I will be building a SIP house in the Lake Tahoe basin. I am pretty sure I'm going to go with SIPs and need to get started on the research for a manufacturer. I tried to scan the forum for Tahoe related posts (given its demanding climate) but strangely I can't find much. So for any California mountain people out there, who would you consider as a SIP manufacturer for your home?

Take a look at Kwik-Build Panels, it is a pre-insulated steel framing system.
It is very affordable, structural and has very good thermal properties.

We sent a couple "grow houses" to San Jose

Chris,

Do you have any experience with rcontrol panels? Turns out they have a manufacturing facility (ACH Foam) in Sparks, NV which is just 65 miles from the building site.
Because this is a sloped lot and the north wall will be partially below grade, I'm thinking that I need to use an ICF foundation and ICF north wall for the first floor. Then SIPs for south side of first floor, second floor and roof. Hopefully this kind of mixing is not frowned upon by builders.

Posted By mobywp on 15 Mar 2012 01:22 PM
Chris,

Do you have any experience with rcontrol panels? Turns out they have a manufacturing facility (ACH Foam) in Sparks, NV which is just 65 miles from the building site.
Because this is a sloped lot and the north wall will be partially below grade, I'm thinking that I need to use an ICF foundation and ICF north wall for the first floor. Then SIPs for south side of first floor, second floor and roof. Hopefully this kind of mixing is not frowned upon by builders.

No have used 3 other mfg.s of OSB SIPs, while I am partial to steel, the freight from the southeast US to Tahoe would kill the deal. Geography plays a major part in feasabilty. While we have shipped to California recently, it would only make sense if the steel SIPs were going to be left exposed and used as the finished interior/exterior. Otherwise the freight is too expensive

I am a contractor from Tahoe Vista, Ca. I built a sip house in the Sierra Valley (25 mile north of Truckee). I bought the panel's from Sip home systems out of Grass Valley. I cant remember the panel manufacturer at the moment. After building that house my opinion of stick framing is that it is only good for a shed. Houses should be built from sip, icf, or some other super insulated type of building. I am planning another build right now and am going to use Raycore panel's.

My research indicates that SIP Home Systems resells Insulspan panels. They were definitely in my short list. Did you get everything precut from them or did you cut door and window rough openings on site? If got them precut, how did that work for you? I'm also curious, why are you switching to Raycore panels for your new build? Did you have any problems with Insulspan? A cursory look at Raycore seems to indicate they have a lot more thermal bridging than a traditional SIP panel. Is your new build in the Tahoe Basin or in a more forgiving climate?

The panels from sip home systems are not insulspan. The panel's where pre cut and everything worked great. The raycore panel's do have more thermal bridging, but the r values are way more r42 for a 2x6 panel with studs at 16 0c. They also have 2x8 panel's and panels with staggered 2x4's. I am building in Sierrville. Its as cold as Tahoe. I am going with Raycore because of the increased r value, cheaper, and the building is engineered like a stick frame with the plywood nailed to the studs as opposed to relying on glue.

Besides Sip Home Systems (Premier Panels) in Grass Valley, there is also Green Building Systems Inc. (R-Control Panels). There are a number of SIP contractors in the Tahoe and foothill area to choose from.