light gauge steel vs wood construction

At a project's inception, Spherical Design Engineers work with builders and homeowners who seek experienced insights into light gauge steel construction methods. Ways to build, lighter, stronger, safer buildings, fire-rated, termite-resistant and built to last.

Termites do more damage to homes each year than any other natural disasters. There are many benefits a steel frame home offers the homeowner. Lower total costs in higher quality structures when they build with light gauge steel. The material's higher strength contributes to safer structures that require less maintenance and last longer.

Fire proof
Termite free
Not susceptible to fungus and mold
Lower weight reduces risk of foundation movement
Stronger connections resist earthquake movements and high winds
Will not rot or rust
Less expensive for home owner's insurance
Higher re-sale value
Lighter weight means easier handling and less stress on foundations, cranes and workers
Consistent dimensions means there's no need to shim walls and adjust for bows
Straight walls and square corners mean windows and doors open and close as they should
Less scrap and waste (2% for steel vs. 20% for lumber)
Green positioning and structural advantages strengthen your image in the eyes of the consumer
Lower builder's risk insurance costs
Slash the size of your punch list with consistent framing and decking:

There's nothing like experience in the field to make someone appreciate the importance of proper design and engineering in the office. Our design engineers have manufactured and built light gauge steel structures, so when they design a structure they're doing it with a full appreciation of how it will go up on site.

The design and engineering of Light Gauge Steel structures is a job for trained professionals. Not all engineers know how to design with this material properly. Our design engineers are among the nation's most experienced experts in light gauge steel framing and construction. We keep up with the latest designs, engineering and fabricating procedures to ensure your buildings are safe and efficient. We have our own software that incorporates the latest building and light gauge steel framing codes to fully analyze your project.

Construction labor can make a big difference in your project costs. At Spherical Design Engineers we follow a systems approach. We design integrated systems that support one another.

Instead of putting off work to the site crew, Spherical Design Engineers structures are in sizes, that allow for easy more efficient transportation and installation. It is common for other manufactures to design structures that require cranes and other bracing on the job site. This practice significantly jacks up field labor and reduces safety. Do you really want people doing any more work than they have to, 20 feet off the ground, where work is most risky and inefficient?

The misconception has been around for many years. It originated for many reasons. First, the quality of lumber was much better than it is today and it was much cheaper. Second, wood framers who attempted to build steel frame homes with no knowledge as to the structural strength of light gauge steel used an enormous amount of steel in their homes that was unnecessary.

Not understanding how strong steel is, they built their homes the same way they would with wood. The result was an enormous waste of material and a very expensive structure. Given these two reasons, one can see where the misconception arose that steel frame homes are more expensive than wood . But this is no longer the case.

Over the years, the cost of lumber has grown greatly while the quality of lumber has reduced significantly. Due to both the dwindling resource of first growth large trees used for quality wood studs and the environmental movement, which is limiting the availability of forests to timber, wood prices skyrocket while the quality of wood dwindles. Steel prices on the other hand remain mostly consistent.

The result is that construction prices are closer to the price of steel offering consumers a viable choice for the type framing to use in their homes. Furthermore, steel greatly outperforms wood in building construction and its quality. Since wood prices fluctuate often, while steel prices remain consistent, an actual price difference is difficult to determine. But the difference in price should never be great. Given the performance and quality of a steel frame home, it is a better LONG TERM VALUE for the consumers money than purchasing an inferior lower quality wood frame structure. In regards of value a steel frame home is a good deal.