We’re about to buy a lot in southern Maryland where we’ll build our retirement home within the next few years. We’ve designed the layout and we’ve discussed the good and bad of previous houses so that this one will be our last and best. And we intend to do as much of the building ourselves. We’re engineers - we have tools - how hard can it be??
[sub]uh - that was sarcasm - hubby has helped his dad build 3 houses and we’ve done major remodels on 3 of our own houses - we’re confident in our abilities and limits…[/sub]
I suggested we consider using steel for the framing instead of lumber. What I’ve read about it and seen on HGTV programs makes it an appealing alternative, and being termite and fire resistant on a heavily wooded lot seems to make sense. My beloved is being pig-headed - he doesn’t want to discuss it. sheesh.
Who’s got experience with steel framing? Comments? Horror stories? Praise and adulation? Opinions? Anything?
Will steel framing help much if the rest of the house is flammable? If you’re that concerned for flammability, have you considered brick/cinderblock/concrete construction?
Steel. Definitely. My dad’s an engineer and a contractor, and over the course of his career he’s built probably close to a thousand structures, from simple enclosed shacks to shelter machinery to out two-story rambler. The ones that he could upgrade the spec on the framing to steel, he did, and the results stayed up longer (ALL of the steel structures that I’m aware of are still standing, as opposed to maybe 35% of the wood-framed ones) and were more structually sound than the wood ones. Keep in mind this was California, so earthquake readiness was an issue. He had consistently good experiences with the steel, and for residential dwellings, the fact that you house is framed in steel can add to its appraisal and resale value. It can also save you money on insurance. If you’ve got the option and the cash, use steel, stucco or stone the outside and put a tin roof on it. It basically takes a tank to knock down a house like that.
If 65% of the structures that your Dad built in wood are not still standing, then he must have been building in a disaster area. A properly built wood-framed building should last well over 100 years. (I live in one of the older parts of New England, and the place is lousy with 200/250 year old houses.) Granted, the framing sags, and the floors tilt, but the houses keep on standing.
That said, having done some recent remodeling, I’d say there are pros and cons using steel framing members.
Probably the best part of it would be to eliminate inconsistencies in the framing material. Two-by-anything wood products twist, warp, cup, and basically are miserable to work with. Even after scrutinizing each 2x4 at the lumberyard, I probably had a 30% wastage factor.
The worst thing about using steel would be its unworkability. If a wood framing member needs to be modified, or have something tacked to it, it’s a matter of moments to haul out the reciprocating saw or the cordless drill and make the modifications. Steel would take longer. It would be much harder to attach things to support beams. (Although it would be a good excuse for buying welding equipment :-).
If the trees on your heavily wooded lot go right up to your house, even a steel-framed brick-faced building will be destroyed by a forest fire. The best fire protection on a wooded lot is to cut the dense trees back a good distance from your house to create a fire break. Sure you lose much of the forested feel of your environment that way, but remember: forests burn. It’s a natural part of their life cycle. If your house is in the forest, it will burn too.
Well, it was in California…
Seriously, most of the wooden framed structures that aren’t standing were knocked down in mudslides, set on fire, or backed into accidentally by bulldozers.
I agree with you about the wastage-I worked in a lumberyard one summer, and we’d go through tons of the stuff trying to find usable pieces.
Just a few notes for clarification - the lot we’re hoping to get (this weekend, fingers crossed) is about 1.6 acres and it’s in an existing neighborhood. Perhaps heavily wooded was too strong a description, but we don’t intend to bulldoze the lot like so many people seem to do when they build. However, there will be a yard around the house. As for the exterior - we want brick, but we may only be able to afford having that on the front. So we’re considering hardi-board for the rest - it’s a cement-core product. Or we’ll have vinyl siding… still working that out.
Does anyone know how steel compares to wood in cost? None of the web sites I’ve seen post prices. I saw that it needs to be screwed together - dunno how the price of screws compares to collated nails. I’ve seen conflicting articles about insulation also - one saying steel framing makes for reduced R-values, one saying it was better… Guess I need to read in more detail.
Of course, if we hit Lotto, all bets are off and I’m buying a waterfront estate…
First, you can expect to get cut more when working with steel framing. It sometimes has jagged edges and you can easily poke yourself. Staining the steel red gets old after awhile.
Steel framing makes the installation of architectural molding more difficult, though it’s not impossible.
I’ve seen steel wall studs is use. When I pressed the drywall, it deflected a bit more than a wood-studded wall would have. Seemed cheap to me, but perhaps the contractor didn’t fasten them in with enough screws.
Steel may transmit sounds more. Don’t know about lightning or insulation issues. Otherwise, steel is nice.
I don’t know how it compares pricewise, but check out the synthetic stone products. Last spring I had 8 foot tall concrete retaining wall covered with cultured stone that looks just like the natural water-washed ledgestone wall I have around the border of my garden.
If you must use siding, I think hardi-plank is superior to vinyl or aluminum. While it has to be painted, it looks great and takes the little dings and bangs well. A year or so after they finished construction, I found a 3 foot long scrap that the builders buried in the back yard. After I brushed off the mud, it was visually and structurally sound.
I wouldn’t worry about rust any more than I’d worry about rotting wood - we’re not going to be in a swamp. However, I never thought about hanging pictures - and we do have a lot of artwork the will be framed before we move into the new house.
And as far as getting cut on the steel - I’m certain I can find many ways to bleed no matter what we use. Someday I’ll tell you about my natural klutziness…
I don’t think faux stone will suit the style of house - it’s a salt-box style exterior. Brick would be best, but there’s the money thing - especially since we’d have to contract that out - neither of us can lay brick. Hardi board is the smartest except the painting part, since I’m the family painter. I gotta think on that…
Anyway, that’s for the input, all - my research shall continue. And once the new FairyChatEstate is ready, we shall party - keep your calendars open about 3-4 years hence!
I say wood. Yeah, steel is stronger, but wood is so much easier to work with, both when you are building the house and after it is built. tsunamisurfer made some good points about steel framing, and I tend to agree. I’ve had to build houses and whatnot before, and I know that things are never exact. Small cuts, modifications, jurry-rigs, etc… always need to be done to the wood. Steel frames would make things like that almost impossible to work around. Plus, steel weighs a lot more than wood. I don’t see you making an entire wall frame on the ground out of steel and lifting it into place with only a few people, you need a fuckin’ crane to do that!
funny, I was wondering about this just today. I rely on the wood studs behind my walls to secure shelves, whiteboards, mirrors, etc. How do you hang anything heavy on a wall backed by metal studs?
Very little experience speaking here. You hang things using screws. A wall of steel studs is no heavyer than a wood framed one. Cutting is minimised by planning. Steel studs are straight and knot free. Planing is important. Knockouts for utilitys should be cut before the framing is screwed together. I once saw a machine making studs at the building site. Wish I could have asked the operator some questions.
Go Steel!
sorry Booker57 i don’t follow. Can you sink screws into the steel studs? My question was that i anchor heavy things to my wooden studs, which are easy to sink screws into. This is all after the wall is up.
I’m no building expert by any means, so feel free to ignore my opinions. But…have you considered building your house with either concrete or rammed earth?
