Hi All, I have a dream - building a zero energy house. www.precisionpanel.com offers SIPS as thick as 12.25" and the local labor is cheap. Has any one imported SIPS or built with them in Thailand? Thank you! Chris

Hi All, I have a dream -  building a zero energy house. www.precisionpanel.com offers SIPS as thick as 12.25" and the local labor is cheap. Has any one imported SIPS or built with them in Thailand? Thank you! Chris

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Hey, Chris. What the heck is SIPS? Do you have a vested interest in promoting this SIPS thing? Is this an advertisement?

Structural Insulated Panels..........drill a hole in you cavity walls and fill them up with foam

Thais don't know about cavity walls.

Thais do know concrete. Google 'insulated wall form'. A better way to go as the shipped product is much lighter. I was in a house built with forms like this and the ENTIRE HOUSE had an R value of 45!

Benefits: fire proof, insect proof, quiet, nearly indestructable concrete bunker, less heat/cool bills

Down side: cost

OK...I went out and checked out SIP and insulated wall form. I'm familiar with both of these products but have no direct experience with either. They are both very expensive compared to what you could have built on site here in Thailand. I'm with Rinrada on this one. If you build two block or brick walls with a space in the middle and fill this space with foam or other insulation you will be getting a better product than either of those two systems and at a lower price...plus the masonry on the living space side of the wall will provide thermal mass inside the house which means an increase in comfort and a reduction in energy required. SIP has the disadvantage that if made from wood the bugs could eat it (unless the wood is poisoned, which I prefer to avoid) and the insulated wall form has the disadvantage that the foam is on the exposed surfaces of the wall both inside and out so it must be covered with something (at increased expense) or it will break off, erode, and/or make a home for vermin.

You gotta cover the inside/outside of a stick-built house too. Here in Las Vegas inside = wallboard outside = stucco that I hate.

IMHO the best way to go is with local traditional building methods/materials but invest extra money in high quality extra insulation especially in the roof.

You gotta cover the inside/outside of a stick-built house too.  Here in Las Vegas inside = wallboard    outside = stucco    that I hate.

IMHO the best way to go is with local traditional building methods/materials but invest extra money in high quality extra insulation especially in the roof.

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I've never seen a stick-built (wood frame construction using studs and sheathing for walls) here in Thailand. I'm wondering if any of the other posters have. I agree with you completely about local methods with insulation added.

In my opinion... I would say the double wall approach would be cheap, and effective. The only issue is the roof... how to take care of that problem I do not know??

In my opinion...  I would say the double wall approach would be cheap, and effective.  The only issue is the roof...  how to take care of that problem I do not know??

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You can spray the inside of the roof with the same product you use between the walls.

There is a guy in LOS, who specializes in roof insulation with that. Extremely effective.

In my opinion...  I would say the double wall approach would be cheap, and effective.  The only issue is the roof...  how to take care of that problem I do not know??

I concur. As for the roof, I would imagine normal loft insulation (on a roll) would be sufficient. It stops heat escaping and heat penetrating the upper floor.

There is a company here called Natural Insulation Co., LTD. If you would like their contact info just send me a pm. It's a spray on but is not a foam. Will be having my house done before next summer.

There is a company here called Natural Insulation Co., LTD.  If you would like their contact info just send me a pm. It's a spray on but is not a foam. Will be having my house done before next summer.

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Hi Snakey, pls post a link.

I'm going to guess that its spray on cellulose insulation....often this is ground up newspapers with a glue to act as binder so it can be sprayed and it will stay in place. I've heard of this but never seen it. I once worked in a factory where we made insulation from newspaper using boric acid and borax as fire retardent and anti corrosion agents. It was blown into wall cavities and had not adhesives in it.

I hope SnakeBite gets back....maybe its something else.

You gotta cover the inside/outside of a stick-built house too.  Here in Las Vegas inside = wallboard    outside = stucco    that I hate.

IMHO the best way to go is with local traditional building methods/materials but invest extra money in high quality extra insulation especially in the roof.

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I've never seen a stick-built (wood frame construction using studs and sheathing for walls) here in Thailand. I'm wondering if any of the other posters have. I agree with you completely about local methods with insulation added.

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I doubt very much if anyone could get approval to build timber-frame in Thailand (unless the timber is sufficiently termite resistent, like teak).

It's bad enough when the only wood in the house is the window frames - we've already had to replace some with aluminium because of termite damage.

You can go to this site for more information as to the offices here:

http://www.aecasia.com/thailand/company/1991-en.htm

You can also get a better idea of the product and locations here:

http://www.buildata.com.au/coolcosy/default.htm

then click on thermal or accoustic products for more info.

Great stuff because it's fire retardent and bugs can't live in the stuff. This could be sprayed on walls if insulating them. Sorry they don't have a local website yet. They do anything from private homes to large businesses.

In my opinion...  I would say the double wall approach would be cheap, and effective.  The only issue is the roof...  how to take care of that problem I do not know??

We built a house with cavity walls in Na Jomtien using 6 inch and 4 inch concrete blocks for the walls. Go to cool thai house website and you can see how we did our roof. we used fibreglass insulation in part of the house, but have finished yet. Look under Spanish Style Villa. It's not updated, but what you need should be there. This is a free site btw, no membership and no advertising. If you have a problem pm me.

Beachbunny