 ince our goal is to design homes to be as well insulated and energy efficient as possible, we have chosen to use Murus polyurethane panels because we think that they are the best. Polyurethane insulates using the least amount of space. Since homes are measured for appraisal from the outside dimensions, a thicker wall, in effect, “uses up” more valuable inside living space. We get a better R-value per inch with polyurethane, which saves space inside.
POLYURETHANE STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS
 Polyurethane’s aged R-value is 6.76 per inch of thickness. Murus polyurethane foam is safe to humans and the environment. It does not contain formaldehyde or CFCs. It is a thermoset material that will only char in the presence of direct flame. Urethane does not support combustion and will not burn or melt. It has a Class 1 fire rating, the best available. R-values shortly after manufacture are slightly higher, so all R-values quoted are aged R-values. In manufacture, polyurethane is injected in liquid form between the 2 skins that are held in press. Urethane, a 2-part foam, is much like an epoxy, forming a permanent mechanical bond between the foam and the skins. This makes a polyurethane panel extremely strong, much like an I-beam and structurally much stronger than the styrene panels. This allows for more design flexibility and structural stability. The machinery to manufacture polyurethane panels is much more sophisticated and costly, which is why they are only manufactured at a handful of facilities across the US.  Once cured, polyurethane is inert. It is not harmful and does not outgas. The only thing that degrades polyurethane is sunlight. Since the foam is contained within the walls, sunlight never reaches the foam. It does not shift or compress and retains its R-value indefinitely. Murus cuts the door and window openings during the custom manufacture of the panels used in each of our custom homes. They use a sophisticated, computerized system that results in openings that are square and level; without the effort and construction waste at the jobsite. We are not tied to any one manufacturing system at Sunlight Homes. This gives us the flexibility to choose whatever system is best to meet our goals. We could purchase styrene panels locally for less, but prefer to drop ship them from Murus in Pennsylvania because the quality of their polyurethane and their excellent customer service is worth it.
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