From the Field is a series featuring real-world insights from the Premier SIPS team, drawn from jobsite experience and customer conversations.
Written by Loren Groeschl, Premier SIPS Regional Sales Manager
We’ve all heard the phrase, “the devil is in the details.” I both like and dislike that saying.
I like it because the real emphasis is on not overlooking small things that can have a significant impact on the bigger picture. That applies to many more things than construction, including relationships, finances, and learning a new skill or trade. When you follow the process and pay attention to details, you usually get good results.
What I don’t like about the phrase is that it suggests details are mysterious, overly complicated, or meant to trip you up. In reality, many things in construction are process-driven. When those processes are understood and followed, the results are predictable. The details matter, but they don’t have to be intimidating.
I’m a Regional Sales Manager with Premier SIPS and have been in the industry for 11 years. I’m always working to become more knowledgeable, but I’m certainly no novice. One of the things I enjoy most about my role is bringing a proven, high-performance product, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), to market.
SIPs have been around for a long time. Premier SIPs is one of the industry leaders and a founding manufacturer of the modern SIP, now in our fifth decade of production. At this point, we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We’re focused on making the wheel better.
SIPs consist of oriented strand board (OSB) laminated to a rigid insulation core. At Premier SIPs, that core is EPS or GPS insulation. SIPs are among the most energy-efficient wood framing systems available, providing an airtight, high-performance thermal envelope that delivers long-term building performance that is difficult to match.
One of the things I’ve come to appreciate about SIPs over the years is the importance of the construction details. I wanted to share a few thoughts on SIP details first, and then walk through some of the most commonly discussed details we see in the field.
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One of the most common questions we hear is how SIP panels connect.
You can find detailed information in our Design Manual, specifically details PBS 200 through 209, along with corresponding load charts. The type of spline used in a SIP assembly depends on several factors, most often structural requirements identified in the shop drawings.
Whenever possible, we like to use Type S splines, also called box or block splines, because they are both thermally efficient and cost-effective. If a wall requires additional shear capacity, vertical dimensional lumber splines may be introduced into the panel joint.
Roof systems may require Type I splines at specific spacing to accommodate span and load conditions. If a SIP wall needs to carry a concentrated load, a column is typically required, and that column is usually located at a panel joint.
Columns may be dimensional lumber such as 4x or 6x members, built-up 2x members, or even HSS steel columns. SIPs also integrate very well with timber frame or post-and-beam construction. In these cases, the panel insulation is recessed at the factory to accommodate the column or spline configuration.
SIP-to-foundation and SIP-to-floor connections depend on the specific design conditions of the project.
If framing is coming up from a slab or stem wall, reference details PBS 300 through 302. We always follow the architectural and structural drawings first. If a condition isn’t clearly detailed on the plans, we’ll clarify the design intent during the shop drawing process and detail the SIP system accordingly.
From a schematic design standpoint, there are several common foundation-to-floor details available, including PBS 304A through 304D.
Floor-to-floor conditions can vary as well. Floor joists or trusses can be stacked on plates, hung from taller SIP plate heights:
Or even ledged into balloon-framed SIP walls when required, Reference PBS 509B
Electrical coordination is another topic that comes up often.
SIPs include pre-planned electrical chases located at standard heights, and these can be customized if needed. Reviewing the electrical chase layouts in the details will give you a good sense of how wiring is typically run through the panels.
See our videos and other resources for electrical coordination in SIP buildings
Some additional SIP details that frequently come up in projects include:
If you’re interested in designing or building with SIPs, I encourage you to download the Premier SIPS Design Manual and spend some time reviewing the details. There’s a lot of valuable information there, and you can learn a great deal simply by paging through it.
The most successful SIP projects are the ones where details are considered early and kept front and center, from design through execution. Preparation matters. Details matter.