subject: Using Structural Insulated Panels On Farms [print this page] Working farms require many different buildings to facilitate all of the tasks and actions which take place on the farm every day. Besides the farm house where the farmer and his family will live, a farm also requires other buildings such as a grain silo for storing harvested grain and a barn for housing animals. Tool sheds; covered areas for equipment, workshops, and other temporary and permanent buildings are also required.
What Are Structural Insulated Panels?
One of the most effective materials for constructing these farm buildings is structural insulated panels, which are also known as SIPS. They are what is known as a composite style of building material, and they are what is commonly used in building a flat pack house. They consist of a layer of polymer foam which is inserted between two layers of lightweight structural board. The board can be made of sheet metal, cement, plywood, or sometimes oriented strand board. They can be used for everything from exterior walls, floors, roofs and even foundations.
Why are they Great for Use on Farms?
SIPs, are commonly used to create flat pack houses, but they are also superb for using in a rural farm environment when building a barn, silo, or other functional building.
Barns
SIPS can be used to build a new barn, or to reinforce the structure of an old and deteriorating barn. The modular nature of SIPS panels allows them to be inserted within the existing outer walls, preserving the grace and charm of an old barn while making it stronger and longer lasting. Older barns can also be expanded upon easily with SIPs, allowing for more working or storage space.
The wood used in SIPs is sourced from managed plantations and is completely renewable, meaning that using SIPS is a more environmentally friendly choice for your barn.
Grain Silo
When storing grains, it is important that the grain silo be well sealed so that moisture and other contaminants do not get in to spoil the harvest. This makes SIPS a perfect choice, because when they are constructed they are 100% airtight and very well insulated. They will keep any crop completely dry and safe from the elements for a long time.
The panels are also very versatile, allowing you to create a custom grain silo of any size and shape for your needs.
Other Advantages
SIPs are also a good choice for use on farms, because they can be transported out to the location and assembled on site, which can be an advantage when building out in a rural area. They are quick to assemble, and a SIPS building can usually be completed in a matter of weeks, which avoids causing a long and disruptive delay in farm production.
For these reasons and many others, structural insulated panels are starting to become a popular building material on many farms.
Farms are beginning to use structural insulated panels to build their barns, grain silos, and other important buildings.
