Has anyone heard ov Valuebuild or Panelized houses (SIP)? Are they worth while, and do they hold up?

Question

My wife and I are looking to build a new home next year and are interested in an energy efficiant house. We are planning to use thermosofts radiant heat flooring, indirect lighting (low voltage lighting) as well as alot of other things. I stumbled onto a site that has a lifetime warrenty on there product www.valuebuild.com. Has anyone ever used something like this? Does using just osb and the structured foam instead of 2X4 studs compromise structural integrety? Would it hold up to the weather? What are possible problems with the system ? I have lots of questions about it that I would love to talk to a contractor about. It seems like it is a possible way to go but I am half way scared to go that route since it is not common. I'm affraid I'll dump a fortune into the house and it will not hold up after a few years. Any comments?

Answer 1

Without knowing at all where you are; the things you suggest might be just the opposite of efficient.

First of all on a personal level; I'm not at all a fan of radiant heat; and I'm baffled by anyone using flooring heat anyway.

I live in FL. In 92 I had a house built using structural foam "OVER" plywood. I'll die before I ever allow OSB into my life. Then over the foam I had Fiberglass stucco applied and R15 in the walls; then drywall interior.

I'd be curious to see a link to what you describe, and where it's being used.

Steven Wolf
Ah yes. Valuebuild.com...I'll check it out

BTW...DROP THE "E"

Answer 2

I just looked at there webstie and I would agree with the Doc. As a contractor I would not recomend it, I don't see how the house can be sealed up from the elements being put together like that, also what is going to keep your walls from looking like an S over time there is no structure there that I see.

With the technology we have to day you can build an energy efficant home with conventional products for instance

Radiant floor heating over a whole house is a really bad idea it will take the same amount of electricity to run that as it would to run a conventional electric frunace.

I would recomend you spend the money on ground source, Yes it is expensive but you only have to heat and cool you house from 60 degrees. In the summer you almost won't have to run you AC and in the winter your furnace will not hardly run at all.

Quaker Window has a product called the manchester series that is energy star compliant verry efficant.

Tyvek house wrap allows your house to breath while not letting in any moister or air

2 x 6 exterior wall frame will allow you to have R-19 versus R-13 in a standard 2 x 4 wall.

I hope this helps you get your house off on the right foot
I would be curious to know what your final decision will be

Answer 3

SIP's panels are a good way to go. The biggest problem with them is the use of OSB rather than plywood sheeting. If the building is sealed properly on the exterior then you shouldn't have any issues with the panels for a lot of years. One consideration is that the worse case scenario is no worse than any other house. If one panel rots then you just have to replace it with either a new panel or a tradition frame wall. Radiant heat is a great way to heat. It is very efficient when installed properly. It makes great sense since you are "injecting" the heat into the lowest point of the house and allowing it to naturally rise to heat everything above it.