Green Concept Home - 12/18/2009

We had a great turnout for the second tour of the Green Concept Home!  Owner David Huang gave the group a quick orientation of his home, his design and the green features being utilized in his home giving it the distinction of being Bellevue's first Platinum LEED and 5 star Built Green certified home.  We watched the construction crew install the SIP's wall panels and it was pretty amazing.  Again, SIP's are structurally insulated panels that are made with sheets of OSB (oriented strand board) with foam insulation between them (see fig.2).  The top, sides and bottom around the panel have about a 1" reveal, where they fit on to the bottom runners of the floor and a stud in the walls to hold them together in place.  For those you who are not familiar with OSB sheathing, here's a link that explains what it is.  Basically, it's engineered plywood made from leftover pieces of wood from the lumber mill, re-used to make OSB.

So, all the panels are fabrcated at an off site here in Seattle, then delivered to the GCH site.  As we watched the two-man crew install these panels, they started by putting a bead of fastening glue on the insulated foam to the bottom and sides of the panels (see fig. 3).  Then they hoist it up (These panels are heavy, about 150-200 each!) and set it on top of the 2x6 bottom runners on the floor,  Then, one guy pounds the panels together with a sledgehammer while the other guy uses a tool to help pull the panel into the stud that connects the two panels (see fig. 4).  Then they use a nail gun to fasten the bottom and sides. 

So, as you can see in Fig. 5, that's what a SIP wall looks like.  No studs with fiberglass insulation in each bay.  The only stud is the one holding the two panels together.  Also, in Fig, 2, the conduit hole that you see there is for the electrical wiring.  Take a good look at Fig. 5 and if you look closely above the tool he is using to pull the panel, you will see two black horizontal lines.  Those markings are where the conduit is, so that the electrician knows where to cut open for his outlets, etc.

The Green Concept Home is taking shape and the 'Green Tourists' got a spoonful of green education today!  Mid January will be the next tour, where we will see the hydronic heating system being installed to the ceiling of the first floor.  Hope you can make it!


Pictures of Tour #2 - SIP's installation
                         
Fig. 1- Owner David Huang gives a brief orientation to the group  
                   

Fig. 2- Side view of a SIP w/ conduit hole

          
Fig. 3- Bead of glue put on the bottom runners, also to bottom & sides of the SIP

 
Fig. 4- Panels sledge hammered and pulled into place,


Fig. 5- Voila!  A segment of a wall