We decided to start on the West bump out of the house which was custom cut by Enercept. Starting here insured that the custom cut panels would match up nicely with the frame panels.
The custom cut panels we soon found were really the way to go. They fit together like a glove and dimensions worked out perfectly. We were very careful to keep all directions of the panels plumb and make sure they were seated well down on the plate.
Prior to installing a SIP on the plate, two beads of caulk sealant were put on the sill, and on the connecting vertical edge of the SIP.
By mid morning on Saturday we were well underway on the bump out SIPs. A friend of mine came up from Phoenix to give us a hand installing the SIPs. Once we gave him a tour of the newly constructed frame we got down to business. By early afternoon we had all of the custom SIP panels up and in place.
We then turned our attention to getting started setting the 20' panels on the South side of the house.
This required going down with the Skytrak and bringing the 20' panels up to the house and prepping them.
Also prior to installing the SIP, sheetrock needed to be installed first, then we would set the panel, level it and attach it to the frame then finish attaching the sheetrock to the panel.
Here is where we ran into a glitch. The panels to my understanding were ordered to be flush fit on the vertical edge of the SIP. I had not really given it too much thought until it came time for installation. Enercept had plowed out 3/4" on each side of the SIP for a 2x6 spline. This is really not needed due to the fact that the frame SIP's do not require any structural integrity.
So we backed up and put our heads together to come up with a solution. We had already hung the sheetrock and it was starting to get late in the afternoon. We had planned on heading back down to Phoenix in the early morning, and on top of that we were supposed to get some light precipitation as well as some gustier winds on Sunday.
We ended up installing 2x6 splines on the vertical edges of the SIP, hoisting it up into position with the Skytrak and tacking it onto the frame.
This SIP also needed to be cut to size, but our thoughts were to just get things covered for the upcoming week and come up with a permanent solution and then go from there.
I spoke with Enercept today regarding the mix up. I was not trying to point fingers at anyone regarding the situation, I just wanted to come up with the right solution.
My friend that had come up to give us a hand came up with the best, and as it turns out, final solution. Instead of using dimensional lumber as the spline I purchased 15 sheets of 2 lb. 1 1/2" Styrofoam that we will cut into 5 1/2" strips and we will use it as the spline. This does two things for us. It gives us full insulation at the point of attachment, and gives us a locking joint at the seam where the two panels come together.
The strips I can cut down here in Phoenix and have them ready to install as we prep each panel prior to installation. So, all in all, I am very happy with the solution.
We have a lot of panels to go, and are still going through a bit of a learning curve on how best to handle the panels and set the larger ones in place. But I think once we get a method down we should have all of the wall panels up relatively soon
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