Steel vs Wood: What are the benefits of a steel home?

Inherent advantages of steel:

So what's the big deal about "Steel"? There are many great benefits of building your next home with lightweight steel construction, here are a few:

Steel studs are always straight, and do not have the problems associated with wood studs such as a tendency to warp, twist, swell and shrink over time with age or changing moisture levels. Steel will not rot, mold, or get termites. Many municipalities, especially in California, are requiring multi-family residences to be constructed of non-combustible materials to improve fire safety in compliance with local codes & fire regulations. In fact, construction with steel framing usually lowers your monthly insurance premiums.

Steel studs are generally 30-50 percent lighter than their wood counterparts, and are much stronger than wood. This means you can span greater distances and have open, flexible, & beautiful home design. By choosing lightweight steel construction by RMC Steel Homes, you can count on a strong, safe, healthy, well-built and well-designed home for you and your family.

Greater Strength and Safety:

Steel's inherent strength and non-combustible qualities enable a steel framed building to resist such devastating events as fires, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Homes can be designed to meet the highest seismic and wind load specifications in any part of the country. Steel studs have been rated to withstand wind loads of up to 160mph.

Steel framed homes are stronger and safer in fires – they will not add fuel to a fire nor collapse as easily as wood. Steel framing does not need to be treated, so it is free of resin adhesives and other chemicals used to treat wood framing products, that can make you or your family sick. Because of this steel framed homes are recommended by the Healthy House Institute.

Of any building material Steel remains one of the strongest, most durable and economically manufactured materials. No wonder 80% of all commercial buildings are constructed with steel as the primary structure. Stronger, straighter, non-combustible, longer lasting and many other characteristics contribute to the undeniable superiority of steel as a building material.

Energy Efficient / Environmentally Friendly:

All steel products are 100% recyclable. The overall recycling rate of steel products in North America is 66%, the highest rate of any material. You can frame a typical steel home with 6 to 8 recycled cars and save 40-50 trees, conserving one of nature's most precious resources.

Steel contains no harmful chemicals such as found in pressure treated wood that can cause soil contamination. There are no pesticides or toxins are required to protect from rot, termites or vermin. There is no off-gassing from resins, adhesives, or chemicals like those used for wood.

Building an average wood frame home generates approximately 50 cubic feet of landfill waste, while a comparable steel home generates about 1.5 cubic feet of waste. During the last decade, more than 1 trillion pounds of steel scrap have been recycled, keeping a valuable commodity out of the country's landfill sites. Magnetic separation makes steel the easiest and most economical material to remove from the solid waste stream. The amount of energy needed to produce a ton of steel has been reduced by 34% since 1972 and continues to decrease.

Benefits of using Lightweight Steel Studs:

Always Straight
Do not warp or swell
Will not rot or mold
Weight half as much
Spans longer distances
Will not burn or add fuel to fire
Exceed all wind & seismic codes
Not affected by termites
More stable than wood
Every stud is the same quality
More flexibility in design
Saves Trees
100% Recyclable
No harmful chemicals

Robert McDonough Const.
8942 Creekford Dr.
Lakeside, CA 92040

Office: 619-749-5339
FAX: 619-749-3012
Cell: 619-504-1870

Robert McDonough Construction
8942 Creekford Dr.
Lakeside, CA 92040

Office: 619-749-5339
FAX: 619-749-3012
Cell: 619-504-1870
Con. Lic. #B352420