Damian Pataluna, Donald Ferrier and his daughter Heather Ferrier Laminack, who runs the office, have had a friendship and working relationship for over 20 years. It all started when Donald was stuck in a bind with another panel supplier by not making good on a promise for a SIPS home he was working on, and he decided to give Damian a call. It just so happens that Damian was flying into DFW airport, where Donald is located in Fort Worth, that afternoon for a Cowboys game. They met a few hours later and have been working together since.
Since 2004, the 3 have worked on 25-30 projects together in mostly residential projects with a few in light commercial. In both the professional and personal setting, they have built a positive and open relationship with one another. Damian along with the Texas Association of Builders refers to Donald as one of the ‘Godfather’s of Green’ in the Texas area as he is the leading expert in his field in Dallas.
Together, Donald and Heather have created a great reputation for their companies, Ferrier Custom Homes, LP & Ferrier Builders, Inc (remodels and light commercial). They are Nationally known for building High Performance Homes & have numerous awards on their walls to document their expertise. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to interview them regarding their experience with FischerSIPS and perspective as experts in the SIP industry.
Donald, why do you choose SIPS for your projects?
We specialize in building high performance homes that are the most energy efficient, green, and sustainable in the market. SIPS give us a great advantage in achieving our goals. Their tightness allows us to provide great indoor air quality combined with their great insulation and Ferrier’s proper custom home designs, using minimal energy to provide great indoor air quality and minimal energy to heat and cool the home, which make for a super quiet home. SIPS are the best choice for the exterior walls and roof. He has been building homes for 48 years primarily out of SIPS, based in Texas where the climate consists of hot summers and mild winters. The airtight, well-insulated envelope that SIPS create are essential for his high performance homes.
Donald, why choose FischerSIPS?
Donald has worked with over 10 alternate SIP manufacturers before turning to FischerSIPS. When he was caught up in a tight situation, he recalled Damian assuring him that he would help him with anything he ever needed. Sure enough, Damian was responsive and delivered SIP panels to Donald to meet his time frame. Donald settles for nothing but the best and his criteria includes: someone giving him a competitive price, (he doesn’t shop for the lowest price as that usually delvers an inferior product), the distributor keep promises made, and owning any errors made by the company. FischerSIPS meets these expectations and excels past the other manufacturers he has worked with.
Donald, what first got you interested in building with SIPS?
Texas DOT bridges and box culverts. In 1980 a couple approached Ferrier Bros Bridge Co (of which Donald was an owner) to build an Earth-Sheltered (underground home). This was his first of 19 to build, with his first turn-key home completed in 1986. In 1984 Donald and his mom started Ferrier Builders, Inc. Donald worked closely with architect Ray Boothe in building Earth-Sheltered homes Ray designed. One week in 1985, Ray and Donald’s Builder Coop president both talked to him about building with SIPs. Donald’s first SIP project was a large guard house in Arlington, TX. As he was already building some of the most energy-efficient homes in the world with Earth-Sheltered homes, but folks were having difficulty in obtaining financing. Donald found the SIP homes were similar in efficiency and qualified for standard financing. Donald moved to mainly focusing on SIP construction.
Heather, you have built a reputation as a leader in the industry. Why do you like working with FischerSIPS?
FischerSIPS is a great partner for our company as we pride ourselves in high performance and quality homes as SIPS are the envelope and its elemental to get it right. Damian’s level of service sets him apart from everyone else. Every project is different and has its own set of limitations. Damian is a valuable partner who makes it work. When problems arise, Damian is always available with a solution as he is very invested in all of his projects.
Heather, why did you decide to enter the home building industry?
Entering the home building industry was not a part of her original plan. As the child of an entrepreneur, (Donald), Heather is the 4th generation of builders in her family. Starting in the industry from a very young age allowed her to gain a lot of experience in construction. She initially earned a business degree in college. As the company began to focus more on modern, high performance and sustainable homes, she found her passion and decided to stay with the company. She is grateful to this day for making that decision. “Everything is evolving and new challenges bring new opportunities everyday. I’ve met amazing people in industry and am happy to be a small part of the big solution,” Heather states.
Donald and Heather, not all projects are great for SIPS – What kinds of advantages do you feel SIPS have to offer vs stick framing with spray foam insulation?
- When building with SIPS, a good design optimization will make it easier to build. The designer is key to coming up with the best solutions using SIPS. FischerSIPS excels at this.
- If you use an infrared camera on a home, blue colors signify energy is not leaking while bright colors signify energy loss in those areas. A SIPS home that is built well will typically show blue and purple, thus meaning no energy loss. In a stick frame house with spray foam, the studs tend to show as bright colors, showing where energy is being lost.
- A SIP panel is an airtight composite panel. Because they are laminated together, they will stop air movement. In a stick frame home, there are more opportunities for air to escape.
- When it comes to air tightness of SIP homes and performance they stand in league of their own when properly installed. Foam is used when people can’t make the numbers work. SIPS are superior product that the performance can’t be reached with stick framing and spray foam.
- SIPS are 3-5 times stronger than standard stick framing. They will perform better when faced with high winds, thunderstorms, tornadoes, etc.
- When building with SIPS, there are 4-5 basic structural requirements for roofs. An optimized SIPS plan will meet these requirements and, with a trained crew, the roof will go up faster than stick framing or trusses.
Donald and Heather, where do you see the SIPS industry headed? Is it on the same trajectory as the sustainable home industry?
SIPS are very sustainable product. They are made with OSB from young trees which are quickly renewable versus studs which are made by cutting down older trees in our forests. The building industry is more sustainable conscious which has brought SIPS to the forefront. The interest is there from clients as they are becoming more informed. No longer is it a small niche of the population that is knowledgeable of SIPS as its reach has expanded greatly. Consumer demand and curiosity are increasing so we will see SIPS become adopted more regularly. SIPS are the enabling technology for constructing high performance homes. Additionally, they are crucial to a sustainable approach. In meeting a variety of sustainable, structural, and energy efficient needs, SIPS are essential for the perfect project.
As valued members of our community, thank you for your loyalty and partnership with FischerSIPS.