Most remodelers would frame up a basement family room or new bedroom with wood studs and wood plates. And why not? This is the way we've done it for years. However, I've found that in many cases steel-stud framing, normally reserved for commercial jobs, costs less and takes less time. The 25-gauge steel studs I use come in bundles of ten and cost about $1.52 per 8-foot stud, which is very competitive with the $1.50 2x4 studs we buy here in St. Louis. Once you get familiar with the materials and the way they're installed, you'll be able to save on labor compared to building with wood. Steel studs are commonly categorized either as non-load bearing (NLB) "drywall
