When choosing between timber or steel frames and trusses for your kit home, there are several considerations to keep in mind. These considerations involve many factors such as the location of your kit home, the exposure to certain environmental and climatic conditions, and your budget. But whether you choose timber or steel, you can be assured you are buying a quality home to meet your family needs.
Do not Pester Me
Choosing between timber or steel frames sometimes comes down to considering the pests where you will be building. Termite damage in Australian homes costs home owners millions of dollars every year in repairs. A steel framed and trussed kit home provides extra protection against termites. There's not a termite in the world that can eat its way through steel! If you live in an area with termites, steel is the best choice for your home construction.
It should be stated that the framing for wood and steel is very similar. The differences are quite few. Steel does not have to settle like wood. That means steel framing is ideal for locations where there is a lot of moisture. Unlike wood, steel will not expand and contract when exposed to different moisture depths in the air. Although the wood used in kit homes is of high quality and always properly treated and sealed, wood is sensitive to moisture. A steel frame never has the possibility of warping, shrinking, splitting or twisting due to moisture.
I Can Handle That
Many people choose to build their own kit homes in order to reduce labor costs. Steel frames are already punch holed, weigh less and do not need to be chemically treated like wood. Owners who decide to build their own kit homes find these features important, because they make the job simpler all around.
One of the big advantages of steel construction is the fact steel beams are not as heavy as wood timbers. Yet steel is stronger than wood even though it weighs less. When you live in an area with high winds, steel framing and trusses provide extra protection against the weather.
Steel is also recommended for areas which are subject to frequent wild fires or are built in areas where the fire threat is high. A wood home is much more likely to catch on fire quickly, and once on fire, the damage is intensive. Steel framed home are better able to withstand fire threats and will sustain less damage than wood framed homes.
Another reason why steel frames and trusses may be desirable over wood in a particular home is the fact steel can span a longer distance than wood. When you custom design your home as an open floor plan, you may need to choose steel over wood to meet construction standards.
Do not Forget Wood
Complete all the advantages of using steel for framing and trusses, houses built with wood have pluses also. Wood costs less than steel so when termites or extreme weather are not problems, wood is a good choice. Wood is a versatile material for construction purposes also. You can easily adapt design any floor plan or house style using wood.
Choosing between timber or steel frames and trusses for your kit home requires an assessment of the environmental features of the area in which you will be building. But the one thing you can be sure of ….. the steel and wood kit home will be well built and enduring.