Can I combine both schools (masonry + sandwich panels)?

Yes, a popular solution: masonry up to 3 m + sandwich panels above. Masonry protects against forklift impacts (most common damage), sandwich panels cheaply insulate high walls.

What about cold storage / freezer warehouses?

Special category — we use GS insPIRe CH (polyurethane PIR, durable to -40°C) with thickness 120–200 mm. Masonry with ETICS is inefficient for low temperatures (thermal bridge in the foundations).

Can sandwich panels be demounted?

Yes. Panels are mechanically fastened with screws to the steel structure — they can be unscrewed, transported, installed elsewhere. This is a big advantage for extensions or company relocations.

What about acoustics of sandwich panel halls?

PIR has poor acoustics (Rw ~25 dB for 100 mm), mineral wool is better (~35 dB). For production halls with loud machinery use mineral wool or a combination: PIR walls + additional mineral wool 80 mm internally as acoustic absorber.

How much does the steel structure for a sandwich panel warehouse weigh?

Less than for masonry — typically 35–55 kg/m² vs 80–120 kg/m² for masonry with insulation. Shallower foundations (10–15% savings on concrete).

Are sandwich panel halls cheaper to insure?

NO — quite the opposite. Insurers require higher fire classes (EI 30+) for discounts; PIR has a lower class than masonry, so annual premiums are 5–10% higher. Check before buying.

1000 m² Warehouse — termPIR® or Sandwich Panels? Cost, Time, Operation Comparison

“I’m building a 1000 m² warehouse. What should I choose?”

Every logistics investor in Poland asks this question. Two schools of thought:

Traditional — steel or reinforced concrete structure + double-leaf masonry wall or frame + termPIR® insulation + finishes
Lightweight — steel structure + sandwich panels (PIR or mineral wool) as simultaneous envelope + insulation

Both work. Both will meet WT 2021. Both will let your warehouse serve 30+ years. But the differences in cost, time, and operation are dramatic.

In this article we show concrete calculations for a 1000 m² warehouse (typical). No marketing, with numbers for 2026.

In short: how the two schools differ

	termPIR® + masonry/frame	Sandwich panels
Structure	Steel load-bearing + masonry from blocks/keramzit/silicate	Steel load-bearing (lighter)
Envelope	Masonry 24–30 cm + insulation 14–20 cm + exterior render	Sandwich panel 80–200 mm = envelope + insulation in one
Build time	6–9 months	5–6 months (including ~35 days of factory production of sandwich panels)
Price (per m² of warehouse)	1,400–2,200 PLN	1,100–1,700 PLN
Wall weight per m²	350–500 kg	18–25 kg
Extension / rebuild	Complicated (masonry)	Easy (demountable)
Durability	50+ years	30–40 years
Insulation replacement	Practically impossible	Possible (panel demounting)
Fire resistance classes	Easy REI 60+ (fire-resistant masonry)	Requires selection (EI 30–EI 240 depending on configuration)

In practice:

Traditional wins on durability and fire class
Sandwich panels win on cost and time

The choice depends on what matters more to you.

Concrete calculation — 1000 m² warehouse

Assumptions:

Usable area: 1000 m² (e.g. 50×20 m)
Usable height: 8 m to ridge
Location: central Poland, standard material availability
Building fire resistance class: D (typical for PM)
Requirement: WT 2021 + REI 30 for partition wall between zones

Variant 1 — Steel structure + silicate masonry + termPIR® ETX (ETICS)

Steel structure:             ~280 PLN/m² warehouse  =  280,000 PLN
Silicate masonry 24 cm:      ~180 PLN/m² walls × 350 m² walls = 63,000 PLN
termPIR® ETX 160 mm (ETICS): 110 PLN/m² × 350 m² = 38,500 PLN
Render + mesh + adhesive (ETICS): 95 PLN/m² × 350 m² = 33,250 PLN
Roof (trapezoidal sheet + termPIR AL 140 mm + felt): 200 PLN/m² × 1100 m² = 220,000 PLN
Joinery (gates, doors, windows): ~80,000 PLN
Reinforced concrete floor:   ~120 PLN/m² × 1000 = 120,000 PLN
Installations (water, power, heating): ~200,000 PLN
Labour and other:            ~350,000 PLN

TOTAL: ~1,380,000 PLN = 1,380 PLN/m² of warehouse

Build time: 7–9 months

Variant 2 — Steel structure + GS insPIRe (PIR) sandwich panels walls + GS insPIRe D roof

Steel structure (lighter, smaller foundations):
                              ~220 PLN/m² warehouse  =  220,000 PLN
GS insPIRe S 100 mm (wall):   140 PLN/m² × 350 m² = 49,000 PLN
Sandwich wall installation:   50 PLN/m² × 350 = 17,500 PLN
GS insPIRe D 120 mm (roof):   165 PLN/m² × 1100 m² = 181,500 PLN
Sandwich roof installation:   60 PLN/m² × 1100 = 66,000 PLN
Joinery:                       ~75,000 PLN
Reinforced concrete floor:    ~120,000 PLN
Installations:                 ~180,000 PLN
Labour and other:             ~220,000 PLN

TOTAL: ~1,128,000 PLN = 1,128 PLN/m² of warehouse

Build time: 5–6 months

Variant 3 — Steel structure + GS MW QA sandwich panels (mineral wool) — for higher fire class

Steel structure:               220 PLN/m² × 1000 = 220,000 PLN
GS MW QA S 120 mm (wall):      180 PLN/m² × 350 = 63,000 PLN
Installation:                  50 PLN/m² × 350 = 17,500 PLN
GS MW QA D 150 mm (roof):      210 PLN/m² × 1100 = 231,000 PLN
Roof installation:             60 × 1100 = 66,000 PLN
Other (as Variant 2):          ~595,000 PLN

TOTAL: ~1,192,000 PLN = 1,192 PLN/m² of warehouse

Advantage of Variant 3: EI 60–EI 180 for walls (mineral wool), full BROOF, better fire classes for a PM class facility. Price ~6% higher than Variant 2.

Synthetic comparison

Variant	Total cost	Price/m²	Build time	Wall fire class	Durability
1 — Masonry + termPIR® ETX	1,380,000 PLN	1,380 PLN/m²	7–9 months	REI 60+	50 years
2 — GS insPIRe (PIR)	1,128,000 PLN	1,128 PLN/m²	5–6 months	EI 15–30	30 years
3 — GS MW QA (wool)	1,192,000 PLN	1,192 PLN/m²	5–6 months	EI 60–EI 180	35 years

Difference between 1 and 2: 252,000 PLN against masonry (+ 4 months longer). That’s a lot.

Operating cost — 10-year perspective

The building itself is half the story. The other half is operation.

Energy (heating + cooling)

Assumption: warehouse heated in winter to 12°C, cooled in summer to 25°C. Air conditioning 50 kW, air source heat pump.

Variant	Roof U-value	Wall U-value	Annual demand kWh/m²	Cost 10 years (energy 0.8 PLN/kWh)
1 — Masonry + ETICS PIR	0.15	0.18	110 kWh/m²	880,000 PLN
2 — GS insPIRe 120 mm	0.18	0.22	135 kWh/m²	1,080,000 PLN
3 — GS MW QA 150 mm	0.17	0.19	122 kWh/m²	976,000 PLN

Variant 1 saves 200,000 PLN on energy over 10 years vs Variant 2 — because better insulated (thicker PIR layer + thermal mass of masonry).

Maintenance and repairs

Variant	Every 5 years	Every 10 years
Masonry + ETICS	Minor render cracks (~5,000 PLN)	ETICS inspection, possible touch-up (~15,000 PLN)
Sandwich panels	Joint inspection, sealing tapes (~3,000 PLN)	Possible replacement of damaged panels (~10,000 PLN)

Maintenance similar, sandwich panels advantage in ease of repair (demountable).

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) — 10 years

Variant	Investment	Energy 10 years	Maintenance	TCO 10 years
1 — Masonry + ETICS PIR	1,380,000	880,000	20,000	2,280,000 PLN
2 — GS insPIRe (PIR)	1,128,000	1,080,000	13,000	2,221,000 PLN
3 — GS MW QA (wool)	1,192,000	976,000	13,000	2,181,000 PLN

10-year verdict:

GS MW QA (wool) — cheapest over 10 years (2.18 mln) + best fire classes
GS insPIRe (PIR) — very close (2.22 mln), faster build
Masonry + ETICS — most expensive (2.28 mln), but longest durability (50+ years)

In a 20-year perspective: masonry catches up with sandwich panels and overtakes them (fewer costly repairs, better insulation = lower bills). Plus masonry has higher market value upon potential sale.

In a 5-year perspective (if you plan to sell or lease the warehouse short-term): sandwich panels DEFINITELY win.

What to choose — decision in 4 questions

1. How long do you plan to keep this warehouse?

5–10 years → sandwich panels (PIR or MW)
15+ years → masonry + ETICS seriously considered

2. Do you need high fire resistance class?

REI 30 is enough (typical PM warehouse class “D”–“E”) → sandwich PIR OK
REI 60+ needed (hazardous materials, adjacent warehouse, classes “A”–“C”) → mineral wool or masonry + ETICS

3. How important is delivery time?

Urgently needed (5–6 months) → sandwich panels — faster than masonry, but factor in 35 days of factory production
Can wait 7–9 months → masonry + ETICS

4. What are your acoustic and climate preferences inside?

Standard warehouse (no people for long) → sandwich panels suffice
Hall with people 8h daily / cold store / freezer / production hall → masonry (better thermal mass, better acoustics) or GS MW (wool has better acoustics than PIR)

Most common investor mistakes

Mistake 1 — Choosing based on envelope price alone

Investor asks “how much per m² of sandwich panel?” → buys the cheapest. Missed opportunity: steel structure (the main cost) differs by 20–30% depending on the static requirements of the panel. TCO matters, not the envelope price.

Mistake 2 — Ignoring fire class

PIR sandwich panels have EI 15–30 (wall). The fire inspector during acceptance requires EI 60 → you need to add gypsum partition walls → 80,000 PLN extra. Check building class requirements before choosing.

Mistake 3 — Wrong thickness selection for the climate

PIR 80 mm in a warehouse heated to 18°C in winter = high power bill. Every heated warehouse starts at min. 100 mm PIR wall, 120 mm roof. Investment in insulation pays back in 5–7 years.

Mistake 4 — Omitting ETICS for masonry

A 25 cm silicate wall alone has U ~0.7 W/(m²·K) — far from WT 2021. Without ETICS with PIR/MW (15–20 cm additional) → illegal, the authority will not approve it.

What BOKKA offers

We sell both schools — termPIR® + GS insPIRe / GS MW sandwich panels. Without pushing one option. We advise objectively:

TCO calculation for your warehouse (with concrete numbers for your climate, requirements, location)
Nationwide delivery — termPIR® pallets in 7 days, sandwich panels made to order at the Gór-Stal factory (typically ~35 days — production starts after order confirmation + transport)
Full documentation — DoP, REI/EI classifications, BROOF for every configuration

🤝 Free BOKKA technical consultation — we’ll help select the product and complete documentation for your project.

Summary

Your situation	Choice
Urgent build, standard warehouse, 5–10 years	PIR sandwich panels (GS insPIRe)
Warehouse with hazardous materials or REI 60+ requirement	MW sandwich panels (GS MW QA)
Production hall with people, long-term investment, acoustics	Masonry + ETICS termPIR ETX
Cold store / freezer warehouse	GS insPIRe CH (PIR) 150–200 mm
Mixed requirements	Masonry up to 3 m + sandwich panels above