Given the housing industry's reluctance
to adopt new technology, its
rapid move to embrace steel framing
seems remarkable. In 1991, virtually
no steel framing was used in residential
construction. By 1993, over
10,000 homes (about one percent of
new starts) used steel framing components,
and the steel industry has set a
goal of having steel framing in 25% of
newly built homes by 1997. A big
problem with steel, however, is that it
loses heat much faster than wood.
Heat Loss
Here's an example of how serious
thermal penalties can be. A group of
energy professionals recently tested a
steel-framed home in western Oregon.
The house had been framed with 2x8
steel studs, 24 inches on-center, and
the walls insulated