Well the walls anyway. No seriously. Like a giant set of lego, our house will arrive on site in pre fabricated pieces and the walls will be up in a matter of hours. That’s something we can’t wait to see!
How you ask? Well we’ve decided to build our house with SIPs (structurally insulated panels) which are made by Christchurch based Method Building Systems. They’re brand new to New Zealand which means our house will be one of the first built this way. It also means our house will be built faster, it’ll be stronger and extremely energy efficient. We can’t wait!
Check out our more detailed explanation of building with SIPs here.
Checking out the SIPs way of building at Method’s Christchurch studio
I’ve explored SIPS for a potential residential building project in the Auckland region myself but I found the economics didn’t work out. The cost of shipping SIPS products from Christchurch to Auckland significantly out-weighed the cost of timber frame construction on site.
I’d be interested in how you overcame this?
Hey Simon
If you compare the SIPs construction method side by side with timber frame and batts construction it will always be more expensive. However for us, the decision was quite easy when you look at the overall impact SIPs have on costs. For one, because of their ability to act as bracing, we were able to remove three large steel portal frames in our living area. Saving cost, and providing a superior design solution. Then our builders have estimated a large time saving and therefore reduced labour costs. Then of course there is the massive on going power savings which are around 50% over a traditional build. Yep, there are transport costs, but for us the overall and ongoing savings outweighed this.
Are you still looking into building with SIPs? I’m sure Nick and the team at Method would be happy to chat through the options with you.
Cheers
Ben
We have followed progress from the first article. What a thrilling and exciting project. Good luck with it all.
Just waiting for next weeks column.
Thanks Marie. So nice to hear you are following & enjoying our progress.
There is also a company up north who uses durapanel: http://durapanel.co.nz/index.html and sends their kits all over NZ. My son just built a house with this system in Southland and the kit was sent from Kaitaia!
The house went up very quickly.
Hey Dot, thanks for your comment. Yeah, we came across the Triboard product that Durapanel uses and as far as we could tell it still requires insulation in addition to the wooden panels? Looks like a great kit-set, off the plan solution though.
Hi Just thought I would let you know about the Kingspan Tek Panel Building System, it’s a true SIP’s system with over 20 years of international history.
Knightbuilt Ltd in Christchurch are the NZ licencee for the system and have been building in the South Island for over 4 years. We are to the best of my knowledge the first to use true SIP’s building systems in the South Island.
Brent Chatterton of Chatterton Builders who erects SIP’s panel for Formance / Method was trained by Kingspan / Knightbuilt in 2010 in Wanaka – It’s great to see he is still working with Panel systems.
Kingspan Tek Panel uses closed cell polyurethane insulation (PUR) which provides R5.1 rating in a 142mm thick panel. For more info please visit our website (www.knightbuilt.co.nz ) It’s fantastic seeing SIP’s building systems being used in NZ and hopefully they will be as widely used as they are overseas.
Hi Walter, many thanks for getting in touch. A builder also left us a comment about your products, said he’d had the privilege to build 7 homes with them and wouldn’t build any other way. We can’t wait to see SIPs in action and very happy people like yourself and Method have had the vision to bring them to NZ. So thank you.
We are in the resource consent stage of a SIP panel house in Titirangi (hopefully consent through by Dec), we came to very similar conclusions around the building process and have always wanted to build an energy efficent modern house but do it in a modern way and this has lead us to a similar concept to yourselves. We also have a challanging building platform and also needed to be mindful of the enviroment while building our dream house so we are going for a pole construction with multiple boxes and lots of glass to connect us to the surroundings. Enjoying reading about your journey, keep it up.
Hey Brent. Thank you. Your house sounds awesome. Can picture it amongst the trees over in Titirangi there. Love to see some progress photos. Yeah, SIPs are the way forward we think. Good luck with the consent. How far through it all are you?
Hi Brent
Just read your comments and we are looking for a builder using pre fab panels in Huia. Would love to hear who you used and any udpates on your build!
Hi, we were interested in KnightBuilt building our house in Alexandra but after trying to contact them by leaving voice messages on mobiles, emails from their website etc we decided they were too busy to be bothered with us so will look elsewhere. Doesn’t auger well if you can’t even reach them before the build let alone during.
Hi Ian. We were blown away with how many companies wouldn’t even get back to us after we made genuine enquiries, was bizarre to us. But we surrounded ourselves with an amazing team who shared our vision, one of them being the Method/Formance guys in Christchurch – I’d highly recommend you get in touch with Nick and the team, they’ll see you right – nick@formance.co.nz | http://www.formance.co.nz
I am interested in the concept of the SIP panels are they being produced in the North Island yet. Most of the comments are from 2014 what has happened since?
Hi Betty. As far as I am aware no, well not the company that we used – http://www.formance.co.nz – they are Christchurch based. However since we built our house, there have been a lot more they have supplied SIP panels for up here and around NZ. They have an Auckland based team now as well. Suggest you contact them – Nick is your best point of contact to start with – nick@formance.co.nz
Many thanks Ben I will get in touch with Nick and find out the Auckland contact.
I’m very interested in a SIP building system. But what I don’t understand is why these panels are manufactured in the Mainland when the North Island has a higher population therefore greater potential. The Aluminium Smelter was built because the low cost power was down there but due to the population the actual extrusion of Aluminium profiles are manufactured in the North Island reducing the transport costs to the consumer. Or haven’t I searched sufficiently to find a North Island Manufacturer. Regards, John.
Hi John. As far as I am aware, the type of SIP panel we used is only produced by Formance in Christchurch. There is no aluminium involved in these, rather all timber and polystyrene. I can’t answer why there are no manufacturers in Auckland. I do know of a different panel system that has been produced for many years up near Dargaville way I believe.
Hi Knightbuilt Ltd. in Christchurch have been importing Kingspan Sips panels for 9 years. The panels come in a range of sizes and have the added bonus of using urethane foam insulation, not polystyrene, which delivers higher R values for less panel thickness and doesn’t burn unlike Poly
Thanks Walter.
Can you please load some photos of your build and photos of the finished inside of the house thanks
Hi Jan, there are already a heap of photos of our house now it’s finished. Just go here http://www.ourdreamhome.co.nz/our-build-diary/ and keep scrolling down the page, loading more posts as you are prompted, and you will see all sorts of interiors and exterior images. Cheers, Ben.
Thanks Ben great photos
Hi Ben
Great to see so many people talking and building with SIPS construction. We spent months researching which SIPS panel we would use to build our sustainable energy efficient homes but couldn’t find anything in New Zealand that actually offered an finished external cladding as part of the panel. That is why we have created a partnership with Habitech in Australia http://www.litegreen.co.nz/habitech/technology which is a product that uses MGO and 50% recycled timber for its external cladding. Its internal material is structural ply as opposed to OSB board which can be susceptible to mold once wet causing all sorts of health issues -http://www.healthyhouseinstitute.com/hhip-769-Oriented-Strand-board-OSB So, I would welcome you to review and come back to me with your thoughts.
Thanks Martin, will check out your products soon. Cheers.
Hi Ben, We are researching the SIPs method, and are very interested. I just wanted to get a feel of what living is like…Do the panels have sound proof properties (would I hear my children in the next room?). One company I asked said if we were wanting sound proofing we would need to build internal frame to then line with sound proof batts, but I’m hoping to combine forces and find SIPs with it.
Also, I’m unsure as to what R- value you used – but do you find if you have upped the R value significantly that you don’t really need heat source? We have a limited budget, ideally would like underfloor, but if we had high insulation levels-it may be overkill? our house would be smaller and lower ceilings…but in saying that – I’m in Te Anau and it can get quite cold, so underfloor may still be useful.
Would love to hear anything you have to say about since living in it for some time. Thanks in advance!
Hey Cassie, thanks for getting in touch. We’ve found the SIPs to be fantastic. To answer your questions, they are highly insulating, both thermal and noise. However only our external walls are SIP walls, the internal ones are normal timber frames. Which we did put noise insulating batts in the walls there between bedrooms/bathrooms etc. Reason being the SIPs are really creating a fully enclosed building envelope, so it would be overkill having them inside as well. We have found they insulate a lot of exterior noise, and it’s not until you open the door or a window that you realise just how much noise they do insulate. In saying that, our house has huge amounts of glass so it sounds like yours will have more wall, so I imagine it will only increase the effects.
Regarding thermal insulation – we only have underfloor heating in our 2 bathrooms. Then we have a centrally ducted heat pump running through the house. In winter, as we are in a valley, we need to put on the heating, but it holds the heat very well and so the heating bills are low all things considered – again we have a lot of windows so less glass would be even better. Right now, we don’t use anything. The sun is enough to heat the house all day and it’s still warm in the morning. This morning I stepped out about 5:30am and it was chilly by Auckland standards, but the house was super toasty. In the middle of summer we need to open the house right up and have a/c on as it gets too hot.
The panels in the ceiling are 315mm thick and have an r value of around 8.3, while the walls were 165mm thick and have an r value of 4.2 – so you can see where the insulation comes in!
Being born and raised in Southland I know how chilly it can get in the winter! My opinion would be if you have all day, year round sun then you will be very surprised by how warm your home will be. Opting for a large thermal mass floor (concrete) or some internal concrete walls would definitely help hold the heat even more. Without going fully passive, you would still want a heat source of some description.
I can’t recommend the guys at Formance enough – they would happily discuss a lot of these things with you as well and I know they have a number of homes in Queenstown that they have recently finished, so I am sure they could arrange a time to go through and look at them and speak to some local homeowners living in the same environment as you are. Nick Hubbard is your best contact – nick@formance.co.nz
Long story short, if we were to build again we would use SIPs. And our builders would build their own homes from SIPs after using it, so that says something!
Hope that helps! Feel free to ask any other questions, happy to help!
Cheers
Ben
Hi Cassie
Did you end up building a house using SIPs in Te Anau? I am also in Te Anau and we are really keen to build a passive solar house using SIPs. Id be keen to get in touch and see where you ended up with your house plans. My number is 021 02556918.
Cheers
Vanessa
Hi Cassie
I am sure Ben will comment to let you know how living in a SIPS house is simply just healthier, warmer and would suit your environment there in Te Anau. I am unsure if you managed to watch the last episode of Grand Designs NZ this season -http://www.3now.co.nz/shows/grand-designs-new-zealand/season-2-ep-8/117967/M10921-794 It showed http://www.litegreen.co.nz building a SIPS home from Habitech – a SIPS product that also has an external cladding as its exterior – a huge advantage when it comes to closing which would be particularly helpful down in Te Anau. The R value is around 4.3 and is an exceptional product coming in from Australia. Ben – did you use the Formance SIPS product for your internal walls? To be honest Cassie, you would not use SIPS for your internal walls as this is just expensive insulation particularly when you have limited budget. Frames with potentially Knauf insulation would be your best bet but I am sure Ben has some ideas on that also. All the best with your build.
Thanks Martin – literally just commented about the same time as you! I watched the episode and looks like a great product, especially with the ability to have finished internal and external faces. Lovely home BTW!
Yes, we used the Formance SIPs and as you note, only external walls. Agree, sound proofing insulation in the walls is very effective and pretty cost effective. Best advice I would have is go and see some homes in the area and chat to the owners….that’s what convinced us, speaking with the owners in Christchurch of the first Formance home. And walking in off the street in the middle of a freezing Canterbury day, into a toasty warm home which didn’t have the heater on! Whatever product you end up using, truly believe SIPs are the future of building in NZ. Just makes so much sense.
Thanks Ben and BTW, your house is absolutely magic, what an incredible setting you wake up to and live in every day -incredible! Should you ever be down Christchurch way, feel free to look us up and come and check out Andrei’s and Abby’s home. All the best.
Thanks Martin, pretty stoked how it turned out. I’m sure Andrei and Abby are too – awesome location and design.
Hi Ben
I did my masters thesis on rationalized housing solutions and the final proposal was using a similar system to SIPS. I am now designing a personal project, a small bach up north and feel it would be a good opportunity to put my theories into practice. I would love to pick your brain about the use of SIPs!
So for starters : Did you have trouble finding a builder who was prepared to build with SIPs? Anything I should consider/be mindful of when approaching builders?
What cladding product/supplier did you go with?
We would look at leaving the OSB board exposed on the interior, what would you say to that now you seen a panel? Nice enough finish (I dont necessarily mean aesthetically, because that comes to personal taste, but more quality of the finish)
I see you used formance panels, this is the company I have been researching – did you use a company to oversee the project and coordinate everything (panels, joinery, electrical etc etc)? If so, who did you use , and if not, did you find it easy enough to coordinate with different suppliers using a unique system such as SIPs? It is stressing me out doing something for the first time when I am so used to timber construction.
In terms of the building consent package, had your architect used SIPs before? Do you have any links to your building consent drawings and details on this site? My scheme is a much smaller, single bedroom + loft, gable end cabin like structure but it would be really helpful to visually see what is involved with a consent package using SIPs.
Cheers,
Alyssa
Hey Alyssa, sounds awesome! To answer your questions:
– builder, we used Haven Renovations as I had worked with them before and I knew how good they were to work with and how skilled they were. They had no hesitation in working with SIPs, in fact they suggested it when we were looking at prefabrication solutions for our home. I think any progressive builder enjoys something new and different.
– cladding – we used cedar via Rosenfeld Kidson
– leaving the OSB exposed inside – the panels come with black markings from the supplier and are a bit rough/splintery. I think with a light sand and then sealed (white washed or clear) you could have a nice finish. I know the builders at Haven went on to build another SIPs home that did just this – the owner sanded all the panels which did take quite a while I understand. But worth the savings no doubt on the internal finishing.
– project management – that was something I did alongside our builder. Doing it with SIPs was fine, in fact made it a bit easier in the fact you knew when they would arrive, when they would be erected and when the sub trades could come in with more certainty.
– no, neither myself or draughtsman had used SIPs. It was also the first one through Auckland Council and had no issues there. Formance provided all the guidance we needed, but was pretty straightforward. They supply a panel layout plan based on your design, plus all the producer statements you need, they also have an engineer as part of the SIPs package. Suggest dropping them a line, great company to work with.
Hope that all helps!? Feel free to send through any other questions you have. Look forward to seeing some progress photos as things get built!
Cheers
Ben
Hi Ben
Interesting reading thank you. We inherited a small fully self contained cottage that is made from freezer panels with the internal and external cladding being the raw product itself. It is freezing in the winter and condensation is s big issue. Hot in the summer. It’s a spare room on our property so not the main living. Can this be rectified with insulation and then wooden framing and gib? Keen to know your thoughts please.
Thank you
Lisa
Hi Lisa, thanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately I’m not qualified or experienced enough to give you an informed answer as all I can refer to is my personal experience with the products that we have used. However in theory what you have is a chilly bin and without any way of regulating the temperature through a heating/cooling system, it’s always going to be incredibly efficient at holding the cold, which is why they are used in freezers! But equally good at holding in the heat with all that insulation. Which is exactly what we find with our home. The cladding is really only a weather proofing and looks thing, while gib again is more a decoration thing inside so I’m not sure how much, if any impact that will have on regulating the room’s temperature. I’d suggest speaking to a builder who will have far more qualified advice for you than I have!
Cheers
Ben