Steel framing is competitively priced in today's construction market. Compared to the price of wood, steel prices have remained very stable over the past decade. Thanks to computer-aided design and manufacturing techniques, waste is kept to a minimum. Steel's high yield strength and fire-resistant qualities enable steel framed structures to resist fire, earthquakes and high wind loads far better than wood framed structures.
Steel has one of the highest weight to strength ratios of all construction materials.
This strength advantage means better design flexibility, wider spans and better material usage. Steel doesn't shrink, swell, warp or settle. Cracking sheetrock walls, nailhead popping and other common problems with wood framed structures are virtually eliminated. Steel-framed housing dramatically reduces the amount of trees consumed for residential construction, thus conserving one of nature's most precious resources. The only wood products used for light gauge steel construction are plyood sheathing and door and window trim components.