Light Gauge Steel Framing Or Red Iron Houses

JimCarter

Today there is a growing Awareness and Acceptance of Building Steel Houses using materials like Red Iron and Light Gauge Steel. Steel houses have greater strength in comparison to houses made of Wood. Additionally, you don't need to worry about fire, termites, hurricane, thunder storm or tornado.

Fellow members share your knowledge and views on this topic. Also shoot any questions that you may have on using steel for building your residential or commercial property.

NJ Brickie

You forgot the best option for your poll. All masonry home

Tom Antoine

Whatever is most cost effective at the time.

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NJ Brickie

Wrong answer in my opinion. What ever is the most cost effective in the long run.

Tom Antoine

There are no significant performance differences between metal and wood framed homes. Except in a fire, then wood is superior because it chars and maintains it's structural integrity well after the melting point of metal is reached. There are little to no true masonry homes constructed any longer, most are brick veneer. If you are talking about performance for an exterior siding product, brick is superior to most building envelope materials.

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Fence

Wood, because wood is good.

rustyjames

Steel, because it's the real deal.

NJ Brickie

My original post was just poking fun. I do believe an all masonry home, whether it be CMU, CMU with a masonry veneer, or an ICF home with a masonry veneer is the best home. I do know that most houses in the US are stick framed but to say there are little to no masonry homes is just untrue. A large portion of houses in Florida are masonry. ICF house construction seems to be gaining popularity also. The orginal question was about best building practices. Longevity,mold resistence, less worries about water damage, fire damage, thermal mass, quiteness, superior storm resistantance,and much less maintenance are some of the reasons masonry homes outperform stick/metal homes.

rustyjames

The only thing about masonry is that it doesn't perform that well in seismic events. Other than that, it would be my second choice

loneframer

Personally, I've only framed one house with steel, up to the roof anyway. No doubt, the walls are straighter than with conventional lumber, but the increase in labor with the product we used is so cost prohibitive, that I would never use it on my own home.

If I had an unlimited budget, my choice would be to frame the entire structure with engineered lumber products. IMO, wood is just a much easier medium to build with and with proper tecniques and finishing details, will provide an all around nicer finished product.

Bottom line is, to each his own. I'm a carpenter because I love working with wood, the tools, materials, methods, etc.

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essrmo

what's important about using wood is its ability to move, flex and absorb energy during an earthquake. how can charred wood have any structural integrity? wood is going to disintegrate long before any structural steel will melt. and true masonry homes? what a load of BS.

NJ Brickie

How do you figure this?

essrmo

i read it as sort of an ambiguous statement, that's all..