Welcome to SIPS International Panels

To provide safe, affordable housing that can withstand the forces of nature.

Introduction

SIPS International was formed to address urgent housing needs after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Mr. Joseph LaRocco, the CEO of SIPS International is was a Facility engineer who took a leave from his post of running operations at New York’s Pennsylvania Station to assist in disaster relief efforts in Mississippi after the storm took its toll. While organizing relief efforts as the Vice President of AFE [Association of Facilities Engineers], he discovered the viability of the SIPS product in producing buildings that are virtually hurricane resistant and highly resistant to flood damage. The company was formed in 2006, and a factory was opened in Citronelle, Alabama (currently relocated )to produce this innovative product. One of the first things the new company did was to construct a home for a family that had lost its house in the flooding during the hurricane. A deserving family was chosen, and the house was constructed using local labor. It was one of the few successful projects to follow in the wake of disaster. This home now serves as an example of what modern techniques can accomplish to better serve and protect the people of the Gulf Coast.   The SIPS building system is a certified structurally insulated panel system. They can be used for both residential and commercial structures. Utilizing these panels reduces time of construction, and as a result, a reduction in cost of labor. They are extremely strong with excellent structural integrity, are highly energy efficient, and are qualified as a “green” building material. SIP panels are earthquake and fire resistant, wind rated for hurricane force winds, rot and mold resistant, and provide superior sound dampening qualities to our buildings.   SIPS is both a unique construction panel and a panelized building system. Our panels consist of and inner and outer skin and a core of super-insulating expanded polystyrene [EPS] glued together with special high-strength glues and dried under extreme pressure. The result is a stressed-skin panel that has amazing capabilities. First, each panel has surprising strength, durability and thermal efficiency. Second, with the spline connection system, the 4’ wide panels join together to build walls, floors and roofs that are lightweight yet can withstand high wind loads and the twisting and flexing that deteriorate conventional buildings. Third, the panel and connection system make house construction a quick and efficient process, needing minimal labor. Finally, the system is adaptive to different exterior and interior designs because the outer layer can look like wood siding, board and batten, stucco or other materials and the inner panel acts as an underlayment for any final treatment.  

 Hurricane winds: SIPS meet and exceeds local wind standards.  Flood: The panels are made from Fiber Cement material and expanded polystyrene. Neither will absorb water. The finished product won't rot or mold. The connecting boards between panels can have a plastic substitute, which then leaves nothing subject to water’s deteriorating effects. 

 Normal local conditions. The SIPS system is perfect for the Coast, where we have hard sun, heat, heavy rainfall, moist air, and bugs.  Thermal capabilities. SIPS have a high R factor and helps retain heat and cooling in a building and results in a heavy reduction in power  Normal local conditions. The SIPS system is perfect for the Coast, where we have hard sun, heat, heavy rainfall, moist air, and bugs.  Thermal capabilities. SIPS have a high R factor and helps retain heat and cooling in a building and results in a heavy reduction in power bills; further, the expanded polystyrene does not lose its insulation value over the years, nor does it release toxic chemicals. 

Fire. Both fiber cement boards and expanded polystyrene foam are superior to wood structures. The polystyrene is fire retardant with a flash point between 600 and 650 degrees F. The fiber cement surface is noncombustible, will not burn, has a zero flame-spread index, and zero smoke development number.

 Costs. The costs of a SIPS house are comparable to a brick or lumber built house 

Bugs and Mold. Fiber cement boards cement won't burn, rot, or cup and is impervious to salt spray, termites, woodpeckers, carpenter bees, and other pests. Fiber-cement siding is appropriate for hot and humid climates because it is resistant to rot, fungus, and termite infestation is more durable than wood. FC holds paint for several years longer than conventional wood siding. 

Design Friendly. SIPS are a complete, pre-engineered building system, but, when finished, does not appear any different than conventional construction. SIPS roof panels are excellent for cathedral ceilings. In many cases, due to the long span capability of the panels, a ridge beam is all that is required. In other words, whether you want a Creole cottage, a Katrina cottage, a shed, or a commercial building, that design can be built with SIPs. 

Assembly. SIPS are a building system. Panelization means simplicity of construction and reduced labor costs. The exterior shell erection time on an average, simply designed 1000 sq. ft. home on an existing foundation would take less than two weeks. Also, electrical chases are precut into the foam. _______________________________________________________________________ What can be set up for emergency housing, when life normalizes, that temporary housing can be updated, enlarged, and be made into a lifetime home. What is a necessity right after disaster becomes hope for a family. 4