Residential Steel Buildings

By Tyler Lacoma

Steel materials provide many benefits for homeowners in the long term - from money-saving energy efficiency to durability even in the worst weather conditions. But steel construction also provides advantages for contractors as they work on new projects. These short-term benefits can help speed up construction times, save on waste, and provide excellent selling points for construction firms. Here are several of the best reasons that contractors - and their clients - should switch to steel for their latest projects.

1. Pre-manufactured panels

In traditional residential homes, plywood and similar materials are used to form the floor and walls of a house. Insulation is typically a form of batting and is nailed down before the final layers of plywood are installed. This approach requires a lot of monotonous nailing and stapling, along with frequent measurements and adjustments.

Steel panels, however, come in as pre-manufactured, pre-insulated products that can be swiftly installed with rapid positioning. Insulated steel panels come equipped with fasteners designed to attach to other panels. This takes the hassle out of installing for new homes, additions, or remodeling projects. The panels are not always suitable for every residential project, but they can be used on many types of roofing and wall insulation projects.

2. Better deadline management

The ease of installation applies to much more than pre-manufactured steel panels. Steel materials are frequently lightweight compared to pressure-treated wood and have concentrated strength properties. This removes the need for many temporary frames, interior walls, and trusses that need to be used to support weaker wood framing. Pre-measured metal framing and brackets also cut down on times spent measuring and checking angles. Less redundancy means less time spent on the construction site and faster completion times.

3. Easier cleanup

Along with the speed of installation that residential steel building offers, companies can also find ways to make post-construction activities like site cleanup easier. When steel framing and metal panels are used in construction, buildings naturally become more modular and simpler to assemble. Fewer on-site adjustments need to be made, which means less sawdust, less damage to the site, and happier clients. Also, your construction crews may appreciate moving on to jobs they were hired to do, rather than spending time cleaning up their messes.

4. Fewer callbacks

A warranty callback occurs whenever a contractor returns previously installed materials because of problems (most often structural issues). When using only wood, timbers can shift in response to settling issues, moisture evaporation, and unknown flaws in the lumber. Naturally, it casts a poor light on company reputation when a contractor has to make a callback for a structural beam that was installed months ago--typically while the irate owner is standing by. Even the best warranty callbacks bring costs and losses in time and labor. Steel framework, however, does not shift as much over time and does not have the moisture issues that wood does. Callbacks are far less frequent and usually occur during the construction phase instead of long afterward.