Fire-resistant home construction
Building a More Fire-Resilient Home with Steel Framing
Homeowners rebuilding in Los Angeles are asking a structural question: how much combustible material is in the walls, floors and roof carrying the house?
Wheeler Residential Steel Supply provides project-specific cold-formed steel framing packages that replace structural wood in the load-bearing walls, floors and roof of a custom home or rebuild.
Serving Los Angeles and Orange County, California.
WHERE FRAMING FITS
FIRE RESILIENCE IS AN ASSEMBLY QUESTION, NOT A SINGLE PRODUCT
A more fire-resilient home is the result of the whole design: the roof class, exterior materials, vents, windows and doors, decks, landscaping and defensible space, together with the structure itself.
Framing is the part homeowners rarely see and cannot change later. Choosing a noncombustible structural framing material is a decision made at the framing stage and carried for the life of the home.
Steel framing alone does not make a home fireproof, and no material or assembly can guarantee a particular wildfire outcome.
NONCOMBUSTIBLE STRUCTURE
WHAT COLD-FORMED STEEL FRAMING CHANGES
Cold-formed steel framing members are noncombustible: they do not contribute fuel to a fire in the way structural lumber does.
Steel also does not rot, warp, shrink or feed termites, which is why it is used for the load-bearing structure in projects where long-term stability matters.
Nonstructural wood such as cabinetry, trim, doors and finished flooring can still be present, so the complete design still governs the home’s performance.
THE REST OF THE ENVELOPE
WHAT ELSE THE DESIGN TEAM WILL BE LOOKING AT
Wheeler supplies structural framing, not the envelope. But homeowners comparing options usually want to know what the other decisions are, because embers — not a wall of flame — are what reach most homes.
The design team will typically be considering the roof covering class, eave and soffit detailing, ember-resistant attic and crawlspace venting, exterior cladding, window glazing and frames, exterior doors, decks and attachments, and defensible space around the structure.
Those elements are specified by the project’s licensed architect, working with the structural engineer and the applicable building authority. Wheeler’s role is the structural framing package underneath them.
CONSTRUCTION CLASSIFICATION
TYPE II NONCOMBUSTIBLE CONSTRUCTION IS DETERMINED BY YOUR DESIGN TEAM
Replacing structural wood throughout the load-bearing walls, floors and roof can support a Type II noncombustible construction approach.
Final construction classification and any required fire-resistance-rated assemblies are determined by the project’s licensed architect and structural engineer based on the complete approved design, and are subject to acceptance by the applicable building authority.
Wheeler does not provide insurance advice or guarantee insurance eligibility, coverage or pricing. Wildfire mitigation and construction characteristics may affect insurance availability or premiums depending on the property and the insurer.
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.
FIRE-RESILIENT CONSTRUCTION QUESTIONS
IS A STEEL FRAME HOME FIREPROOF?
No. Cold-formed steel framing members are noncombustible, which means the structure itself does not add fuel the way structural lumber does.
A home’s behavior in a wildfire depends on the complete design — roof, cladding, vents, openings, decks and defensible space — and no material or assembly can guarantee a particular outcome.
WHAT IS TYPE II NONCOMBUSTIBLE CONSTRUCTION?
It is a construction classification in which the structural elements are noncombustible materials. Replacing structural wood throughout the load-bearing walls, floors and roof can support that approach.
The classification for any specific project is determined by the licensed architect and structural engineer based on the complete approved design, subject to acceptance by the building authority.
DOES STEEL FRAMING REPLACE THE NEED FOR DEFENSIBLE SPACE?
No. Defensible space, vegetation management and the fire-resistance of the envelope remain part of the project regardless of the structural framing material.
Those requirements are set by the applicable building authority and specified by the project’s design team.
START A CONVERSATION
PLANNING A MORE FIRE-RESILIENT REBUILD?
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.