Are panels a nearly foolproof product?
No. Like anything else, panel manufacturing requires considerable quality control in the factory. Make it a point to ask any manufacturer about their QC process. Additionally, a knowledgeable designer or engineer needs to review plans to make certain that the panels selected for a particular plan are capable of meeting the structural loads involved. And later at the job site, assembling panels into a strong, airtight and watertight shell requires someone in the lead with some SIP experience.
