Steel is an important material that has been used to make sturdy buildings and while the significance of steel is generally known to everyone, a few builders have still not made the switch. There are many reasons why steel needs to be used more—especially for residential construction. To help the Nay Sayers, we bring you ten reasons why steel is the material to pick for residential buildings. So without any further delay, let’s get started!
1. A Versatile Metal for All Purposes
Steel is an ideal metal for all kinds of purposes and the type of construction does not make much difference because steel is perfect for everything—an indoor soccer field, a local church, mansions, commercial buildings, apartments, factory etc. The possibilities are endless as you will learn when you visit sites similar to www.steelbuildinguk.com. Another advantage is that you can also customize and add additional features while building with steel. Residential buildings need versatility because every home owner wants his or her house to stand out from the rest and here steel helps the builder a lot because of its versatility and easy customization.
2. The Strength
Another advantage of using steel is its resistance to wear and tear—both manmade and natural. Some of the examples of the things that they can withstand are—termites, rust, rotting and fire. The buildings made of steel are superior in strength and can easily stand through a wide range of different calamities. Strength however does not come with any kind of side effects because steel is also a lighter and more durable metal than other materials. Due to the aforementioned factors, steel is almost synonymous with strength, as it is visibly evident by pop culture references.
3. Sustainability
When you use steel in construction, the environment can too breathe easy because steel is great for environment sustainability. It is made partially from recycled products and is also manufactured when it is specifically ordered for any purpose and therefore, there is little waste involved. Steel can also be recycled and reused easily whenever a specific building that used the same is demolished. Almost all the raw materials used in the making of crude steels can be converted into other useful products. The adaptability of steel is one of the biggest reasons why it is gentle on the environment and therefore you can do your bit for the nature, by using steel.
4. Economical Option
If you choose a suitable steel provider, steel is an economical option as compared to other metals. A survey conducted by a prominent steel company found that steel framings cost about seven to eight percent less than a concrete framing system. Steel framing also offers more options like fire protection and decking at lower costs as compared to concrete framings that have neither of the above options.
5. Maintenance Is Low
Steel buildings don’t require much maintenance and therefore there are no additional costs involved in the future to maintain them. Steel buildings can take care of themselves because they are resistant to most external disasters and calamities that causes damage. They are also durable, strong, aesthetically beautiful and highly functional.
6. No Interruptions
Buildings that need wide, large interiors and no kind of obstructions should use steel. This is because this way you can have a spacious floor plan, without incorporating columns for additional support. This is the reason why steel is widely used for indoor football stadiums, airplane hangars, large factories etc. Frameless steel buildings have encouraged builders to constantly innovate and build new types of buildings.
7. Quick to Construct
Steel is easier to assemble and can be build easily in all kinds of seasons. The components used are manufactured before off the site and require minimum labor on site. The whole steel frame can be completed in days and not weeks and therefore reduce the total construction time by about twenty to forty percent. When a building is too challenging to construct, the usage of steel allows less contact points with the ground and reduces the amount of total evacuation required. Also, the lighter weight of steel makes it easier to handle than concrete and helps build a simpler but solid foundation.
8. Adaptability
Buildings are continuously changing, even long after their initial construction is fully finished. This is especially true for residential buildings built for sub letting or to earn rent from tenants. A home owner might want to make changes a few years after the construction of the building like the addition of a new floor etc. Steel is extremely helpful because it can adapt to such similar changes quite easily and alterations are easier. This is the reason why more residential home builders are using steel framings and floor plans constructions.
9. Functional With Good Aesthetics
Steel framings are lighter and therefore architects can mold them easily to suit their designs and this is the reason why most steel buildings are beautiful to look at. The implementations of wide interiors are another advantage that gives steel buildings an aesthetic look. But, beauty does not mean that steel buildings are empty shells, devoid of any character and functionality. They can be flexible under extreme weight and do not crash or crumble. The beam to column parts of a steel building are further designed to support high gravity loads. This is in addition to the high resistance that it offers to earthquakes and other calamities.
10. Resistant To Fire
There has been extensive experimental research and testing done to gauge the way steel buildings respond to fire incidents and the results have been mostly positive. Fire protection is enhanced by implementing new techniques and designs in steel buildings and therefore this material is the best bet for homes in fire prone areas.
So, the above were some reasons why steel should be used more in residential construction and we hope that you are convinced about the usefulness of steel after reading this article.
