| Steel: A Shining Example |
|
Okay, let’s get one thing straight, and that's steel! And it stays straight. Being strong and light weight its’ nimble body holds true. Commercial builders and architects figured this out a few years ago. The moisture content of lumber, even kiln dried lumber, leaves chance to drying, warping, twisting and splitting as moisture dissipates it’s heavy, bulkier body.
In the competitive nature of things, lumber is a loser. Taking the lime light, steel wins every time. Fire? Steel wins. Wood framed houses lose. Dry rot, mold, mildew and termites? Steel wins. Building in the rain and melting snow? Wood loses. Steel wins. How about hurricanes and earthquakes? Consistent in its weight yet lighter then lumber, a light gauge steel stud is multiple times stronger then it’s counter part.
Framing costs of a house are around 20 to 22% of the entire home. Upfront costs can be about the same in the long run. Being that steel has superior strength less is needed in actual framing thus reducing overall costs by comparison. However a round of applause is in order for the zero maintenance required and ease of remodeling with steel in the years ahead.
Recyclable Materials Yes, wood is a renewable resource naturally and thankfully. We should continue to grow more of it. Environmentally sound in all ways, trees are good things. However, once steel is produced it is renewable or recyclable again and again. Precision cut with minimal waste left over, steel is returned and recycled. In fact, the oldest recycled product in North America is steel. There are recycling companies over 100 years old that have been changing out steel from junk yard cars, old bridges, desks, cans and appliances into this forever product. Durability and sustainability isn’t a question. Wise Use of Resources According to The Steel Recycling Institute:
New Techniques The good home builders worthy goal may be to provide a more cost effective, energy efficient, longer lasting, healthier and better built home. If so, then steel allows for all of that with gleaming attributes. Steel stud framing, with its ductile, seismic and tensile strength superiority “…. is some 20 times stronger then lumber in every way,” according to Nabil Taha, Ph.D. Precision Structural Engineering (3) He further states, “It creates long lasting and safe stability like no other material used in building.” Thermal Bridging Using light gauge steel framing allows for a tighter, non shifting envelop in the buildings insulation system and it stands to stay that way for mega decades to come. This assures energy efficiency to the max. Thermal bridging or the transfer of heat and cold through the building is money going through the roof and walls. With enough thermal bridging your energy bill will put you into thermal shock. State of the art insulation techniques with steel framing will render thermal bridging null and void. Build tight and ventilate right for efficiency and healthy indoor air quality. Adjustment and Common Sense Using steel to build single-family residences and commercial buildings is one thing but to use steel framing in multi family housing just seems like too much common sense. If the guy on the other side of the wall sets his couch on fire why should everyone else burn down? Are insurance companies paying attention here? Wood framed duplexes and apartment type complexes are like living in dried out tinder boxes stacked on top of each other. All too often we hear of them catching fire. And needless loss of life occurs. Even though most people die of smoke inhalation and not the fire itself a bit of natural thinking dictates that fire has a less likely chance of spreading when having less fuel to burn. Perhaps using steel to solve the challenges of conventional building practices and meet the demands of safer, durable and efficient homes is so glaringly obvious it is blinding. However, for this writer the stage lights are just right and the prospects for steel in residential buildings are bright. Lumber take a break. Steel takes the show. Don McCoy aka The Real McCoy is EcoBroker Certified® and Earth Advantage S.T.A.R. ® Don is a real estate professional with additional training on energy and environmental issues that affect real estate transactions and building. Contact @ www.therealmccoy.us
|