Frequently Asked Questions

Very simply, a steel frame is a high quality product. It represents value for money and brings peace of mind. A steel frame is light and strong, it will not burn, it is termite, borer, and fungus-proof, and it will not shrink or warp. It is environmentally responsible, low on life cycle energy usage, recyclable and saves valuable timber resources.

No. Steel framing is very competitive on price, particularly when you consider its quality. A steel frame gives value for money. It is a premium quality product that sets the benchmark. Steel has many advantages over timber, even the best quality timber. The fact is that discerning buyers are increasingly demanding steel frames. A Steel Frame Solutions frame remains straight and true, even if exposed to the weather for an extended time.

Yes. In Australia steel framing has been used successfully in housing since the early 1950s. The Australian steel framing industry has a well-earned reputation for being highly innovative. Today's framing represents the results of years of research, testing and product improvement. It is a thoroughly engineered product. In responding to the needs of the Australian customer, the steel framing industry in Australia leads the world with its technology. Don't forget that steel frames have been used in commercial buildings for many years because of their superior attributes.

The TrueCore steel in a Steel Frame Solutions frame is produced by Bluescope Steel, a quality-accredited producer to appropriate National Standard Specifications. The components are precision manufactured and assembled to very tight tolerances using advanced techniques. 

Computer-aided design, computer-controlled manufacture, and advanced engineering, ensure the home buyer gets the design he or she wants, and that installation is quick and easy. Strength and performance are engineered into the frame.

Yes. Additions are relatively simple and pose no problems. Furthermore the existing steel structure will remain straight and true regardless of its age, making the job of lining up the extension easier than for conventional timber framing.

Our system can be installed by the customer. Panels are easily handled and are clearly identified for assembly, with pre-punched electrical and plumbing service holes. Roof trusses are easily identified and easily secured to support the walls. Ceiling and roof battens are easily fixed to the trusses.

Freedom of floor plan and architectural style is practically unlimited. Steel Frame Solutions can produce almost any one or two-storey home design seen in the Australian market today. 

Furthermore, it is possible to produce designs in steel that are difficult with other materials. By taking advantage of this feature the owner can often build with less expense than by using more conventional materials.

Yes, they look better. Walls, ceilings and roofs do not have ripples or bumps in them and there are no "nail pops" in the plasterboard linings. Roofs of steel-framed homes do not sag over time, even under concrete tiles, so the finished job keeps looking good. In fact because of steel's strength you can design your home with larger open spaces whilst the exterior looks like any normal home.

Yes. Not surprisingly steel is the preferred framing material in the extreme climate of North West Western Australia, for example, where temperatures can vary more than 40 degrees Celsius in a single day.

In a properly constructed and insulated home thermally induced movement is not an issue. Steel framing expands and contracts at rates not too dissimilar from the other materials used in building, which means it is unlikely that there will be noise or cornice cracking problems.

Steel frames are made of steel protected against corrosion by a hot-dipped metallic coating of a zinc-aluminium alloy. These coatings conform to the appropriate Australian standards or their equivalent. In external applications such as roofing these products are exposed to the elements and have excellent durability, so in less exposed applications such as inside the building envelope they weather more slowly. Where there are cut edges the galvanic action, or sacrificial protection, of the coatings protects the exposed steel edge against corrosion.

No. Because steel creates a positive earth the lightning has less effect. The energy is conducted straight to the ground and is not released destructively within the frame as in conventional framing or cladding.

Yes. Steel frames are safe because they are earthed. It is a requirement that all new housing be fitted with circuit breaking safety devices, so there is little chance of you touching anything live. A broken or pierced wire in a timber frame can remain live and leaking current can cause troublesome faults and fire risk.

Smoke and heated air and/or asphyxiating gases are responsible for about 75% of fatalities in house fires. A steel frame will not burn. It will not therefore contribute to the fire or its spreading, and will not release smoke and carbon dioxide. 

Electrical faults cause many fires in wall cavities. An electrical fault cannot ignite a steel frame. If fire gets into the ceiling and ignites timber trusses it can spread very rapidly to the rest of the house. In a bushfire the point of ignition is often the roof cavity when burning embers are blown in under the eaves or tiles. 

House fires have been known to break through ceilings into the roof cavity. A steel roof truss cannot be ignited in either of these ways.

Steel frames represent the future of house framing. Continual product improvements and consumer awareness means that demand for steel-framed homes will keep increasing. People are more conscious than ever of the ever-increasing threat from termites. 

You can build the major termite management into the building, rather than add it on. A steel-framed house is a quality product that delivers to the customer long-term peace of mind and cost savings. Call backs are reduced and your reputation can be enhanced. Although steel frames require slightly different techniques they are quick and easy to erect. 

Because steel has consistent strength and complies with strict standards and tight tolerances, every stud is a good stud. Steel frames are lightweight and easy to handle, time is not lost sorting to select suitable pieces, there is no need to straighten framework on-site, and wastage of material is reduced.

No. Electro-magnetic waves can diffract around steel as easily as timber. Waves pass through the spaces between the studs, allowing the use of all household appliances without any interference.

Yes. For ongoing peace of mind the best solution to the termite menace is a steel frame. Termites can’t eat steel, whereas most timbers need to be defended against termites with chemical treatments. 

However, the most efficient chemical (Organochlorine) was banned because of health concerns. Whilst there are less toxic treatments, they are far less effective, and other options such as physical barriers are far from foolproof. Considering a home’s frame is hidden and often forgotten about, choosing the wrong sort of framing can be a costly disaster in future years.

It is estimated that termites cause upward of $100 million damage to Australian homes each and every year, and that the total economic cost of termite management is as high as $750 million a year. Choosing the right termite management system to protect your investment before you build is vital. Once you move into your home it is too late.

As native Australian insects’ termites quickly adapt to the changing Australian environment. Independent studies have found termite activity in undeclared and unprotected areas, and as such more and more councils are declaring new infestation areas each year.

Yes, it is better.  As steel does not require chemical treatment for termites, and as construction techniques and other materials do not require resin adhesives or other chemicals and preservatives, the use of steel frames will increase the indoor air quality.

Indeed, an institute for chemically sensitive and environmentally conscious homeowners, The Healthy House Institute (Illinois, USA), recommends the use of steel frames in all homes.

Yes. The steel industry works within strict government guidelines which are influenced by international sustainability and environmental impact agreements. Further, design professionals and architects strive to specify environmentally friendly materials and they are at the forefront of the push to use steel products. 

Independent bodies (and some steel producers) around the world have produced a lifecycle analysis on the environmental impact of steel, and all agree that steel is ideal for all projects of all sizes, including single and multiple dwellings. Further, by using steel frames owners can also dispense with the on-going need to use chemicals to control termites.

You may have heard than Steel Frames are made from thin steel and maybe wondering if they will be strong enough.

The properties of steel are known and consistent. Steel-framing components are designed around these properties. 

The steel Frame Solutions system uses high tensile steel components with approved jointing methods, engineered to pass strict performance tests as outlined in the Australian Standards.

No. 15,000 plus steel-framed homes are built each year. No noise issues have been reported through the industry body. In fact the CSIRO conducted a study in which they surveyed a number of occupants of steel framed dwellings. The published survey (Building Materials and Equipment, Vol.17) found that most occupants either reported no sound, or if a sound was reported it didn’t constitute a problem.

Yes. There are ongoing savings for the householder. Because steel will not burn and is termite-proof, some insurers offer attractive discounts on their premiums for steel framed homes. Also, the expense of ongoing anti-termite chemical treatment is avoided, and you will never have to replace your frame due to termite damage.

Yes. The purchaser may be a discerning buyer who values the many inherent benefits steel has to offer. Keeping in mind councils are beginning to accept the facts regarding the termite menace and are declaring more and more areas are termite infected. This will surely drive up re-sale prices for steel framed homes.