Thursday 22 December 2011

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year



Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
from all the team at SIPS Industries!

Our UK offices will be closed from 12pm today until 8am on Wednesday 4th January 2012. 

Our Australia offices will shut at close of business tomorrow, and will open on 9th January 2012. 

We wish you all the best for the festive season.

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Building with SIPs - On Site Part 1

SIPs Industries are specialists in manufacturing and erecting Structural Insulated Panels.  The SIPs kit provides the main structure of your build, but this is only part of the full picture.  This series aims to clarify what you can expect when you sign up for a SIPs Industries building, and to explain how you can help us ensure your SIPs build runs as smoothly as possible.

Before the kit arrives on site a member of the SIPS Industries team will visit your site to carry out a site survey and assess the access and egress for delivery lorries as well as the available storage space. 

Some sites are more easier to access than others ...
Your should ensure that you foundations are as level as possible; this prevents time being wasted on site, as uneven foundations will need to be packed with timber to ensure that the soleplate is level.

You will need to provide a skip for any site wastage, as well as toilets and welfare facilities.  The welfare facilities are usually a container  which doubles as canteen space and storage for nails etc.  These are required by the Health and Safety Executive, and will be needed throughout the entire build process.  On site toilet facilities also ensure that the build team do not have to waste time searching for toilets, instead of working on your building.

If you can provide a power supply it will negate the need to run a noisy generator in order to charge power tools and run task lighting; this will help to  keep your neighbours happy!
 
Sites with limited access require extra forward planning.
In an ideal world we can access the build from all sides; if space is tight careful forward planning can make a huge difference to the smooth running of the build.  Maximising available storage space means fewer deliveries made by our lorry, reducing upheaval on the main street, minimising disruption to your neighbours and ensuring a fast build time.



Monday 19 December 2011

International News

SIPs panels have been used to construct a home with a flexible floor plan in New York.  The house features sliding doors and mobile partitions that can be moved around to accommodate changing family sizes and lifestyles.  The full story can be read here:

Friday 16 December 2011

Thursday 15 December 2011

Nearing Completion


The project in this post is now nearing completion.  We were sent through these images yesterday, and think that the building looks fantastic.

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Completed Projects


Another project from SIPs Australia today. This was a self build for a local builder - he had been interested in SIPs for some time, and took the opportunity of building his own house to try out the technology. 

With the guidance and assistance from the SIPs Industries Australia team, the client was able to install the majority of the SIPS panels himself, and had his project fully installed within a week.  
He was quite happy with the end result and we look forward to working with him again in the future.

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Room in the Roof


More photographs of the build in this post.  These clearly show the room in the roof design which is so popular with SIPs builds.


Monday 12 December 2011

Oak Frame


We completed the cladding for this Oak Frame in Torquay last Friday.  The Oak Frame was provided by Carpenter Oak.

This image shows a connection detail of the oak posts with our SIPs panel behind.

Friday 9 December 2011

Completed Projects

SIPs Industries Australia manufactured and installed the SIPs panels for West Perth Football club.


The project involved building a new staircase for the football shed.  The SIPs team enjoyed the challenge and the owner of the club was so happy with the results that he wants to use our products and services again soon.

Thursday 8 December 2011

Completed Kits


Craning the roof panels into place on the project in Edinburgh.  This SIPS kit has now been completed.

Wednesday 7 December 2011

SIPs ReadyCut



SIPS Industries Australia have launched the ReadyCut range of SIPs panels.  These are pre-engineered for Australian building regs, pre-cut in set sizes which fit standard door and window sizes.  Full details on the website:  http://www.sipsreadycut.com.au/

Tuesday 6 December 2011

International News

Seattle's first zero-energy home has been constructed using Structural Insulated Panels.  The house uses south facing windows, a heat pump and solar panels to negate the need for oil or electricity.

You can read the full story here.

Thursday 1 December 2011

Modular Buildings


This nursery in Cumbria was a challenging build; the site is in a conservation area and on top of the World Heritage Site of a Hadrian's Wall Roman Fort, so it was essential not only that the completed build had a traditional aesthetic, but also that the building did not in any way damage the archaeological heritage of the site.


The solution was to use a modular building method, using a steel frame in place of traditional foundations and SIPs Industries panels to provide a lightweight and strong shell for the building.  The project was carried out in conjunction with Reiver Lodges and EcoEstates.

Wednesday 30 November 2011

Tuesday 29 November 2011

In the News

This Barn Conversion near Torphichen has been featured in a fashion shoot for New Home Locations Scotland, a quarterly magazine by the Scotsman.  The article is on pages 13 to 18, and you can read it in full here: 

Monday 28 November 2011

Oak Frame


These photographs show an Oak Frame in progress.  The SIPS kit for this project in Hampshire has now been completed.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Completed Projects


The house in this post is now completed, and looks fantastic.  We visited the site in West Lothian to take photographs yesterday. 

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Somerset Homebuilding and Renovating Show

Thank you to everyone who came to see us at the Somerset Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the weekend, it was great to meet you all.  If you would like any further information on SIPs, please visit our website http://www.sipsindustries.com/, or contact us via phone on 01383 823 995 or via email to info@sipsindustries.com

Friday 18 November 2011

Somerset Homebuilding and Renovating Show

We're off to the Somerset Homebuilding and Renovating Show today.  The show opens at 10am tomorrow and we would love to see you there on stand 233.

Thursday 17 November 2011

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Monday 14 November 2011

Somerset Homebuilding and Renovating Show


SIPs UK will be at the Somerset Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the Bath & West Showground this coming weekend.

This is our final show for 2011 - we've done 9 in the UK this year, as well as two in Australia!

As usual, we'd love to see you there to discuss your project in person.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Completed Projects


We've been sent through some photos of this project up in Aberdeenshire.  The externals are nearly completed and the house looks great!

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Modular Buildings

SIPs Industries provided the panels for this modular toilet block for the Forestry Commission Scotland.  The toilets needed to be highly insulated so that they could be open year round without freezing in Winter, and to touch the earth lightly.  By using a modular method of construction the clients were able to ensure that there was minimal wear and tear on the site.

Monday 7 November 2011

Northern Homebuilding and Renovating Show

Thank you to everyone who came to see us at the Northern Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the Harrogate International Centre at the weekend.  It was a pleasure to see you there and to discuss your building projects with you.

As always, if you would like us to provide you with a quotation please send your plans in to info@sipsindustries.com.

Friday 4 November 2011

International News

The global headquarters of Vertical Screen, which covers a 9 acre site in Pennsylvania, has been awarded a LEED Platinum award.  In addition to the SIPs roof, the building's many green features are detailed in the article here.

Thursday 3 November 2011

Homebuilding and Renovating Show


We're off to Harrogate to set up the stand for the Northern Homebuilding and Renovating Show today.  We're on stand 589, and would love to see you there.

Feel free to bring along copies of your plans to discuss, and remember to bring spares with you to leave with companies to prepare quotations for you!

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Modular Buildings


SIPs Industries provided the SIPs kit for this garage for Ecospace.  The result is a highly insulated building which can be used as a garage or as extra recreation space.

Monday 31 October 2011

Shows!


We'll be on stand 589 at the Northern Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the Harrogate International Centre from Friday to Sunday this week.

With over 250 exhibitors, free in depth seminars, free masterclasses and opportunities to ask the experts, this is the only dedicated  self-build & renovation event in the North of England. 

We'd love to see you there to discuss your building project.  Feel free to bring along a copy of your plans to discuss with us, and to leave a set on the stand for us to provide you with a quote.

Friday 28 October 2011

Awards!


Voting for the Daily Telegraph Homebuilding and Renovating Awards closes at noon on Monday 31st October, so there's still time to vote for your favourite house at http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/awards/finalists.


The Goldwyre house is one of four finalists in the readers choice awards.  SIPs Industries provided the SIPs kit for this house back in 2009.