Business owners have known for decades that metal buildings are affordable, efficient, and durable choices. It’s why you see them everywhere in commercial and industrial areas. Meanwhile, most residential construction has remained confined to traditional wood-framing and non-metal materials.
What’s not necessarily obvious is that the very things that make metal buildings such a great investment for your business are actually what makes sense for your next home. The good news is that manufacturers of pre-fabricated and pre-engineered buildings are seeing a big uptick in the sales of metal buildings to homeowners who are finally realizing that it’s possible to enjoy the cost-effective and eco-friendly benefits without having to sacrifice interior comforts or exterior aesthetics.
Wood’s No Longer King of the Residential Construction Mountain
The world’s appetite for lumber has made it difficult to find and use quality wood for residential construction. Old-growth forests are protected, leaving sustainably harvested wood as the option for the residential construction industry.
While this lumber may be of good quality, it’s hardly comparable to the lumber that was used to build our homes even decades previously. Sustainably harvested wood tends to have a smaller stem diameter and a larger taper. These trees also have bigger knots. Those characteristics make less of the tree usable for lumber. This lower quality wood is also more apt to warp or twist. It’s less dense, which also makes it more prone to pest infestation.
The Advantages of Steel Framing
When you think about it, the framing of any building is the structural “skeleton.” We need it to be strong and reliable, whether it’s a commercial building or our home. It’s why many property owners elect to use steel for framing.
It might be difficult to imagine because we tend to think that metal objects are heavy – but steel building frames are on an average 25% lighter than traditional lumber frames. Because these frame elements are manufactured, they are designed and engineered to be precise and consistent in shape and quality. It means there’s literally no construction waste.
Take a Miracle Truss® DIY building kit, for example. We send you what’s necessary. Everything has been factory pre-fitted, so you can put up the structure faster and not have to worry about discarding poor quality lumber materials.
One of the most important benefits of steel framing is that it is impervious to rot, mold, and pest damage. This is especially valuable to property owners who live in areas that are prone to termite infestations.
Visit our gallery of metal and steel residences and cabins to get a better and visual idea of the possibilities presented by going with a Miracle Truss® design. We use steel for strength and wood for flexibility in our designs. We can help you build everything from a complete modern home to a cabin or a bungalow. Use this form to tell us what you’ve got in mind, and we’ll send you free information.
