Consider Using Cold-formed Steel for Your Next Build

By Metal Sales.  

Cold-formed steel offers building owners peace of mind with its durability and quality. Here is a breakdown of the benefits to share with customers when considering building materials.  

For decades, the construction industry has used cold-formed steel (CFS) as a reliable staple building material. The experts at Metal Sales put together this list consisting of six convincing reasons why homeowners and building owners should consider using CFS in their next big project. 

Let’s take a look at the advantages of choosing cold-formed steel over other building materials. 

CFS is a cost-effective building material 

Even if you’re working with a comfortable budget, money is always a factor in choosing building materials. Cold-formed steel is a truly cost-effective material choice, offering layers of savings with lower labor costs, lower material costs, and easy scalability. Many contractors choose CFS to save money upfront, lowering the cost to build, and many stakeholders choose CFS for long-term savings with fewer maintenance needs. 

Here is how you can lower your costs using CFS: 

• High strength-to-weight ratio means fewer materials needed 
• Panelization reduces on-site construction costs 
• Shorter product cycles means you’re productive in less time 
• Lower insurance premiums due to weather & fire safety ratings 
• Fewer site safety-related costs like security or inspections 
• Fewer long-term maintenance needs due to durability 

A lower up-front price tag is just the beginning of cost savings with a cold-formed steel building. This material is versatile and scalable and lends itself well to commercialization–meaning that it is easily mass-produced to bring efficiency and cost savings to the construction process. So, in a nutshell, CFS is a cost-effective building material from beginning to end. 

Cold-formed steel is more durable 

Next to money, durability is the second most important factor when choosing materials. Steel has a well-known reputation for its strength. But what many building owners might not realize is that cold-formed steel is particularly strong. The manufacturing processes performed at a lower heat produce compressed sheets that offer improved durability over hot-formed steel sheets. 

Add to the sheer strength of CFS that steel is also impervious to most environmental factors like pests, moisture, heat, and wind. Using CFS, you’ll incur far fewer long-term maintenance costs typically caused by environmental exposure. 

It’s a sustainable choice 

Steel is a 100% recyclable material. Often, CFS panels used in new construction are from recycled materials. Plus, when the building is removed or renovated, the steel components will still be 100% recyclable. For building owners and contractors looking to achieve LEED certification points or support sustainability goals, CFS is a logical building material choice. 

Using CFS as a sustainable building material is a choice that you can feel good about. The CFS manufacturing process is inherently designed to eliminate waste. It’s based on a dry system that does not require excessive water consumption to produce heat or cool the steel. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly material choice, CFS is green from beginning to end. 

Cold-formed steel is a safer building material 

When it comes to safety, you may not realize the role that individual building materials play. It’s true–choosing highly combustible framing materials like timber or untreated wood paneling for walls and roofing increases the combustibility of the entire building. That means, in the event of a fire, the building turns into a tinder box and is quickly engulfed in flames. 

 With CFS, your building’s occupants may have more time to reach safety. While many of the accompanying building materials will still burn, the structure of a CFS building is non-combustible, which considerably slows the spread of the fire. From goodwill to a good price, cold-formed steel is a good choice for your next building project. 

 The non-combustible nature of CFS means: 

• Buildings are safer for human occupants 
• In the event of a fire, the impact on municipal fire services is reduced 
• Buildings cost less to insure 

In fact, did you know that the melting point of steel is approximately 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit? The average building fire only reaches 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and even the hottest fires rarely exceed 1,800 degrees, so CFS will remain non-combustible from construction through destruction. 

CFS is easy to install 

If money, safety, and sustainability aren’t enough to inform your decision, consider the construction process. Cold-formed steel is well-known for being easy to install. This means you’ll have fewer labor hours invested in the construction of your building, leading to both lower costs and a quicker build. If your goal is to get through construction quickly, cold-formed steel is the right choice. 

Cold-formed steel is so versatile that it can even be installed during the coldest months of the year. This means that you won’t be limited to summer months to construct your building, and you won’t have to plan for portable heaters during construction. These buildings are often panelized, leading to easy construction in less time compared to other building materials. And all of these benefits are just what you’ll see day-to-day with CFS. 

It’s resistant to extreme weather conditions 

How often do you face extreme weather like tropical storms, intense blizzards, or tornadoes? Cold-formed steel, notable for its durability, is the best choice for buildings constructed in areas that experience extreme weather. 

 According to the Steel Framing Industry Association, CFS is a truly weather-resilient building material. This designation goes beyond durability, encompassing safety, security, durability, energy conservation, and the general ability to be resourceful during an extreme weather event. To that end, cold-formed steel is a superior building material offering the structural resilience that your business needs to remain operational in the face of catastrophic weather conditions. 

 The bottom line on cold-formed steel buildings 

Metal Sales has been a leading manufacturer of metal building materials for decades. We choose to work with cold-formed steel components because they offer a long list of attractive benefits ranging from cost efficiency to safety and security. Whatever your building goals are, cold-formed steel can help you achieve financial savings, LEED certification and much more. Learn more about CFS buildings from Metal Sales today. 

Original article source: Metal Sales