Dear Jim: We heard about SIPS houses at a home show. We are going to build our dream home next year and we are exploring different building methods. What is a SIPS house, are they efficient and do they look strange? – Ron B.

Dear Ron: The SIPS (structural insulated panel system) construction method is one of the most energy-efficient house construction methods available and it is extremely durable.

The year-round utility bills with SIPS should be less than half of those for a standard code stick-built lumber house. They are very airtight, giving you precise control over the indoor air quality. The super-insulated, airtight walls also block most outdoor noise.

SIPS is a simple construction method where the insulated shell of a home also acts as the supporting structure. This eliminates the need for first framing walls, stuffing them with insulation and then covering the indoor and outdoor surfaces. This is all accomplished with a single thick, strong panel.

A SIPS house is indistinguishable from an ordinary stick-built house. The only difference you may possibly notice at the windows is the thicker walls. Also using vented roof panels makes it easy to build cathedral ceilings.

SIPS panels use polyurethane or expanded polystyrene rigid foam insulation sandwiched between two layers of structural oriented strand board. They are available in various thicknesses up to an insulation value of R-45. The panels, made in a factory, are as long as 24 feet, so there are few joints in the walls to leak air. Engineers at the factory take your house plans and make all the panels to the exact sizes needed.

Once the SIPS panels are designed and made, the actual construction at your building site is quick in any weather conditions. Chases for the electric wiring are already cut in the foam to reduce the electrician’s labor costs.

Instantly download Update Bulletin No. 738 – buyer’s guide of 13 SIPS manufacturers – at www.dulley.com.