top of page

ABOUT SIPs

sip%20house%20flat_edited.png

Advantages of using Alaska Insulated Panels:

​

  • All SIPs manufactured by AIP are shot-injected with a molded polyurethane foam core

  • Can be fabricated to fit nearly any building design

  • American Made

  • SIP type construction is proven superior in strength, airtightness, and insulation qualities

  • Eco-friendly

  • No CFC’s or formaldehyde

  • Factory-made and quality checked in a controlled, dry environment

  • Labor savings

  • Up to 50% reduction in energy consumption

  • Made in Wasilla, Alaska

How AIP SIPs can be used for your applications:

​​

Fun Facts About SIPs:

​

  • SIP construction costs are comparable to conventional building methods when savings associated with labor, material wastes, and long-term energy efficiency are considered

  • Polyurethane was produced to replace the shortfalls of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

  • AIP Panels are molded, not glued like EPS (white foam) SIPs

  • AIP Polyurethane SIPs are the new energy-efficient form of construction

  • Building with AIP SIPs could qualify you for an energy rebate by AHFC

  • Polyurethane is the most highly rated insulation in the world

  • AIP polyurethane has an R-Value of R-8 per inch at 20°F

  • AIP’s panels are more fire and water-vapor resistant than EPS, as well as being 50% better at insulating per given thickness

  • Walls

    • Exterior walls

    • Walk-in coolers/freezers

  • Roofs

    • Vaulted ceilings

    • Walk-in coolers/freezers

  • Foundations

    • Frost Wall

    • Crawl Space

    • Basement

  • Floors

    • Over a non-conditioned space

    • Walk-in coolers/freezers

sip-panel2a.tif

Structural Insulated panels (SIPs) are a high-performance building product for residential and commercial construction. These panels consist of an insulating foam core between two structural components, usually oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood (kind of like a s’more).

​

AIP SIPs are manufactured under tightly controlled conditions and can be fabricated to fit nearly any building design. The result is a building product that is extremely strong, energy-efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly. Our SIPs will save you time, money, and labor.

SIP panels are built by creating an empty cavity between two structural sub-straights known as "skins". The assembled form is then placed into a hydraulic press.

​

Polyurethane foam is injected into the open cavity which expands up to 50 times its volume in about 8 seconds, generates up to 15 pounds per square inch of pressure, and temperatures in excess of 300°F. During the curing process, the hydraulic press counters the generated forces of the foam and maintains the desired panel thickness while the pressure and heat impregnate the foam into the fibers of the skins, creating a bond of indestructible strength.

Polyurethane (PUR) foam is a thermoset plastic and is a UL class “1” combustible. Unlike most thermoplastics, PUR has low smoke emission; PUR foam will only burn in a continuous flame in excess of 800°F and only chars, rather than melts, at lower temperatures. In residential applications, the building code requires the room side surface of any foam product to be covered with ½ inch drywall or an equivalent thermal barrier.

 

AIP SIP’s are 7 times stronger than standard “2x” framed construction. When polyurethane foam is injected between two skins of standard building materials, a natural bond develops, thereby making the panel structurally analogous to an I-beam.

 

SIP type construction is superior to conventional “stick framing” in strength, air-tightness, and insulation qualities. SIPs provide both the structure (support strength) and insulation (resistance to the transfer of heat, cold, sound, vibration, vapor, etc.). While most commonly used for exterior walls, SIPs can also serve as foundations, load-bearing floors, and roofs. 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 smaller heating and cooling systems are required with SIP construction.

SIP Homes have lower heating costs in Alaska's cold climate

AIP’s polyurethane SIP’s have one of the highest R-values per inch of thickness (R-8 @20°F) of all the insulating materials available on the market. In rural Alaska, where fuel oil costs upwards of $9.00 per gallon, residents can afford to live in houses constructed with AIP’s polyurethane SIP’s.

 

Polyurethane foam provides a higher insulating value per inch than traditional fiberglass, other foams, and cellulose insulation. There is much less wood framing within the typical panel, which increases the total R-value. The foam is continuous and is not susceptible to the commonplace flaws found in average batt installations. Foam, when bonded directly to the exterior and interior wall “skins,” doesn't allow air infiltration around it.

SIP-made buildings are vastly more energy-efficient, strong, quiet, and are less drafty than other building methods like stud framing with fiberglass batt insulation. Fiberglass is sometimes used for furnace filters because air moves through so freely. Polyurethane foam consists of billions of tiny cells with solid polyurethane cellular walls. Air cannot flow from cell to cell or between cells.

Rigid foam insulation is used as a solid insulation component in almost every industry that is concerned about heat transfer, such as the refrigeration industry, for its inherent efficiency and prevention of air movement. These attributes are built right into the AIP SIPs.

Less air movement or leakage translates into far fewer drafts, fewer penetrations of noise, much lower energy bills, and a significantly more comfortable and controllable indoor environment. You can have a quieter, more comfortable home and office.

housechart2.png

Environmental Footprint

Details:

 

We manufacture Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) using injected, high R-value polyurethane foam insulation, which is superior to all other foam insulation products.

 

AIP uses a high-pressure foaming system designed to maximize the advantages of the foam properties. The cured foam is inert and non-hazardous. The foaming process used by AIP uses no “ozone-depleting substances”, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydro Bromo fluorocarbons (HBFCs), halon, methyl bromide, carbon tetrachloride, or methyl chloroform. Only EPA-approved materials are used by AIP. AIP polyurethane foam contains no formaldehyde.

 

Eco-Friendly: (Carbon Footprint)

A study conducted by BASF Chemical Company (www.BASF.com) found that polyurethane SIPs can help the environment, make your home more comfortable, and save you money. The base case of this study is a 1,100 square foot residence with polyurethane core SIPs located in Newark, NJ Zone 4.

 

  • Greenhouse Gases – SIPs help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This study has shown they can prevent 108,413,000 grams of carbon dioxide equivalents from being emitted into the atmosphere; this is the equivalent CO2 uptake by 136 acres of 25-year-old forest.

 

  • Cost Savings – More money in your pocket at the end of the month. For a typical home in the Northeastern United States, SIPs may add about $5,450 to the overall initial construction costs. However, they will save the homeowner an average of $29 a month in energy costs, while increasing the mortgage costs only $25 a month.

 

  • Lower HVAC Costs - SIP built homes require smaller HVAC systems, saving an average of $780 in mechanical right-sizing costs.

 

  • Resources Savings – While it requires approximately three barrels of oil to produce the SIP insulation panel materials, the SIPs will reduce energy requirements for the home by 290 barrels of oil over the lifecycle of the home. This is almost a 100:1 ratio in savings of oil over the lifecycle.

bottom of page