Chris, this is awesome! I wish I hadn't been absent during most of the discussion.

How are they going to waterproof around window and door openings, and still keep the details neat, with exposed panels?

Regarding the house acting as a giant solar death ray: this is just a flat mirror finish, so it is simply reflecting the sun. It couldn't multiply or concentrate the sun's heat, light, or radiation. It's not going to burn anything that wouldn't have been burned in normal situations where direct sunlight is available.

I bet the polished stainless surface will stand up very well over time, especially if it were regularly cleaned with a pressure washer and some mild detergent.

Matt, Panels are used as cladding, SS trims with silicoln sealant used.All structural fasteners are blind. The mirrored finish is indirect reflection and we did not see any sun reflection problems like flat glass mirrors.

I things its very interesting, I like it but I dont think I would enjoy living it. Come walking up on that house in the evening with to much to drink and you could scare the crap out of your self! Or here in Colorado where we have elk that fight with metal Statutes of elk in estes park, CO it might be a problem when a bull elk sees its self in the wall and goes nuts on your wall! lol.

Still and interesting project!

DW, it is set in the wood where it is thick with deer, so far has not been an issue with bucks or with birds

so far has not been an issue with bucks or with birds

They just have to discover it under the right conditions. My neighbor has a recessed and covered patio off the pond with big picture windows low to the ground. Unless they backlight in the house, the early morning light slants in and turns it into a mirrored alcove. The resident Great Blue Heron will come and beat himself silly against it ONCE, and then every day thereafter, show up at first light to give the "challenger" a resounding *thungg* on the glass. It's amazing the glass hasn't been broken yet.

Posted By ICFHybrid on 06 Feb 2013 08:31 AM

so far has not been an issue with bucks or with birds

They just have to discover it under the right conditions. My neighbor has a recessed and covered patio off the pond with big picture windows low to the ground. Unless they backlight in the house, the early morning light slants in and turns it into a mirrored alcove. The resident Great Blue Heron will come and beat himself silly against it ONCE, and then every day thereafter, show up at first light to give the "challenger" a resounding *thungg* on the glass. It's amazing the glass hasn't been broken yet.

Glass is strong! lol

nothing short of Awesome!

Chris, do you have a link to where one can see more pics of this finished build?

On a different note, have you ever heard of a steel SIP roof getting struck by lightening? Just curious to see how it would fare in such an incident.

Posted By Lbear on 24 Aug 2013 01:51 PM
Chris, do you have a link to where one can see more pics of this finished build?

On a different note, have you ever heard of a steel SIP roof getting struck by lightening? Just curious to see how it would fare in such an incident.

Lbear,
I do not have any other photos at this time, the owner is supposed to have some professional photos done , inside and out and I will pass them along as they become available
On the different note:
A grounded steel SIPs building or any grounded steel building is the safest building you can be in during an electrical storm
A steel building acts as a "Faraday" cage , the same as a car does(its not the rubber tires)If the cage is grounded, the excess charges will go to the ground instead of the outer face, so the inner face and the inner charge will cancel each other out and the rest of the cage will retain a neutral charge.
any google search will give you information about the safety of steel buildings

Posted By cmkavala on 24 Aug 2013 02:13 PM

Lbear,

A grounded steel SIPs building or any grounded steel building is the safest building you can be in during an electrical storm
A steel building acts as a "Faraday" cage , the same as a car does(its not the rubber tires)If the cage is grounded, the excess charges will go to the ground instead of the outer face, so the inner face and the inner charge will cancel each other out and the rest of the cage will retain a neutral charge.
any google search will give you information about the safety of steel buildings

So on a steel SIP roof with a concrete ICF wall, how would one ground out the roof? Do you need a "lightening rod" on the roof or just a ground cable from the steel roof SIP to the foundation?


I assume the lightening strike itself could go through the steel SIP itself or melt the EPS from the intense heat? Or would it contact and dissipate through the steel SIP and into the ground via a ground cable?

Posted By cmkavala on 24 Aug 2013 02:13 PM

Posted By Lbear on 24 Aug 2013 01:51 PM
Chris, do you have a link to where one can see more pics of this finished build?

On a different note, have you ever heard of a steel SIP roof getting struck by lightening? Just curious to see how it would fare in such an incident.

Lbear,
I do not have any other photos at this time, the owner is supposed to have some professional photos done , inside and out and I will pass them along as they become available
On the different note:
A grounded steel SIPs building or any grounded steel building is the safest building you can be in during an electrical storm
A steel building acts as a "Faraday" cage , the same as a car does(its not the rubber tires)If the cage is grounded, the excess charges will go to the ground instead of the outer face, so the inner face and the inner charge will cancel each other out and the rest of the cage will retain a neutral charge.
any google search will give you information about the safety of steel buildings

Lbear, you would simply ground the roof to the ICF re-bar
the steel SIP roof and the re-bar grid create the cage,

Lightning is caused by the attraction between positive and negative charges in the atmosphere, resulting in the buildup and discharge of electrical energy.
in a grounded steel building those charges disipate thru the steel skin to ground before they build up and alleviate the strike.
without a lightning rod system, wood buildings cannot do this and are at risk for lightning strikes and fire because they are flammable
having built over 150 steel SIP structures in the "Lightning Capitol of the World" , I have not one single reported incidence of a lightning strike on one of our buildings

Posted By cmkavala on 25 Aug 2013 07:22 AM

Lbear, you would simply ground the roof to the ICF re-bar
the steel SIP roof and the re-bar grid create the cage,

Would you have to ground the steel SIP roof in just one spot or in multiple spots? Also, would it be connected at the TOP of the SIP or the BOTTOM of the SIP?

Do you have a detail of steel SIP roof to ICF wall rebar connection?

Lbear,
any electrician should know how to do that...........
I don't have a detail, but can take some photos tomorrow of a SIP wall grounded to first floor masonry rebar, it would be a similar connection with same lugs & wire

Posted By cmkavala on 25 Aug 2013 06:02 PM
Lbear,
any electrician should know how to do that...........
I don't have a detail, but can take some photos tomorrow of a SIP wall grounded to first floor masonry rebar, it would be a similar connection with same lugs & wire

Pics would be beneficial. Forward them when you can. Thanks!

Posted By cmkavala on 25 Aug 2013 06:02 PM
Lbear,
any electrician should know how to do that...........
I don't have a detail, but can take some photos tomorrow of a SIP wall grounded to first floor masonry rebar, it would be a similar connection with same lugs & wire

attachment to panel track:


attachment to rebar

copper wire is #4

If installing a metal roof on top of a metal SIP, should the metal roof be grounded out also? The two metal surfaces are separated by a peel and stick membrane.

Posted By Lbear on 31 Aug 2013 03:14 AM
If installing a metal roof on top of a metal SIP, should the metal roof be grounded out also? The two metal surfaces are separated by a peel and stick membrane.

The roof would be grounded thru the screw attachment that penetrates the membrane

Posted By cmkavala on 27 Aug 2013 06:18 PM

Posted By cmkavala on 25 Aug 2013 06:02 PM
Lbear,
any electrician should know how to do that...........
I don't have a detail, but can take some photos tomorrow of a SIP wall grounded to first floor masonry rebar, it would be a similar connection with same lugs & wire

attachment to panel track:


attachment to rebar

copper wire is #4

grounded footer rebar

So the grounded copper wire runs all the way from the roof to the footing using the rebar as the attachment point?

Posted By Lbear on 01 Sep 2013 03:36 PM
So the grounded copper wire runs all the way from the roof to the footing using the rebar as the attachment point?

Lbear,
The copper does not run all the way, but the ground runs all the way from the roof thru both the copper and rebar and must be attached to the grounding rod in the earth that is usually in close proximity to the electrical service as required by the NEC