Question: Can you build multi-story buildings with cold-formed steel?
Answer: Yes, you can build buildings up to 4 stories tall.
Question: How much steel is used in a typical house built with cold-formed steel?
Answer: A single story house using cold-formed steel for the wall and roof framing has approximately 16kg of steel per square metre of floor space. A two-story house has approximately 20kg of steel per square metre of floor space.
Question: Is steel durable?
Answer: Galvanized Steel will not crack, shrink, splinter, creep, split, warp, swell or rot. Steel is impervious to termites and wood destroying insects.
Question: How does steel perform in load bearing walls?
Answer: Very well! Because of the strength of steel, our 18 gauge walls are load bearing.
Question: Is steel safe?
Answer: Steel’s strength and non-combustible properties offer greater protection for your home and family. Choosing steel framing can eliminate wind, fire and lightning damage to your home.
Question: Is steel recyclable?
Answer: Steel framing is the environmentally friendly residential framing choice. When you compare that it takes 40-50 mature trees and only six scrapped cars to frame a 2,000 sq. ft. home, you can quickly appreciate the value of steel today and the impact on generations to come.
Question: What is the environmental impact of steel framing?
Answer: The overall recycling rate of the steel industry is 66%, the highest of any industry in the world. Steel framing scrap is a valuable commodity that should not end up in a landfill.
Question: Is a steel frame home energy efficient?
Answer: Yes. Steel framing can be designed to meet or exceed government energy efficiency standards. Steel framing is straight and true which helps prevent cracks due to shrinkage or warping; it prevents air leaks that result in costly loss of energy.
Question: Will steel framing interfere with electronic equipment?
Answer: No. Steel will not interfere with TV or electronic reception.
Question: Does steel limit home design capabilities?
Answer: No. Because of steel’s strength, you can design your home with larger open spaces. With a steel frame, the walls will remain straight and true and can be finished with any materials that are traditionally used.
Question: What is the cost of steel framing versus wood or concrete?
Answer: People assume that steel costs more than wood or concrete. The opposite is true. Steel is more cost-effective and dependable. When working with a steel frame building, other trades will take less time to finish their jobs as the frame is solid and square. Doors and windows will fit as they should with no adjustments. Framing with steel has less than 2% waste, whereas wood has up to 20% waste with splitting, warping and off cuts.
Question: Can a steel framed building be insulated as well as one built of wood?
Answer: Up to R-30 fiberglass can be used. Spray foam and blown in foam can be used to further insulate and seal cracks and voids.
Question: Can mold grow on steel studs?
Answer: Mold requires three things to grow: mold spores, moisture and organic materials which provide food for the mold. Steel does not contain any organic materials and therefore cannot support mold growth. However, if someone or something has left a residue of organic material on the steel framing, there is a chance that mold could grow.
Question: Would enamel coated steel provide better rust protection for a steel frame home rather than galvanized steel?
Answer: Enamel painted steel without a galvanized coating below does not provide better protection. The reason is that zinc, through its sacrificial galvanic action, can “heal” cuts, scratches and abrasions in the steel. With the rough handling that construction products receive, as well as the cutting, drilling, shearing, and fastening of members, the coating gets cut and scraped away. The galvanized coating works better than the enamel at covering areas that are cut or scratched.
Question: Will steel framing affect the indoor air quality of my home?
Answer: No. Steel framing is recommended for chemically sensitive and environmentally conscious homeowners who seek good indoor air quality. Steel frames do not need to be treated for mold or termites and are free of resin adhesives and chemicals normally present in other construction materials.
Question: Will a steel framed home look different than other homes?
Answer: No. A steel frame home will look exactly like any other home. The same exterior finishes can be applied to a steel frame as those applied in standard construction.
Question: Can a steel framed house be remodeled?
Answer: Yes. Since steel framing enables larger spans in the design of the home, fewer interior load-bearing walls are needed, making renovations very easy while allowing more flexibility in design.
Question: Will a steel frame home rust?
Answer: No. The use of zinc coating on the steel framing protects the steel from corrosion for the life of the structure.
Question: Is a steel frame safe from lightning in storms?
Answer: Yes. A steel frame actually allows more protection for the occupants since it provides a direct path to the ground in the event of a lightning strike. This reduces the likelihood of explosions or secondary fire.
Question: What can I use to clad the steel frame with?
Answer: There is a range of cement based panel products for cladding the exterior of the building. These range from compressed cement sheets to sophisticated composite panels with excellent thermal properties. On the interior it is possible to use gypsum boards.
Question: How does steel framing perform in high winds, hurricanes and tornadoes?
Answer: Because of the high strength of steel framed structure, they are more resistant to damage from these conditions.
Question: How does steel react in a fire?
Answer: Since steel will not burn, the framing will not start or spread a fire. You may also qualify for a lower insurance rate as steel does not add fuel to the fire.
