Benefits of steel framing
Benefits of Residential Steel Framing
Why homeowners, architects and builders in Los Angeles choose a cold-formed steel framing system for the structure of a custom home or rebuild.
Every benefit below depends on the complete approved design and the assemblies specified by the project’s architect and structural engineer. Wheeler supplies the engineered framing package, not the design or the installation.
Serving Los Angeles and Orange County, California.
FIRE RESILIENCE
NONCOMBUSTIBLE STRUCTURAL FRAMING
Cold-formed steel framing members are noncombustible and do not add fuel to a fire the way structural lumber does.
Replacing structural wood throughout the load-bearing walls, floors and roof can support a Type II noncombustible construction approach, which the project’s architect and structural engineer determine.
Steel framing does not make a home fireproof; it is one part of a broader fire-resilience strategy.
DURABILITY AND STABILITY
STEEL DOES NOT ROT, WARP, SHRINK OR FEED TERMITES
Framing members are galvanized for corrosion protection and hold their dimensions, so the structure is not subject to the shrinkage and movement associated with lumber.
Because steel is not a food source for termites, replacing structural wood removes that material from the home’s structure. Nonstructural wood elements remain, so normal pest-prevention practices still apply.
Long-term performance still depends on assemblies, weather protection, detailing, drainage, workmanship and maintenance.
DESIGN FREEDOM
GEOMETRY THE DESIGN CALLS FOR, NOT WHAT THE MATERIAL ALLOWS
Curved walls, tall window walls, long clear spans over living areas and cantilevered rooms are resolved through the project’s engineering rather than by choosing from predetermined plans.
That matters most on the custom homes and hillside lots common across Los Angeles County, where the structure follows the architecture rather than constraining it.
The structural design for any specific home is determined by the project’s licensed structural engineer.
PRECISION AND JOBSITE ORDER
PRECUT, LABELED AND DELIVERED FOR THE APPROVED DRAWINGS
Framing packages are engineered for the approved architectural and structural drawings, then precut and identified before delivery.
That reduces field cutting and improvisation, and it keeps constrained rebuild lots and narrow hillside streets workable during framing.
Curved walls, tall openings, long spans and cantilevers are resolved through the project’s engineering rather than by choosing from predetermined plans.
SUSTAINABILITY
A RECYCLABLE STRUCTURAL MATERIAL WITH LESS FIELD WASTE
Steel is a recyclable material, and precut components mean less offcut waste leaves the jobsite during framing.
Wheeler does not make certification, rating or credit claims on a project’s behalf; any green-building documentation is handled by the project team.
INSURANCE CONSIDERATIONS
WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT SAY
Wildfire mitigation and construction characteristics may affect insurance availability or premiums, depending on the property and the insurer.
Wheeler does not provide insurance, lending or appraisal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, coverage or pricing. Those determinations are made by the homeowner’s insurer, lender and appraiser.
STEEL VS. STRUCTURAL WOOD
HOW THE TWO STRUCTURAL FRAMING MATERIALS COMPARE
A comparison of the two materials as they are used for the load-bearing walls, floors and roof of a custom home. Every row still depends on the complete approved design and the assemblies specified by the project’s architect and structural engineer.
| CONSIDERATION | COLD-FORMED STEEL | STRUCTURAL WOOD |
|---|---|---|
| Combustibility | Noncombustible; does not add fuel to a fire | Combustible structural material |
| Construction classification | Can support a Type II noncombustible approach | Typically associated with Type V construction |
| Termites | Not a food source for termites | Can be susceptible; treatment is common |
| Rot and moisture | Does not rot; galvanized for corrosion protection | Can rot when repeatedly wetted |
| Dimensional movement | Does not warp, shrink or twist with moisture cycling | Shrinks, warps and checks as it dries |
| Fabrication | Engineered, precut and labeled off site for the approved drawings | Largely cut and fitted in the field |
| Long spans and custom geometry | Curves, tall openings, long spans and cantilevers resolved in engineering | Often requires added members or engineered lumber |
| End of service life | A recyclable material | Generally landfilled or downcycled |
| Cost | Project-specific; priced after a scope review | Project-specific; varies with lumber markets |
This table describes general material characteristics, not a performance guarantee for any particular home. No material or assembly can guarantee a particular wildfire, seismic or durability outcome.
QUESTIONS ABOUT STEEL VS. WOOD FRAMING
WHAT IS COLD-FORMED STEEL FRAMING?
Cold-formed steel framing is a structural system built from galvanized steel members shaped at room temperature, used for the load-bearing walls, floors and roof of a building.
For a custom home it replaces structural lumber in those assemblies, and it is engineered for the project’s approved architectural and structural drawings.
IS A STEEL-FRAMED HOUSE STRONGER THAN A WOOD ONE?
Structural capacity is a function of the engineered design, not the material alone. Both wood and steel homes are designed to meet the same code requirements for the site.
What a steel structure changes is combustibility, dimensional stability and resistance to rot and termites, along with the ability to resolve long spans and custom geometry in engineering.
DOES STEEL FRAMING TAKE LONGER TO BUILD?
Because members are engineered, precut and labeled before delivery, less cutting and improvisation happens in the field during framing.
Overall schedule depends on the design, the permitting authority and the project team, so Wheeler does not quote a schedule before reviewing a specific project.
START A CONVERSATION
WANT TO KNOW IF STEEL FITS YOUR PROJECT?
Tell us about your property, your architectural plans, your project team and your anticipated timing.
There is no charge or obligation for the initial conversation, and we will tell you honestly whether our steel framing system is a good fit for your project.