August 16th, 2011

Backyard Sheds is now Backyard Works

Its been a remarkable season and since building our first Backyard Shed in 2006, we’ve helped numerous home owners by building sheds to fit their needs and especially their backyards. So, it is with great pride that we now offer home owners additional Backyard solutions beyond simple storage and utility. Our line of Backyard products now includes Backyard Sheds, Backyard Studios and something we’re very proud of, Backyard Homes. Our services, product line and team has grown and to reflect that we’ve changed our name to Backyard Works – thanks to all the great feedback we recently received through a customer survey, where we polled customers and sought their opinions on a number of name options. The name “Backyard Works” was contributed by Steve’s son, a young man destined for greatness as he embarks on his university studies.

August 17th, 2011

Backyard Works Develops the FloorMax, 2 Piece Flooring System

The biggest obstacle in providing a completely insulated studio or office was how do you insulate the floor? Unlike traditional buildings which are built on a concrete foundation with the floor framed on top with a crawl space or basement from which you can install the floor insulation, A studio floor on concrete pads does not lend itself to this type of access for insulating the floor after the building is erected. Therefore, I came up with a way to insulate the floor and cover the underside of the floor with pressure treated plywood to protect the insulation from the weather and animals – the Backyard Works FloorMax System.

First I frame the floor in two sections on top of the level concrete pads the floor will rest on. Then I stand the floor framed sections up on their sides or edges and attache the 3/8 PT plywood to the bottom. Once this is completed I drop the two sections back down on top the concrete pads, glue and screw the two sections together. Install perimeter pressure treated rim joists, drop the batt insulation in between the floor joists, cover them with a vapour barrier and install the sub-floor plywood over the top and secure it to the floor framing. The system provides an air-tight insulated floor system that has a high R-rating that will keep your feet warm in the winter and is structurally sound.

August 17th, 2011

Backyard Works and SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) Construction

Up until recently, all our sheds and studios were built with traditional wood-framing systems and insulation materials. Because the demand for more environmentally-friendly building materials has vastly increased as well as our goal to build/install Backyard Studios and Backyard Homes quicker and more efficiently, we’re making a commitment to provide SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) built Studios and Homes to our customers.

The Structural Insulating Panel (SIP) System from Backyard Works is a “sandwich” of performance-rated oriented strand board (OSB) structurally laminated to a continuous core of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation. 

The SIP System is an industry leading ready-to-assemble (RTA) system, which reduces construction time and improves efficiency. Blueprints for your home are loaded into computerized factory equipment where SIPs are manufactured to our specifications, then delivered to your location as a ready-to-assemble building system.

 The energy efficiency of buildings built with the SIP System out-performs buildings constructed using wood-framed wall and roof systems in three main areas:
1. SIPs wall and roof assemblies from Backyard Works contain less dimensional lumber. In wood-framed construction a thermal bridging is created between the exterior of the building and the finished interior when insulation is interrupted by wood studs which also leave more than 20% of the wall area uninsulated. SIP wall and roof assemblies provide higher R-values than typical wood-framed construction alternates as there are significantly fewer thermal bridges.
2. Higher R-value keeps conditioned air in. The R-value of a wall or roof is a measure of its ability to keep heat from flowing through it. Higher R-value for walls and roof means less heat loss and less energy needed for heating and cooling.
3. The closed cavity wall and roof design prevents air movement. In wood-framed construction, wall and roof R-value is decreased by insulation gaps around wood framing and by settling of insulation. These defects increase air leakage through the construction. This not only increases energy use, but can lead to condensation on the surfaces of wood components within assemblies. The continuous core of EPS insulation in a SIPs from Backyard Works, vastly reduces air leakage and heat loss, while also allowing better control of indoor air quality.

The SIP System allow us to construct your building more quickly, provides a more efficient insulated building and greatly reduces the material waste on site. Rather than taking a week to frame and insulate your studio the new SIP System will enable Backyard Works to have your studio shell up in a in ONE day.

While the cost will be a bit more than a traditional framed and insulated buildings, the savings in construction time and energy efficiency will more than justify the small increase in cost for this method of building. Contact us today for your quote for a SIP System built studio or home.