# BUILDING WITH SIPS - ANYONE ANY EXPERIENCE



## Lazurus (16 Apr 2021)

I have the planning through for a 8m x 5m workshop, initially I was going brick and block, but I am considering sips on a brick plinth over a concrete floor. Anyone any suggestions, advice or experience on which construction method to use. It will be a flat(slight pent) roof 2.5m eves not the 3m shown on the plan


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## stuart.grimshaw (4 Feb 2022)

I'd be interested to know which route you went Lazurus, I'm looking to also build a SIP workshop.


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## MARK.B. (4 Feb 2022)

There is someone on here but cannot remember the name, who often suggests the use of SIP panels and is a big fan of this method


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## stuart.grimshaw (4 Feb 2022)

With the cost of timber at the moment, it seems like a cost effective way of doing it.


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## doctor Bob (4 Feb 2022)

I used SIPS on this




12 x5m, SIP on walls and roof, insulated floor. All built on a reinforced raft with deeper foundation edges. Still very expensive.


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## stuart.grimshaw (4 Feb 2022)

doctor Bob said:


> I used SIPS on this
> 12 x5m, SIP on walls and roof, insulated floor. All built on a reinforced raft with deeper foundation edges. Still very expensive.



I saw that build already whilst searching for anyone using SIPs, it looks amazing.

As for the cost, I don't think it;s the best time to be building anything cost wise, but I need to upgrade from a gazebo on the patio


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## BucksDad (4 Feb 2022)

You can follow along with my thread as well if you like Stuart as I will use SIPs, won't be for a few months though

@doctor Bob did they create a cavity above your roof and vent it or did they just put the EPDM on?


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## doctor Bob (4 Feb 2022)

BucksDad said:


> @doctor Bob did they create a cavity above your roof and vent it or did they just put the EPDM on?



as far as I remember, straight on top


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## BucksDad (4 Feb 2022)

doctor Bob said:


> as far as I remember, straight on top



I guess you're safe in the knowledge that if you did experience any problems, you can just get the company in to fix it  Plus if I remember you had an aircon unit installed so should be a good temperature / humidity controlled space


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## doctor Bob (4 Feb 2022)

BucksDad said:


> I guess you're safe in the knowledge that if you did experience any problems, you can just get the company in to fix it  Plus if I remember you had an aircon unit installed so should be a good temperature / humidity controlled space



Yes it's very swanky inside, nice handmade second kitchen, great company made it


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## Droogs (4 Feb 2022)

doctor Bob said:


> Yes it's very swanky inside, nice handmade second kitchen, great company made it


Oh, so who did you get in to do it then @doctor Bob ?


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## Jameshow (4 Feb 2022)

Droogs said:


> Oh, so who did you get in to do it then @doctor Bob ?



MFI I believe!!!!


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## Lons (5 Feb 2022)

Possibly a customer reject.  
If it had been my build I'd have just chucked in any old remodeled one I'd removed from a customer..........Oh I did do that. 
Only joking Bob, unlike you I'm a cheapskate.


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## doctor Bob (5 Feb 2022)

not the greatest pics, but I didn't want a visible kitchen so I out in a hidden kitchenette, with a little bar area. Still work in progress hence tools in cupboard.
2 large bifolds to reveal sink area with boil tap, and dishwasher plus storage.
Middle is fridge, drawer oven, electrical board and I.T.


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## Jameshow (5 Feb 2022)

It's a bit small for your kitchen Bob..... oh it's his summer house! 

So nice design and build I can only dream of.... Along with Dovetail Derek!! ...


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## Droogs (5 Feb 2022)

doctor Bob said:


> not the greatest pics, but I didn't want a visible kitchen so I out in a hidden kitchenette, with a little bar area. Still work in progress hence tools in cupboard.
> 2 large bifolds to reveal sink area with boil tap, and dishwasher plus storage.
> Middle is fridge, drawer oven, electrical board and I.T.


FFS, that's still bigger than my kitchen and he calls it a kitchenette. I must have a kitch
very nice though Bob


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## BucksDad (5 Feb 2022)

doctor Bob said:


> not the greatest pics, but I didn't want a visible kitchen so I out in a hidden kitchenette, with a little bar area. Still work in progress hence tools in cupboard.
> 2 large bifolds to reveal sink area with boil tap, and dishwasher plus storage.
> Middle is fridge, drawer oven, electrical board and I.T.



What's that sitting in the island? Some kind of frying hot plate or a big ice bucket / cooler for drinks?


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## doctor Bob (5 Feb 2022)

BucksDad said:


> What's that sitting in the island? Some kind of frying hot plate or a big ice bucket / cooler for drinks?



Induction hob with venting extractor.


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## Droogs (5 Feb 2022)

@doctor Bob, the venting extractor, is that the pop up thing? how efficient is it and does it vent outside or just through filter?


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## doctor Bob (5 Feb 2022)

Droogs said:


> @doctor Bob, the venting extractor, is that the pop up thing? how efficient is it and does it vent outside or just through filter?


No the pop up is called a down draft, I have one in my main kitchen but old hat these days

The kitchenette is like this
venting hob

it will vent outside. although it has filters so it could be recirculated.


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## littleplop (2 Mar 2022)

stuart.grimshaw said:


> I'd be interested to know which route you went Lazurus, I'm looking to also build a SIP workshop.


I don't know if this might help, but I made this a couple of years ago to be our gym using all SIP panels:







I designed it and then got a company to cut the panels then built it myself.

SIP panels for the floor, sides, back and roof.

We are in the New Forest National Park and planning is a total c4nt so we were limited by the 2.5m height restriction.

When ompleted, I also designed and built the power rack but to make it work for both my height and the available internal height I had to scrape literally every last mm in height.

I axtually saved some height by cutting out the turf and taking it down a few inches, leaving an air gap all round the building.

But, not wanting to use a concrete base for eco hippy reasons, I found these:
EasyPads - The easy-to-use foundation system for modular buildings

and mounted it on wooden beams. Saved tonnes of concrete and meant minimal spoil removal so very quick to do and perfectly leveled in minutes.

For the ceiling, I planed down the battens to save about 8mm and used really shallow LED lights set inside.

For the floor covering, I used the thinnest solid rubber matting for horse boxes I could find rather than the full thickness, saving another few mm, but still handy for (hopefully not) dropping weights.

The upshot was the power rack was built to within 2mm of the ceiling so I can get full length pull downs but when doing pullups, I made a lowered bar at the front so I can get my head over it but I still need my knees bent.

Works brilliantly though and really pleased with the building and the kit inside now.

Also, putting down the floor, walls and roof in a weekend was fantastic - it only took this long because I had to buttocks about putting solid aluminium sheets on the back wall to protect it from the dreadful hedge coming through from next door. All vented and will never need maintenance which is handy as precisely zero access along the back.

I get on the roof to cut the hedge but for easy clearing put in a waist height ally tray connected the hedge all the way along the back so rubbish can be scooped out easily. In the pick you can see the green plastic voer on the ally sheet I screwed into the crappy fencing to manage the hedge. This was left on both sides as it helps it blend through the hedge for our neighbours.

The only tricky bit was lifting the 6.5m back wall up as it was all in one piece - it had to pop onto the screwed down connector block along the length that the OSB panels sit either side off. This block does stop it slipping back into the hedge which is great and 4 of us did it fairly easily even with the extra weight of the ally sheeting.

We have now installed an air source heater / cooler at the end in the pic which is awesome. Freezes it down in summer and only needs heating for a few minutes in the winter with the incredible insulation. Really happy with this and it runs off our solar so basically free to run either way.

To sum up, I cannot recommend SIP enough and would have used it on my recent workshop if I wasn't so incredibly limited for space (mainly width).

Certainly, if we ever build a house from scratch will be SIP and oak frame all the way.

Hope this might help?


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## Molynoox (4 Mar 2022)

when you say its all vented, what do you mean - the roof? Not heard of anybody doing a vented roof with SIPS so would be interested to hear about it if you have
Martin


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## littleplop (4 Mar 2022)

Molynoox said:


> when you say its all vented, what do you mean - the roof? Not heard of anybody doing a vented roof with SIPS so would be interested to hear about it if you have
> Martin


I I meant the 8*4 ally protection sheets fixed all along the back wall on the outside - they are all mounted on battens for ventilation in case of any condensation build up.

Massive intrusive growth from that poxy hedge had basically destroyed the rubbish old summerhouse that was there when we moved in, so I wanted to make sure that it couldn't cause any long term damage to the building.

The ally panels attached to the fence stop low growth then the panels actually on the building have kept it nicely clear of dung build up.


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## Mikeu66 (5 Mar 2022)

Hi folks. Hope someone can help. I'm starting a garden workshop build in early april using sips from Premier Sips in Lichfield. I'm just using them for the walls but not in a precut kit form so I'm sourcing all the timber splines and fixings etc. What bothers me is that the insulation thickness in the panels is 100mm but treated sawn timber generally finishes at around 95mm so it's going to be a loose fit. Is this a problem in any way? I know that expanding foam is used which will hopefully fill any gaps but I imagine for the panels to line up correctly they'll need to be fastened at one side first leaving a 5mm gap on the other side. Seems like quite a big gap. Am I worried over nothing? Never done anything like this before so excuse my ignorance


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## Jameshow (5 Mar 2022)

Mikeu66 said:


> Hi folks. Hope someone can help. I'm starting a garden workshop build in early april using sips from Premier Sips in Lichfield. I'm just using them for the walls but not in a precut kit form so I'm sourcing all the timber splines and fixings etc. What bothers me is that the insulation thickness in the panels is 100mm but treated sawn timber generally finishes at around 95mm so it's going to be a loose fit. Is this a problem in any way? I know that expanding foam is used which will hopefully fill any gaps but I imagine for the panels to line up correctly they'll need to be fastened at one side first leaving a 5mm gap on the other side. Seems like quite a big gap. Am I worried over nothing? Never done anything like this before so excuse my ignorance


Could you rip up 5.5mm plywood???


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## Mikeu66 (5 Mar 2022)

Thought about cutting some packers. Just don't know if I'm being a bit over the top. Thanks for the idea though. Appreciated


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## slimshady (5 Mar 2022)

I've seen some pictures/diagrams that showed the use of two osb/ply pieces to screw against. Inside and outside strips leaving full insulation in between.
page 13/14 of the attached pdf. https://cdn.acmepanel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SIPBOOK-2020.pdf food for thought.
Slimshady.


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## Jameshow (5 Mar 2022)

slimshady said:


> I've seen some pictures/diagrams that showed the use of two osb/ply pieces to screw against. Inside and outside strips leaving full insulation in between.
> page 13/14 of the attached pdf. https://cdn.acmepanel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SIPBOOK-2020.pdf food for thought.
> Slimshady.


That would reduce thermal bridging if your at all concerned about thermal efficiency.....


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## Mikeu66 (5 Mar 2022)

Thanks for that. Yep I've got some of the insulated sips splines but you can't use them around windows, doors or for top/bottom plates. I was just concerned about the gap with the timber splines but I reckon I'll just cut some 5mm packers as suggested earlier. I'm probably over thinking it because I'm trying to keep to a pretty tight budget and I've no experience of using sips.


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## Jameshow (5 Mar 2022)

Could you not get them to supply top and bottom plates?

Otherwise get sawn 4x2 etc as it's thicker than planed 4x2.


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## ChrisMa (6 Mar 2022)

stuart.grimshaw said:


> I'd be interested to know which route you went Lazurus, I'm looking to also build a SIP workshop.



Stuart ... Have you had a look at The Restoration Couple on YOUTUBE ? They have a series of short videos on building a workshop in their garden out of SIPS (metal surfaced) around a wooden frame structure. He goes through all the costs at the end too. Great guy, I recommend watching his build.


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## Lazurus (6 Mar 2022)

In the end I opted for traditional brick and block, after lots of quotes and estimates it was apparent that for my build sips worked out very expensive. Then add cladding wrap etc it became a lot more expensive than the more traditional route. I used super span trusses for the roof finished with osb sheets and EPDM covering - as an aside I was quoted £5k to have the rubber done by a roofer, purchased all I needed for £1200 and did it myself over two days, and that included fitting a 3m x 1m roof light. I am now fitting out the inside with just the drainage and soak away to complete. Very pleased with it now. SIPS were and are a great product but just didn't work out for me in this instance.


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## BucksDad (7 Mar 2022)

Mikeu66 said:


> Thought about cutting some packers. Just don't know if I'm being a bit over the top. Thanks for the idea though. Appreciated



Take a look at SuperSIPs. They also sell the timber splines at stated width of 100mm. You could check if they are actually selling the nominal 95mm ones or are actually milling down larger size to 100mm


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## Molynoox (7 Mar 2022)

Might be a stupid idea, but is it worth checking that the SIPS are definitely exactly 100mm before finding a spline solution? I wouldn't be surprised if they were just labelled as 100mm sips bit were perhaps in fact 95mm or whatever and designed to work with normal construction timber sizes.
Worth checking that first I reckon 
Martin


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## Mikeu66 (7 Mar 2022)

Good call I'll do that


BucksDad said:


> Take a look at SuperSIPs. They also sell the timber splines at stated width of 100mm. You could check if they are actually selling the nominal 95mm ones or are actually milling down larger size to 100mm


L


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## BucksDad (7 Mar 2022)

Mikeu66 said:


> Good call I'll do that
> 
> L


Let me know what they say


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## Mikeu66 (8 Mar 2022)

BucksDad said:


> Let me know what they say


Ok so Supersips supply nominal sized timber so a bit smaller. I guess there's no problem then. Thanks loads for everyone's input


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## RobinBHM (8 Mar 2022)

littleplop said:


> We have now installed an air source heater / cooler at the end in the pic which is awesome. Freezes it down in summer and only needs heating for a few minutes in the winter with the incredible insulation



Id very interested in knowing what make / model you used -Ive got a garden cabin (itsa bout 4.5m x 4.5m ) which Ive been thinking about putting in one of these things in


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## BucksDad (8 Mar 2022)

Fantastic. Let us know how you go o


Mikeu66 said:


> Ok so Supersips supply nominal sized timber so a bit smaller. I guess there's no problem then. Thanks loads for everyone's input



Fantastic. Well let us know how you get on and whether you use 5mm packers or just go with the expanding foam


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## Bob Chapman (8 Mar 2022)

OK I give in. I’ve read through the thread and, interesting as it is, I’ve still no idea what SIPS is/are/stands for. I know, I know, I know it’s obvious - but I’m stumped. Help please.


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## Mikeu66 (8 Mar 2022)

Structurally insulated panels. Fantastic. Put buildings up in much less time. Just Google it


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## Bob Chapman (9 Mar 2022)

Thanks Mike. It makes perfect sense now. I did try Google but only got the tool firm and stuff about insurance.


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