SIPs Panels vs Timber Frame Construction
Often when constructing garden studios, a lot of self-builders or even garden room suppliers weigh out the options between using SIPs panels or traditional timber frame methods. This is a question we are commonly asked, so we decided to lay out the reasons as to why you should use SIPs panels to construct your new garden studio.
Our SIPs Panels offer the perfect solution for constructing your garden room quickly and efficiently. The manufacturing process of SIPs Panels is key to the performance, as most of our competitors build down to a price, whereas here at SimplySIPs we believe you should build to a quality.
The manufacturing process of our SIPs panels all takes place in house using two sheets of OSB adhered to a sheet of high-performance EPS polystyrene, and that is why our SIPs panels are known for their exceptional insulation.
Why use SIPs Panels for your Garden Room?
There are many benefits of using SIPs Panels for your garden rooms as opposed to traditional timber frame methods, and these include the following:
SIPs Panels are known for their quick and easy construction, especially the bespoke SIPs kits we offer, given that all the panels are already cut to size and ready to install.
Our SIPs kits can easily be installed in just 1 day, however sometimes it can take 2 days depending on the size of the studio, number of people and amount of experience, whereas timber frame builds can take between a few days up to a few weeks depending on the complexity of the build.
A really easy experience working with Simply SIPs. I often dealt with the same person who knew the history and design and understood what I wanted. Every person I dealt with was helpful, friendly and a joy to work with. The kit itself arrived promtly, with plenty of communication beforehand and great instruction and guidance. It was easy to put the kit together – once the floor was laid, I was able to put all walls together on my own, within two hours and only needed a second pair of hands to put the roof on!
Once assembled, SIP panels form a structural shell, which is remarkably stronger than traditional timber frame buildings. This means that the overall life span of SIP buildings tends to be a lot longer than timber frame builds.
SIPs panels produce significantly less waste in comparison to timber frame builds, especially if you utilise the SIPs more efficiently; This is why we always suggest opting for footprint sizes that are compatible with the SIPs panels.
Feel free to check our some of our smaller compatible size SIPs kits:
(We do also produce kits larger than the one listed on our website, these are purely just examples).
Due to the low levels of waste produced during both the manufacturing and construction process of SIPs, as well as their efficient use of resources, SIP panel are considered to be one of the most eco-friendly methods of construction.
Although the original cost of SIP panels may appear to be more expensive, and timber can be quicker and easier to source than SIP panels can, the increased labour time and high levels of waste created by timber frame construction makes the overall cost of timber frame methods more as opposed to using SIP panels.
We supply SIP jointing splines which are essentially mini-SIPs and can be used wherever two SIP panels join. By using these jointing splines, it means there is a continuous layer of insulation, which minimises thermal bridging, thus creating an airtight, fully insulated garden room.
While timber frame construction is improving in terms of airtightness, it cannot achieve the same level of airtightness as SIPs panels can; this is why SIPs panels will always be the superior method in terms of energy efficiency and thermal performance.
Overall, we believe SIP panels are superior to any other building method.
If you are a garden room supplier who is currently using timber frame methods and would like to convert to SIP panels, or even just planning a one off project to build your own garden room, please don’t hesitate to drop us an email or give us a call and we will be more than happy to introduce you to our SIPs.
