Materials Q + A

Q: We are thinking about building a rastra or rammed earth or straw bale or adobe or concrete (pick one) home. Can you design it for us?

• A: We design Sunlight homes exclusively for SIPs. Our homes are designed to be extremely energy efficient so using another building system would mean a whole different design approach.

SIPs give us more flexibility and opportunity in design. SIP roof systems don't use trusses, so vaulted ceilings and lofts are a natural result. Windows can be placed closer together in a SIP home and the south glass to floor area ratios stay the same in every Sunlight SIP project. We have become very experienced at designing homes for SIP construction and our end product is consistently high quality. We don't want to tinker with a system that works this well by introducing a different building system to the mix. It would be an option, however, to build an adobe or rammed earth wall inside the home for aesthetic reasons. It would also be good thermal mass.

Q: Can we remodel or add onto our Sunlight SIP home?

• A: SIP homes can be modified or remodeled like any other building system. Ask your remodeling contractor to contact us or our panel manufacturer for details.

If a future addition is planned from the beginning, we can make the remodel easier (and less expensive) later. For example, the panel wall that adjoins the future addition could be pre-planned for a doorway. Utilities could be stubbed into this wall for easy expansion later. Even without advanced planning, additions or modifications are no more difficult than with any other building system, and in some cases they are easier.

Q: We'd like to use reclaimed materials or finish materials we've obtained elsewhere in our home. Is this possible?

• A: The only materials we supply with our Component Package are for the exterior shell. All other materials are supplied by you and/or your builder.

We had clients once who had display cases from her grandfather's country store. She used them as kitchen counters and cabinets in her Sunlight home. Another had milled wood from their land for floors. Another had hand made tile they included in their kitchen. We, personally, have taken our front door (hand made by a friend) from home to home. You certainly can use whatever materials you want in your new home. It's your home, after all, and this is one of the benefits of building custom.