My apologies for the literary reference to the old Santa Claus story from the young girl who wrote the New York newspaper “The Sun” back in 1897 – and I’m sure you know the story so I won’t go into it here. And I also have young children who ask me if there is a Santa Claus. And as a company we field questions every day from people who ask why would they build their home out of our panels – because they can build it cheaper out of stick (like 2×4 or 2×6 lumber). And this is after we have already tried to educate them on the benefits of our product. Yes, yes you can build it cheaper out of stick. And you could also put up a tent and make it even cheaper. And you could ride a bike everyday to work, too, because a bicycle costs less than a car and you would save on gas. Oh, you live 20 miles from home and that would be too much? OK, then drive your car. But you could purchase – for a little bit more – a fuel efficient car. Actually if you take this grand analogy one step further, THAT is why you would build your home out of our very unique polyurethane core structural insulated panels. They will provide a stronger, safer and SIGNIFICANTLY more energy efficient home than you could ever get out of traditional stick construction. And – here’s the rub – it can actually cost you less than stick construction.
How’s that? Because we have seen time and again that while a client may pay a premium for our product over stick construction (and sometimes we cost about the same as stick construction – see our testimonials) – the energy savings in the VERY FIRST MONTH can be greater than the incremental cost of financing our product along with the rest of their home in a standard mortgage. Let me say that another way – when you combine your home mortgage payment with your energy bills, a stick-built home can cost you more EVERY MONTH than that same home made from our panels. And this does not even begin to account for reduced home insurance premiums or reduced maintainance costs. Yes, your mortgage amount may be less if purchasing a stick-built home, but your energy bills can be 70% more – far erasing any savings on a cheaper mortgage!!! And this doesn’t even begin to include the increased home comfort or the quieter, safer and healthier living environment that building with our panels can offer. And it also doesn’t consider that while you can lock in a rate with a mortgage, your home energy costs will go up an average of 2.5% a year – every year (this according to US Dept of Energy).
There are not many investments out there that can offer a positive return on investment in the VERY FIRST MONTH. But we have heard it from our clients time and again.
Yes, you can add up all your numbers and you can probably frame that stick-built wall and throw some spray foam or fiberglass insulation in there for less than the cost of our sips panels. Congratulations! But this is not a fair cost comparison, and you are really missing the point, as I have tried to explain above and on our website.
Whether building with 2×4 or 2×6, standard stick construction is the WEAKEST and LEAST ENERGY EFFICIENT method of construction allowable by law – and this is how most people or builders want to build their homes? With no remarks about Santa Claus (in case my girls read this!) it is sheer fantasy to believe that building it cheaply will mean that you’ll get the best home, and yet that is what this country chooses to do time and time again. Actually I believe that eliminating stick construction is the single greatest “opportunity” for reducing CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases that our country has – and the US Dept of Energy has essentially said the same thing. Just run the numbers – homes and commercial buildings are one of the single greatest users of energy in North America, and the heating and cooling of those structures is most often their single greatest expense. And that is where we come in.
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