SIP Floor

SIP: Structural Insulated Panel.

The floor and how it is installed is very important.

If there are no permits, one can sit the entire structure on pier blocks using 6" x 6" pressure treated timbers.

Effective in keeping costs lower as long as you are not in a high wind area as there is little to prevent uplifting.

This is what the sub-floor structure would look like with either pier blocks or the proper screw pilings (that I will show here later).

6" x 6" have to be cut for the perimeter.

Then all the proper cross pieces and the tie in pieces are cut and secured in place.

Then the floor SPS are installed on top of the 6 x 6.

Once the floor has been squeezed together a pressure treated 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 has to be installed all around the perimeter.

Then proper fasteners must be installed to keep the floor fastened to the 6 x 6s.

This is a good cross section of what an insulated floor looks like. The smaller piece is called an insulated spline and it fits snugly into the SIP floor section to its left and right. This gets caulked and screwed tight.

 

What you see next are called screw pilings.

They are small galvanized augers that screw into the earth and stop with a set PSI (pounds per square inch) of torque.

The pipe get cut off all at the same height with a laser level. Saddles are secured to the top of the pilings and the 6 x 6 are seated into the saddles.

Same as the pier blocks but much more strength for the floor after these get braced and cross braced.

The colder the zone we are building in the thicker the insulation required.