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The advantages of PWF SIPs over traditional concrete are numerous:
- Dry & Comfortable Basements: PWF SIPs create a completely dry comfortable living space below finished grade with no musty odors or smells. The basement is just like any room in the home above grade.
- Warmer & More Energy Efficient: Thermapan PWF SIP foundations have an R-value of R-28 to R-39. Traditional concrete basements with fiberglass are at most an R-12. Most Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) basements are R-22.|
- More Area in Basement: The walls are generally thinner than concrete foundation, which require “furring”, the studs and wood bracketing affixed to the concrete to fit fiberglass insulation. Sometimes the area saved, if it could be concentrated in one spot, would equal the size of a bathroom or even an extra small bedroom.
- Strength & Stability: It is a common misconception that the kind of material determines the strength of the structure. Strength is determined by engineering and Thermapan PWF’s SIPs are engineered to be as strong as any other material used for foundations. An 8¼” thick PWF SIP can withstand 30,000 lbs of loading. That’s equivalent to stacking 10 midsize cars on every four foot section of foundation wall.
 Wood foundations have been in North American building codes since the 1960’s. Thermapan has been manufacturing PWF Foundation SIPs since 1984 and offers a limited lifetime warranty, unheard of with concrete foundations. The use of wood for foundations is a proven idea whose time has come!
Pages
Part 1 - The Structural Uses of Wood
Part 2 - The Better Way to Build... Basements!
Part 3 - The Many Benefits of PWF SIP Foundations
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