PANELIZED WALL SYSTEM
A panelized wall system essentially breaks down the exterior
wall of a home into several prefabricated panels to allow
for streamlined and efficient
construction of a home. Panelized wall systems are used to
simplify the construction process as well as reduce errors
that may occur in on-site construction
of the home. By manufacturing the panels using a refined process,
most of the work needed to construct the exterior walls of
a home is completed at the
time the walls are to be erected.
There are four main stream designs normally used for the
construction of panelized homes: Concrete, Metal, Wood Open
Wall, Wood SIP,. While concrete provides strength and stability,
it lacks in flexibility, which is highly important in areas
of seismic activity. Metal is presumably strong, though constant
maintenance
deems it unfit for the long-term cost of the home. The last
two, Wood Open Wall and Wood SIP systems were close in comparison,
however, based on simplicity of the design for unskilled workers,
the Wood SIP was the ruling choice.
THE DESIGN - WOOD SIP
The basic design of the Wood Structually Insulated Panels
(Wood SIP) is a a block of extruded polystyrene foam sandwiched
and adhered between two 7/16"-4'x8' OSB (oriented strand
board) panels. This simplistic desgin provides continuous
insulation and strength.
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