Today, an increasing number of builders have discovered lightweight steel framing to construct homes, and are doing so with great success. Steel's sudden growth in residential popularity has been fueled by both economic and environmental considerations in the building industry. Wood has been the material builders traditionally used to construct residential homes in North America. But as a result of more than 90 percent of North America's old-growth forests already being harvested, wood's cost has increased while its overall quality and availability have dwindled. Wood remains an important material for contractors, but steel offers many construction, as well as environmental benefits.
Steel is lightweight, cost effective, easy to use, recycled and recyclable.
Steel framing is cost effective. It can be purchased to specific lengths, minimizing jobsite scrap. Steel does not twist, warp or split, so there is no need to sort out poor quality product, which saves time and money. An average 2,000 square foot steel framed house can generate as little as a cubic yard of recyclable scrap. Builders reduce their disposal costs, and divert material from local landfills.