The Owner Builder magazine has featured a South Australian SIPs home in their latest edition.
Mark Clayton, of Living Building Solutions, has built his 2nd SIPs home and faced the challenge of building a sustainable home on a 375 square metre block that he describes as having "the worst possible orientation".
He has thought of everything in this home, including using SIPs Industries' panels, again.
‘One panel fits all’ IPS, commonly incorrectly sold as SIPS, are generally a non-structural panel system with a moisture resistant, fibre cement, magnesium oxide, or other board sandwiched with an insulation core forming a panel that is sold as a complete wall system.
Everything stated in the previous article describing current timber framing construction in Australia is also relevant to Steel Framing.
Steel framing is a little worse however as every steel stud, being lightweight steel, is a conductor, a conductor which will quickly transfer energy through it.
Part 2 of our comparisons looks at Timber (Stick) Frames. Timber frame construction is common on the eastern states of Australia, and throughout the world.
It is a renewable material with fantastic construction properties and is the main structural material for buildings aiming to be highly energy efficient.
This building method is cost effective, lightweight and durable, but there is much criticism of Australian building guidelines and control for timber frame structures..
At SIPs Industries, we're often asked for the comparisons between SIPS construction and traditional builds such as brick, steel and timber framing. Often the question relates to cost comparison, however, not only is there more to consider, but the answer doesn’t always compare "apples with apples".
For example, a SIPs structure is not only highly insulated, but is also air tight. An air tight structure prohibits movement of air through it, therefore keeping the heat or cool to one side, eliminating draughts. And this doesn't mean stale air either.
By increasing insulation and eliminating air movement through the structure you save energy, and therefore money.
Experts are warning that Australians don't realise how dangerous household mould issues can be to their health, and there has been a call for building code changes to address the damp housing crisis that looms large in Australia.
We live a more closed-in lifestyle, nowadays, to try to achieve better energy efficiency and in many homes, no-one is at home during the day to allow for the house to be opened up and ventilated. This means Australian homes have become the perfect breeding ground for mould.
Australia seems to have learned very little from the leaky home crisis in New Zealand, which cost their economy $12 billion, and in Canada, costing over $4 billion.
