Wood is a traditional building material. There is a good reason for this. In times past it was on abundant supply, seemed to be the natural approach, and there was usually plenty of it near where you wanted to build. In short, it made sense to build with wood.
However, building homes today is different. The majority of steel made is generated from recycled materials, minimizing the environmental impact and effectively making it more environmentally friendly than wood. This is true even if you plant new trees after cutting down the original ones.
The Strength Of Steel
Wood has always been a good choice as it is a strong building material, especially if you choose hardwoods. But, metal is stronger. You can add a universal steel beam to your home and create huge open spaces that wouldn’t be possible with a wood-framed house. Wood is not as efficient or effective at supporting large loads. This means you need more of it and will find it harder to create the open-design houses that work so well in the modern world.
Integrity
One of the biggest benefits of steel buildings is that they are not susceptible to pests such as termites. Providing the coating on the steel remains intact, it s also impervious to dampness, another issue that can quickly damage any wooden house.
Of course, metal buildings are generally better at withstanding the pressure of water hitting them, such as in extreme weather conditions and flooding. You will also note that metal is much stronger in the event of a fire. While it is possible that a bush fire can get hot enough to melt metal, it is unlikely and, even if it were, the metal would withstand the fire for longer than wood.
That can make a crucial difference to your survival in a bush fire as it buys you time to get out of your home.
Quality
Wood is taken from trees. The trees are selected and chopped before being processed and turned into sheets, planks, and posts. This allows you to build a wood-framed house. However, it is impossible to guarantee the quality of the wood as it grows naturally and can have knots and other issues.
Steel is different. Because it is made in a factory it can be made to the same standards every time. This ensures you have high-quality steel and that every piece is capable of carrying the same weight. This doesn’t just ensure that the steel pieces are stronger than wood. It also helps to ensure the entire house is structurally sound and can be built according to the plans you have drawn up.
Steel offers reliability and the security of knowing it is as strong as you think it is.
This is especially important if you live in a hurricane or earthquake zone as a steel-framed house is more likely to survive than a wooden-framed one.
Of course, the controlled production methods also help to ensure that the price of steel is consistent, making it easier to control the costs of your build.