. This way, a minimum amount of time will be spent, and everything will certainly be done efficiently if all conditions are met. For this we only need OSB sheets. 
The whole process can be summarized in a few lines:
- -we apply glue to the OSB sheet we have;
- -after this we lay a sheet of polystyrene foam, prepared in advance and cut to the appropriate sizes and parameters, including the exact thickness that we will need;
- -put an OSB sheet on top of this, also using glue.
All we have to do after this is give our product time to dry. After 24 hours, you can use the finished SIP panel as needed.
But if we do all the work without using special equipment, then we should pay attention to the following points: 
- It is better to apply glue to the surface using spatulas or a sprayer;
- You should choose the right glue, or rather, use only special brands, such as Kleiberit or TOP-UR 15;
- The prepared panels must be tightly compressed to obtain a better structure. To do this, we can use equipment such as a press, or use vacuum pressing. In the second case, we simply stack the panels on top of each other and cover them with awning fabric. We glue the fabric in all free parts, after which we take a vacuum pump and draw out all the air present under the fabric. One hour will be enough to get the final result.
If you decide to make vulture panels with your own hands, then you will definitely need knowledge of the rules for carrying out the work.
The thickness of the insulation should be selected taking into account the temperature conditions of the environment in the place of residence and construction of the house. Various materials can act as insulation, which will also have distinctive parameters for preserving and retaining heat. In order for the panels to turn out to be of high quality and instantly glued together, during the work you should take the help of other workers, as well as use various equipment.
After unpacking, the glue should be immediately used for its intended purpose - for gluing elements. There is a little time for this - about 5 minutes. Otherwise, the glue will quickly polymerize, and, therefore, harden and cannot be removed even with a very good solvent. In addition, the surface can be glued provided that a press is used that allows compression under a pressure of about 18 tons. When we choose an adhesive, we should pay attention to ensuring that it can retain its properties for a long time. The glue should easily withstand temperature changes from -40° to +50° C. After hardening, it should not release any harmful substances into the environment and be completely environmentally friendly.
When constructing sip panels yourself, you need to know some basic points that will help you get exactly the result that we want. The same applies to purchasing panels for building a house.
The most important ones should be highlighted:
- Any floor covering can be laid directly on the sip panel. Such a house does not require installation of a subfloor;
- Only the outer walls of a house can be assembled from sip panels. Of course, it can also be used in the construction of load-bearing walls;
- All work is best done in winter. The rest of the time, there are very frequent cases of rainfall, and this is dirt that can fall on the site of our building;
- Before finishing the house, you should not cut off the foam from the outside of our building. Foam under the influence of sunlight is destroyed and damaged;
- Take care to avoid artisanal production. At first glance, they will seem very cheap to us, but in the end they will require the purchase of new material, and therefore greater costs than planned. Here we should require all certificates for OSB sheets, the SIP panels themselves, if, of course, they were manufactured industrially;
- The most common types of foundation for such a house are a shallow strip foundation or a foundation on screw piles;
- You should be careful when choosing roofing material. It also requires a ventilation device.
