Hi,

I have never been completely sold on the idea of SIP's but can see their benefits as well as their shortcomings. It is just another solution in the timber framing toolbox that might prove to be more appropriate than other solutions to satisfy a given set of circumstances.

I was at a house in Surrey on Sunday and this was originally built with 2 x 4 stud walls that were covered in feather edged cedar on the outside and a simple split lath and lime plaster interior on the inside. There was no insulation in the walls and yet after a period of over 100 years this building is still standing. One would have thought that the occupants would have frozen to death a number of times over this last century but somehow both the building and its occupants (not the same ones) have managed to survive. The original building design solution was adequate for the building but not necessarily for the occupants. We have now been challenged to alter the balance slightly more in favour of the occupants without causing major damage to the building. Our solution will be mathematical tiles on the lower outside elevations on top of a breatheable building fabric (think Typar) with a sheepswool batt insulation in the cavity and a split lath and lime plaster interior. This is not a perfect solution but is one which attempts to respect both the building and its occupants and it is reverseable i.e. we can retrieve our steps back to the starting point if problems are encountered.

I do not think that this solution is necessarily the answer for New England and definitely not for Alaska but where possible the solution adopted should compliment and satisfy the building as well as being liveable for the occupants.

These old buildings would never satisfy modern building regulations however one has to ask the question which of the two has the greater track record ?

Regards

Ken Hume