Myths of steel framing

Steel framing has undergone significant evolution and refinement over the past six Steel framing has undergone significant evolution and refinement over the past six decades, establishing itself as a mainstream construction material. Despite its widespread adoption, some persistent myths, originally based on misconceptions, still exist. Click the cards below to reveal the truth.

A steel framed house will cost me more

This may once have been true, however steel framing systems have developed a lot. The ENDUROFRAME® building system is as equally competitive or actually cheaper than timber. If your builder tells you its more expensive to build with steel, try another builder!

Steel frames are noisier than timber

Light gauge steel frames are not noisier than timber-framed houses. Research by CSIRO has shown that “most occupants of homes with steel frames either reported no sound emitted from the frame or said that if it did, it was not a problem.” Some residents even noted lower noise levels compared to timber-framed houses. The construction of thousands of steel-framed houses in Australia supports this evidence, with some of the country’s largest builders now exclusively using steel.

A future extension to my home will be more difficult if my house is built with a steel frame

Either extending an existing timber framed house with steel, or extending a steel framed house with steel is not more difficult. Steel framing sections can be easily cut to suit the building requirements. Extensions can easily be handled by our sophisticated software ENDUROCADD® software to reduce the amount of onsite fabrication required.

Steel Framing is electrically unsafe

Steel is a positive conductor to the earth with the energy conducted straight to the ground and not released destructively within the frame as in a conventional frame. In a correctly earthed steel frame it’s actually safer than a wooden framed home during a lightning strike or electrical fault situation.

Steel frames can interfere with WI-FI, radio and television reception

Electro-magnetic waves can diffract around steel just as easily as timber. Waves pass through the spaces between the studs, allowing the use of all household appliances without any interference. Again, there are many thousands of houses now built with steel to confirm this.

You will not be able to hang pictures on your walls

The majority of picture hanging hooks simply go only into the plaster with some versions capable of holding in excess of 25Kg. For heavier pictures or shelves, steel screwing fasteners are readily available to make the job simple.

Watch this video on how to attach shelves into a steel stud.

Steel frames will rust

The ENDUROFRAME® building system uses TRUECORE® steel which is protected against corrosion by a hot-dipped metallic coating of a zinc-aluminium-magnesium alloy. This is a similar product to what has been used extensively in outdoor roofing and guttering applications. Where there are cut edges, the sacrificial protection of the coating protects the exposed steel against corrosion.

BlueScope’s TRUECORE® steel carries a warranty of up 50-year warranty against corrosion*, providing confidence that the steel is up to the job.

Certain conditions, such as locations close to breaking surf, may not be suitable for steel framing, and it is advisable to consult BlueScope Steel before construction. However, most locations are benign and pose a low corrosion risk, making them highly suitable for steel framing applications.

Thermal movement of steel will cause cracks or other problems

In a properly constructed and insulated home using steel framing thermally induced movement is not an issue. Steel is engineered and inorganic, and will not rot, warp, twist, bow, shrink, split or settle. In fact, plaster or cornice cracking will be minimised because of the similar thermal coefficient between plaster and steel.

Find out more

Contact our team to find out how to start making efficient light gauge steel frames, or contact one of our experienced licencees who manufacture the ENDUROFRAME®️ building system

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