With too many options to choose from and decide from a long range of construction available in the market today for construction, here is a guide to help you understand the best material for frame construction.
Timber is considered to be the toughest material chosen for the construction of the frame of the house. Opting for timber can be environmentally friendly and sustainable work. A timber frame is used to create walls and roofs using timber board products.
Properties of timber:
- Hardness and toughness
- Can easily content moisture
- Free of any external damage from the environment
- Easy to work
- Durable
Steel is used to create a skeleton or the main frame structure of the house, typically to create columns using nuts and bolts to join each column. A grid of beams and columns and be used to support the building’s roof, walls, and floors.
Properties of steel :
- High strength
- Low weight
- Durable
- Can be molded into any form
- Can resist corrosion
Which one is cost-efficient: timber or steel?
The orientation of property also plays a vital factor with regard to its appeal and practicality for the proper functioning of the house. Thereby, the choice of the best direction is always a strong debate. See below the pros and cons of choosing orientation for your new home:
Comparing the durability of timber vs steel
Contrary to cost efficiency, with regard to strength and durability, steel remains a choice for frame construction. While steel construction takes a longer time, one can still rely on its long-lasting property which can last up to decades.
Advantages of steel frame construction
- Aesthetics: In the last few years. Steel has been chosen for its countless eye-catching designs one can opt for.
2. Uniformity, durability performance: Steel is a very homogeneous and uniform material. Thereby, it satisfies all the basic assumptions and design formulas of structural analysis. If properly maintained by painting, etc. the properties of steel do not change with time. Hence, steel structures are more durable.
3. Reliability: Steel structures are reliable because of their ductility, and, consistency and uniformity in their properties. The usage of steel allows builders to come up with creative designs and expansion and renovation is easier in a steel frame.
4. Safety: An important property of steel is its tensile strength, through which Frames prepared from steel are able to withstand adverse weather conditions such as snow or hurricanes. In case of fire, since steel is non-combustible and fire-resistant material, therefore enhances survival chances.
5. Safety: An important property of steel is its tensile strength, through which Frames prepared from steel are able to withstand adverse weather conditions such as snow or hurricanes. In case of fire, since steel is non-combustible and fire-resistant material, therefore enhances survival chances.
disadvantages of steel frame construction
1. High maintenance costs: Steel is easily susceptible to corrosion, when left in heat and water, and needs to be re-painted from time to time. This minimizes its cost-effectiveness.
2. Low flexibility: Once fabricated and taken to the site, there are lesser chances to re-develop and re-design, if required. If re-designed, it causes further delays in the construction process.
3. Lower thermal conductivity: Steel is a good conductor if heat, making it less insulated from inside. It means that a building is unable to become energy efficient.
4. Higher initial costs: Sometimes the availability of steel is a question in many areas of Australia, thereby when transported, the initial buying costs of the material increase.
Advantages of timber frame construction
1. Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly: Timber retains carbon dioxide, making it an environmentally friendly construction material. Unlike steel, it uses a lesser carbon footprint, making it a less energy-dependent and natural, and renewable material.
2. Easy to maintain and faster construction process: Assembling of timber products is easier and faster, simpler and easier. Unlike most standard construction methods, the frame of your building can be done within a matter of one to two weeks! Timber framing significantly decreases your overall build time, whereas traditional builds can take up to two months to frame.
3. Cost-effective and time-saving material: A pre-prepared timber frame can be erected on site faster than steel, thereby reducing costs of labor. Additionally, the construction does not require high technical expertise, which means better costs on labor.
4. Thermal conductivity: Because of lower thermal conductivity of material, the home is always naturally insulated and there is minimal use of energy.
5. Noise cancellation property: Because of the thickness, its property of noise cancellation makes it at the best material to avoid unwanted noise and makes it a sound-proof material.
Disadvantages of Timber frame construction
1. Pest issues: The major problem of timber and other wood products is the pests, more occasionally termites. This increases the cost of maintenance. Thereby to avoid this, the treatment process should be done before constructing it on the site.
2. Risk of fire: Timber frames fail in high temperatures, thereby making it susceptible to fire accidents of the building. To avoid this, Additional fire protection can be given to by adding the double boarding to help prevent spread through the cavity.
3. Transportation issues: To be transported and brought to the site is one of the major challenges of timber frame construction due to its size and density and there are chances of breakage during the process.