There’s more to wall framing than meets the eye. Although it’s hidden from view, the wall frame determines the quality of your building in both the short and long term.
A healthy home
Steel doesn’t support mold growth or rot, and it won’t accommodate termites or other insects. Its stability gives it the potential to reduce cracks in claddings and linings. Steel does not contain additional preservative chemicals and won’t give off gases or emit VOC’s.
A better quality home
Steel-framing is a straight and stable product that delivers a perfect finish. Steel won’t warp or twist because it doesn’t absorb moisture. This means fewer maintenance problems like cracked linings and sticking doors. You will enjoy straight walls, square corners, and smooth-flush surfaces for the entire life of your home.
The strength of steel
Steel is exceptionally strong and built for the toughest conditions. It is non-combustible and strong and has been shown to have excellent earthquake resistance. Good weather-tightness principles at the design stage will ensure that steel doesn’t rust.
An environmentally sustainable choice
Steel-framing requires no additional preservative chemicals and as it is pre-manufactured there’s minimal wastage, reducing the environmental impact from waste going to landfills. Steel is also 100% recyclable.
Value for money
Steel-framing is a complete system, cost-competitive with timber-framing. Depending on the design of your home it can be cheaper.
A superior finish
The roll forming technology behind steel-framing gives a high degree of dimensional accuracy, enabling consistently straight walls, square corners, and an overall superior finish. The exactness that comes from building in this way helps follow-on trades to fit internal linings, kitchens, and other cupboards. Plus the stability of steel means no contraction or expansion with moisture changes, so frames won’t warp, twist, sag or shrink, eliminating many of the maintenance issues that create builder call-backs.
Speed of construction
Working with steel-framing is very fast and easy. Most steel-framing fabricators will both supply and erect it for you, but if you want to erect it yourself, you will find it very straightforward. Fabricators usually supply frames pre-assembled, strong and straight, and clearly identifiable. No welding is required. The frames come with service holes pre-punched and with plastic grommets to make it easy for your sub-trades to work with. Plus best of all the steel-frames do not absorb moisture so there is no delay waiting for frames to dry.
Ease of specification
The computer-aided design and manufacture of steel-framing make it easy to specify buildings of almost any style and floor plan. The consistent production of steel-framing means you can use one material specification right throughout the house. Steel-framing fabricators can assist you each step of the way – by providing frame and truss detail drawings, engineering certificates, and documentation for consent applications and code-compliance.
Versatility of design
From a design perspective, steel-framing allows you to widen your horizons – literally. With one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of all construction materials, steel delivers excellent spanning capability. This makes it perfect for creating wide, open spaces; as well as innovative building shapes and non-conventional roof lines. It’s also ideal for building on sloping or difficult sites. Steel framing will enhance your creative vision – giving you the freedom to create distinctive, highly-individualized buildings.
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