Will metal studs and joists eventually replace wooden studs and joists?
Will metal studs and joists eventually replace wooden studs and joists?
Aug 25, 2003
9 Replies
Not for me , they dont insulate. they transmit all temperature differences.
I will say yes, and I will never be proven wrong.
They will make big inroads over time, but people have a hard time breaking traditional methods.
If I was building, I'd use Insulating concrete forms and save a bundle on energy.
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Of course interior walls would be framed with metal or wood studs. Joists can be engineered trusses. Ed
comparison.
While it's nice they found a use for old cars, don't delude yourself with illusions of saving the environment. It takes more energy to transport that steel to the plant, melt it, form it, and ship it back, than to log a tree, mill it and ship, and then regrow the tree. Far more pollution too. Wood is easily the most environmentally sound building product allowed in most jurisdictions.(does not include straw or dirt construction) Like it or not.....
M Hamlin
I tend to think something else will come along before metal totally replaces wood. I think prefabbed composite wall panels will be the building material of the futre. Of coures there will be places where this type of constuction is not practical and maybe current conventional methods may be used to handle these situations or perhaps somethng new.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
I suspect it is on a pound for pound basis, but I have my doubts on a stud for stud basis. A steel stud weighs quite a bit less than a wood stud of the same size, and you can ship twice as many steel studs in the same volume with less fuel than the number of wood studs.
They both have their advantages and disadvantages, and each particular application will determine which is best for the job.
Like this............
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ms
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