Episode 004 1995 - 96 Season
| Fireplace Installation | Steel Framing | Cutting Board | Fabrics | Entry Doors | Lawn Sprinkler Repair | How Do I Qualify? | |
To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #004.
Michael Holigan : Your new house does not have to be framed out of wood. We've got one of the most popular options with us today. And that's steel framing. You see more and more steel all across the country. It's cost effective, it's strong, it's got a lot of advantages and I've got a steel specialist with me to help tell us part of those advantages, Courtney Hansen from Advanced Framing Systems.
Courtney Hansen: Good to see you Michael.
M.H.: Good to see you, Courtney. This stud is extremely light and I watched some guys set some of the exterior walls and it just takes a few men where it would take quite a few more for a wall that long and that heavy. Is the steel strong enough?
C.H.: Yes it is Michael. One of the, one of the real pluses with using steel framing is so that we can make each element do the job that's necessary. We don't have to have an over-excessive of material. Steel is 40 percent stronger than wood by weight. So, even though it's light, it does an awful good job.
M.H.: Well I noticed on those exterior walls that they had a stud every four foot instead of every 16 inches. So that's part of what you're saying about the framing?
C.H.: Exactly. The Advanced Framing System utilizes its framing members at four foot on center for the exterior.
M.H.: And on the interior walls, we're going to place 'em a little bit closer, but on the exterior we had a channel to nail sheet rock to whereas this we're not going to have channels, so that's why the studs are closer?
C.H.: Exactly.
M.H.: On this, how much of this is recycled steel?
C.H.: Sixty-six (66) percent of each framing element in a steel frame home, a minimum of 66 percent, is recycled material.
M.H.: Does that help hold down costs instead of producing new steel for this?
C.H.: Absolutely, and it's very environmentally friendly.
M.H.: I would think so, instead of having a bunch of dumps. Can you help me place this stud in position? Let's see how we attach...?
C.H.: Be happy to. If you want to get the bottom one there and I'll get the top one.
M.H.: So instead of a nail Courtney, we're going to be using screws?
C.H.: Exactly. The positive mechanical fastener.
M.H.: Okay.
C.H.: All right, let me grab this top one up here.
M.H.: Is the wall plumb yet?
C.H.: It is now.
M.H.: Okay.
C.H.: There we go.
M.H.: All right, great. Courtney, that was actually easier than installing a wood stud, and with your truss roof taking the load, this is not a load bearing interior wall, do you normal have a load bearing interior wall?
C.H.: Uh, not in the Advanced Framing System's method of framing. All of our interior partitioning is non-load bearing. It works out really great for the home owner's if they decide to some remodeling later.
M.H.: Yes. Since none of the walls are holding up anything they could tear down any wall and put it up themselves.
C.H.: Exactly. And it's very cost-effective.
M.H.: As they already saw, it doesn't take a long time. It's not hard to do.
C.H.: Exactly.
M.H.: Okay, later on we're going to come back and talk about attaching sheet rock, but I have a question about lightening. I've built a few of these myself. Every customer who sees it always asks does it draw lightening.
C.H.: No it doesn't, no more than any other structure. One of the problems with lightening in a conventionally built structure is, is when lightening strikes the house, it's looking for a place to ground. So, it's going to do some damage until it finds either plumbing or electrical or some route that it gets to ground. In a steel frame structure, if it should be struck by lightening every framing element is path to ground for it, so it's much, much safer structure.
M.H.: And how about on the corners here. I noticed that there's wood. So you are putting some wood on this house. How much of it is wood?
C.H.: Well, we have different applications throughout the country. Some areas of the country don't like to use sheathing on the outside, so we can use diaphragm strapping on the outside of the structure, but we recommend for the strength and the integrity of the structure, that they utilize a structural sheathing panel like oriented strand board on all exterior surface.
M.H.: And, how does it hold up in storms?
C.H.: Well, I can cite a couple of examples for you. We had a structure on the island of St. Croix during Hurricane Hugo, and they had sustained winds of over 200 miles and hour for 45 minutes, with virtually no damage.
M.H.: I think 200 miles and house would be enough for most places. How about cost? What's it going to really compare to a wood framed house?
C.H.: On a national average, we're competitive with conventional framing.
M.H.: So, pretty close to the same.
C.H.: Very close.
M.H.: all right. Well Courtney, thanks for the help.
C.H.: Appreciate it.
Episode 004 1995 - 96 Season
| Fireplace Installation | Steel Framing | Cutting Board | Fabrics | Entry Doors | Lawn Sprinkler Repair | How Do I Qualify? | |
To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #004.