A typical installation begins with the laying out and fixing of the sole timber plates onto which the SIPs walls are fixed. The walls then rapidly assemble forming the ground floor onto which the first-floor cassette of metal-web joists and engineered particleboard flooring are fixed ready for the first-floor walls to be added. When the top floor is installed, the glue-lam timber ridge beams are lifted into place so that the roof panels can be fixed.

On completion, the walls and roof are wrapped in thick, protective and breathable membrane ready for your cladding and roofing contractors to work on. Once non-load bearing walls and windows are installed, the house will be wind and weathertight and ready for inspection. Of course, in the wet and windy British climate, there’s still a risk of water ingress until claddings and exterior finishes are completed.

Throughout the installation process, other trades such as electricians and plumbers can start on-site much sooner than compared with traditional builds.

First-fix services

Incoming mains services are installed on a SIPs structure in exactly the same way they would be on a traditional build by utilising a service mounted meter box to the outside of the property Inset meter boxes can also be mounted but need to be considered at the design stage. With regard to running wiring and pipework internally, it couldn’t be easier, all internal stud work is simply drilled through the vertical studs to termination points, and simply clipped to the face of the SIP panels, a service void is then formed by battening off the sips walls on to which the plasterboard is then fixed.