FAQs
Can you build a home in Goshen NY for $400,000?
When operating with a budget around $400,000, you should be able to get a nice home in the 1200 – 1500 square foot range. These homes can typically include bedrooms, bathrooms and decent finishes.
How much does it cost to build a home in NY?
This depends on several factors including the location, size, and design choices. These will determine the overall cost of your project when building a home in New York.
What is the most expensive part of new home construction?
Framing the structure can be one of the most costly parts of the new home. That’s why building with SIPs is a great alternative to traditional framing methods. It saves time and labor when assembling the bones of the building and you end up with a stronger, more energy efficient building that is assembled in less time.
Is it cheaper to build a new home or buy an old house?
This depends on several factors including the location, size, and design choices. These will determine the overall cost of your project when building a new home but with a good budget and goal in mind and the housing market having nothing but expensive old junk you may not get the size you want but the comfort of a newly built home.
What is the most affordable style house to build?
The cheapest homes to build are along the lines barn-style houses, modular homes, and tiny houses. The cheapest way to build a house is to construct a small home with prefab components, cost-effective materials like structural insulated panels and basic finishes.
Do new construction homes negotiate price?
In some cases the home builder may be willing to negotiate price depending on the variables associated with the project and can also be directly affected by supply and demand of the industry.
What is the biggest expense when building a house?
The foundation is one of the bigger ticket items when building your new home. They are underground and during the excavation process if things that can’t be seen before digging are encountered like rock it can affect the cost of the foundation work.
How long does it take to build a house
With traditional framed homes it takes between seven and twelve months to build a single family home in the United States. There are more efficient options that take less time like building a SHEDI®. A SHEDI® building is built with Structural Insulated Panels. These can be assembled much faster and get you enjoying your new home faster!
What are SIPs?
SIPs or Structural Insulated Panels are high-performance building panels used for floors, walls, and roofs for residential, commercial, and agricultural projects. The panels are made by sandwiching a polystyrene foam core between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB), or plywood. The skin thickness may increase for larger buildings. SIPs are manufactured under factory-controlled conditions and can be custom designed for each home. The result is a building system that is strong, energy-efficient, and cost-effective. Building with SIPs can save you time, money, and labor.
How do I save money with SIPs?
The whole wall R-values and building tightness of SIPs allow HVAC equipment to be downsized and ductwork to be much less. When combined with other energy-efficient technologies, SIPs can cut your annual heating and cooling costs by 50 percent or more. You can apply for Energy Efficient Mortgages and enjoy the higher appraised value of an energy-efficient building.
How Strong are SIPs?
The structural characteristics of SIPs are similar to that of a steel I-Beam. The OSB skins act as the flange of the I-beam, while the rigid foam core provides the web. This design gives SIPs an advantage when handling plane compressive loads.
How do I properly size HVAC equipment in my new SIP building?
The high insulating properties of SIPs allow for smaller HVAC equipment to be used. When working with an HVAC contractor, make sure their calculations take into account an accurate estimation of typically low levels of air infiltration in a SIP home.
How important is ventilation in a SIP structure?
SIP buildings are extremely airtight and require mechanical ventilation. Ventilation systems bring fresh air into the building in controlled amounts and exhaust moisture-laden and stale air to the outside. By limiting air exchange to controlled ventilation systems, SIP homes allow for all incoming air to be filtered for allergens and dehumidified, resulting in better indoor air quality. Ventilation systems can be designed to incorporate heat recovery ventilators. These modern systems harness heat being exhausted from the home and utilize it to heat the fresh air coming into the home for even more efficient use of energy. Proper ventilation is important in all homes to preserve indoor air quality. Having the ability to control your indoor air quality is just one of the great benefits when building with SIPs.
How do SIPs improve air quality?
The tightness of the SIP building envelope prevents air from gaining access to the interior of the home except in controlled amounts. A controlled indoor environment is both healthy and comfortable. Ventilation systems can be used to filter potential allergens from entering the home. Humidity can be controlled more easily in a SIP home resulting in a home that is more comfortable for occupants and less prone to mold growth and dust mites.
How do SIPs react to fire?
Residential building code typically requires building materials to have at least 15 minutes of fire resistance. Structural insulated panels faced with 0.5” gypsum drywall that have a system listing to NFPA 286 or ASTM E119 by a registered certification agency meet this requirement. Many SIPs carry this certification. The drywall must be attached per manufacturer specifications to achieve this requirement. Commercial builders may need a one hour fire rated wall, which is achieved by testing and listing to ASTM E119 by a registered certification agency. Many SIPs carry this certification. Two hour fire rated systems are also available.
How do SIPs structurally support loads from the roof to the foundation?
Typically, all panels need to be supported from below. SIP walls must have both OSB skins in contact with the foundation to be effective. The roof panels need to be supported from underneath via ridge beams, rafters, purlins, or load bearing walls. Singular point loads from beams or purlins need to rest on dimensional lumber splines at joints between panels. Panels are joined with manufactured splines, specially designed panel screws, and dimensional lumber. SIPs arrive at the jobsite with construction details showing these connections.
Are SIPs compatible with other building systems?
Yes, SIPs are compatible with other building systems. The wall panels can sit on a variety of foundation materials, including poured concrete, blocks, or insulated concrete forms. SIPs are sized to accept dimensional lumber and are seamlessly compatible with stick framing. Builders may choose to build with SIP walls and a conventional truss roof, or stick walls and a SIP roof to achieve the ultimate building. SIPs are a very popular method of providing a well-insulated building envelope for timber frame structures.
What considerations do you need to take into account when building with SIPs vs. conventional framing?
The majority of construction with SIPs is very similar to conventional framing. SIPs accept dimensional lumber and are fastened together using staples, nails or screws. Proper sealing is critical when building a SIP structure. All joints need to be sealed with specially designed SIP sealant or low expanding foam sealant. Voids between panels and unused electrical chases need to be filled with low expanding foam. Roof joints can be sealed on the interior with tape specifically made for SIP buildings. In addition to sealing, planning and consideration needs to be applied to material handling. Although smaller panels can be set by hand, larger panels can weigh up to 700 lbs and require the use of a machine to unload at the site. A boom truck or a crane is used to set large panels on the roof.
How are electrical wiring and fixtures installed in SIP buildings?
Electrical wires are pulled through precut channels inside the core of the panels called chases. Manufacturers cut chases in during the manufacturing process according to the electrical design of the home. These can be custom at all different heights. Electricians can then use fish tape or fishing sticks to feed wires through panel chases without compressing the insulation or having to drill through studs.
Are SIPs susceptible to insects?
Structural Insulated Panels are treated with an effective, non-toxic additive that will deter insects. This additive is environmentally sound and contains no dyes, formaldehyde or ozone-depleting HFCs. This additive is inert, non-nutritive, highly stable and will not decompose, decay or produce undesirable gases or leachates. The insect-resistant foam panels are recyclable and safe for waste-to-energy systems and landfills. The treatment is a process which uses a natural mineral formulated to resist normally occurring exposure to woodboring insects, specifically carpenter ants and termites. The non-toxic treatment is EPA Registered, meets the standards of ASTM D3345 and WPA EL 12-72, and lasts as long as the rigid insulation.
Can SIPs be replaced or repaired if damaged?
If Structural Insulated Panels are damaged, a structural engineer needs to assess the damage to determine what is cosmetic and what is structural. If the damage is structural, then the source of the problem must be identified and a structural solution to the problem must be found. That can be done by either a site modification of the panels or a replacement of the panels, depending on the extent of the damage.
What about roofing? Should the attic below a SIP roof be ventilated?
The area inside a SIP building envelope is considered conditioned space and will be ventilated by the building HVAC system. There is no need to provide a vented attic beneath a SIP roof because doing so would compromise the conditioned space of the building by allowing open ventilation to unconditioned space. Most roofing manufacturers specify how to attach their product to SIPs. You or the SIP builder can contact the roofing manufacturer for application instructions. As with any roof, a complete drainage plane needs to be installed between the SIP and the roofing material.
How much faster can I build with SIPs?
SIP buildings can go up significantly faster than traditionally framed structures when being erected by a properly trained SIP installation crew. This reduces the dry-in time and allows interior work to begin earlier. SIPs can be supplied as ready-to-install building components when they arrive at the job site, eliminating the time needed to perform individual operations of framing, insulation, and sheathing. The window openings are pre-cut in the panels. Depending on the size, a separate header may or may not need to be installed. Electrical chases are pre cut in the core of the panels, so there is no need to drill through studs for wiring.
How are SIPs green?
Energy efficiency, Structural insulated panels are one of the most environmentally responsible building systems available. A SIP building envelope provides high levels of insulation and is extremely airtight, meaning the amount of energy used to heat and cool a home can be reduced. The energy that powers homes and commercial buildings is responsible for a large portion of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. By reducing the amount of energy used in buildings, architects, and builders, homeowners can contribute to a clean environment for the future.
Is it cheaper to hire a builder to build a house?
It can be cheaper to build your own home but the savings can vary greatly based on numerous factors. Using a professional builder will ensure things are done the right way and although you think you are saving money a small mistake can turn into a big expensive problem.
How to know if a home builder is good?
- Research the builders in your area
- Ask friends and family members
- Read company reviews
- View their testimonials
- Reach out to them.
How do I find a contractor to build my SIP home?
Search online and find the best one that fits your needs. You can also ask family members, friends and peers to see who they have used in the past. PCS Structures specializes in Structural Insulated Panel buildings and is dedicated to an organized, clean and safe jobsite at all times. We utilize tools like the 1BoS software to keep our customers engaged in the build and see real-time progress photos and videos of their building coming to life.