Steel Frame House

Steel Frame House

The Pros and Cons of a Steel Frame Home
By Lydia Cooper

Steel is a popular material in construction as it is extremely durable and strong. Steel frame buildings are most commonly found in industrial or storage situations but more recently, more people are using steel structures in residential building. A steel frame house is one of the newest options that is now available to anyone looking to build or buy a new home. As with most things, steel frame buildings come with both advantages and disadvantages. When considering buying or building a steel frame home it is important to take into consideration both pros and cons. When building it is essential to work alongside an architect who is experienced in constructing homes out of steel as there are some issues involved that differ slightly from standard constructions.

Let's start with the advantages that a steel frame building can bring. The biggest advantage of using steel in residential building is the longevity and durability of the material itself. With wooden frames you often get rotting or warping meaning that the walls never stay perfectly straight. With wooden frames you often have to replace the home's under-structure and this can be quite costly. With steel you don't get any warping or rotting so you won't need to fork out any money to replace any parts of the structure. If you are looking to stay in your house for a long time then a steel frame really can save you lots of money spent on repairs.

With any home there is always the potential problem that bugs may find their way into the structure of the house. Even though steel homes can have some if the same bug problems as other types of homes, there are still some advantages. Bugs that often bore or eat into the wooden structure of a house can cause some serious structural damage. The bugs often find a home in a wooden frame and it can be very hard to get rid of them. With a steel frame, the bugs will not make a nest; therefore the structural damage that pests often cause to wooden frames will not happen.

Another advantage of a steel house is that they are very sturdy and can withstand even the most severe weather. They can even be built to hurricane and earthquake standards if need be.

Now to the disadvantages. The cost of producing steel has always been relatively very high. While the cost of most steel frame materials has become increasingly competitive, the costs of construction are another matter. It takes a lot of time to construct a steel frame building as it takes longer to use screws than it does to use nails. In addition screws also cost more

Insulation is a big problem with steel buildings. Steel homes need additional insulation as steel on its own is not a very good insulator, especially when you consider how good an insulator wood is. Insulating your home to an acceptable standard will also add to your building costs. If you do not take the time to consider appropriate insulation methods during the construction process, then the energy costs for your home will be higher and your home will not be the warm and cosy placed that you hoped for.

Steel Frame House