Chris,

Are your steel SIPS polystyrene or polyurethane?

Alton;

EPS

You may want to consider the possibility of health hazards associated with PU

this exerpt from the pu.org website..............
"Engineering controls and sound workplace practices are often the first line of defense against diisocyanate exposures, and guidelines have been established to help individuals avoid overexposure and adverse health effects. Nevertheless, it is important that employees wear any personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended for their specific job functions. With proper precaution and the use of engineering controls and PPE, a worker can protect himself or herself from overexposure to diisocyanates.

It is important for workers to understand and adhere to safe handling practices for any chemical that poses a health hazard. This may include, but is not limited to, wearing eye protection, gloves, coveralls or lab aprons and respiratory protection.

To help protect workers from respiratory hazards and facilitate a company’s compliance with OSHA's Respiratory Protection Program Standard (29 CFR §1910.134), CPI developed a Model Respiratory Protection Program. The program, divided into ten steps, provides user-friendly documents for facilities and guidance on appropriate respirators, respirator use, storage, fit and evaluation.

Through these product stewardship services, CPI can help its members and their customers manage product development, manufacture and distribution, marketing, use and ultimate disposal of polyurethane products in a safe, healthy and environmentally sound way"

Have not heard good things about PU - worth checking out:

OSHA



AFL-CIO

bpickartz;

true, but they are also known to offgas for several months after mfg., to be an irritant to the skin,eyes, nose and throat while cutting on jobsite and

they shrink with age, loose R-value with age and for some reason attract insects

Hi,  I am building a superiorwall /sip house on Lake Norman and have chosen Robert Costanza with MMI construction In Nashville.  Really nice guy who was recomended by Insulspan.    

Robert@sipsofthesouth.com

Brawler;

He sounds like a nice guy, because nice guys use EPS.

I am familiar with Lake Norman as it has a lot of house boats more like floating houses.
We have been working on plans to build the floating houses and condos with steel SIPs for some owner/investors. They have had problems with wood construction prematurely rotting out due to the constant exposure to moisture over water(currently only having about a 7 year life expectancy)
We are proposing aluminum or steel skin SIPs for: lighter weight, greater strength, resistance to moisture problems, speed of construction, fire resistance and economy with leaving the bare panel roof skin as the finished roof. These measures to lighten the entire building allows the use of smaller floatation which in turn results in additional savings.
 

Olpjeb;

With all due respect to you as well, my logic is usually of common sense, I do not need to know anything about science to know that a hot stove will burn me.
In the same token when I have cut and handled PU panels; the fine dust itches  my skin, is an irritant to my eyes , nose and throat. Now you may think I'm just a dumb hick, but I state those facts from my own personal hands on experience. I don't care to have that dust circulating in the same air that I live and breath.

You also cannot deny that the PU is known to:

off-gas after manufacturing
shrink with age
loose R value with age
has been known to attract insects

The report link is regarding PU dust in the home after MFG
http://healthychild.org/resources/chemical-pop/polybrominated_diphenyl_ethers/

If you think those statements are false please respond to them individually.

You do not need college to make informed intelligent decisions

Polyurethane is actually another name for the family of chemicals known as the urethane polymers, which are composed of two principal raw materials, isocyanates and polyols, brought together with catalysts and a large variety of additives. Isocyanates are highly reactive; the two most commonly used in polyurethane production are toluene diisocyanate, (TDI) made from chlorine, toluene, phosgene, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid, all hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), made from formaldehyde, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosegene, and benzene. In terms of environmental impacts, to make one kilogram (kg) of polyurethane rigid foam it takes an estimated 361 kg water, .98 kg natural gas, .69 kg crude oil, .41 kg coal, 19618 mg methane (CH4), according to the Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe. Meanwhile, production of this kilogram of rigid foam emits wastes including 3.7 kg of carbon dioxide, a major global warming gases, .5 kg chlorine ion and .29 kg sodium ion into water, .35 kg solid mineral waste. The numbers are similar for flexible foam. In terms of potential health effects, the neurotoxin toluene can offgas from the mattresses and other products . Phil Landrigan and Herbert Needleman note in Raising Healthy Children in a Toxic World (Rodale, 2001), that, when inhaled, the TDI in floor finishes "can cause airways sensitivity, and reexposure to TDI can cause chemically induced asthma."

The other principle polyurethane raw material, polyols, are compounds containing multiple hydroxyl groups (O-H groups). Frequently used polyols include various polyester and polyether glycols. As for additives, ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were formerly used to produce softer, lower density foams; the industry moved towards methylene chloride, but the EPA is also limiting its use since chronic exposure may damage the nervous system and it is considered a probable human carcinogen.

I don't think any insulation is perfectly GREEN ........... the recycled jeans are pretty, but some how a material that has been on someones's behind for several yeasrs shouldn't be in my house.

I like EPS, for my coffee cup too!