Browse Forums General Discussion Re: Steel Frame Price 2020 8Jul 09, 2020 8:54 pm Filipe Hi All, We're contemplating building our first home with steel frame for its advantages re passive heating and cooling. Er, a steel frame for it's passive design advantages? I think you've got that wrong. Steel, like all metals, has high thermal conductivity. This conduction of heat creates the issue of thermal bridging, heat traveling through your building envelope. Timber is an insulator, with far lower thermal conductivity than steel. It's a far better choice for a building's frame. It's also cheaper! If your interest in passive solar design is not just about energy efficiency to save on bills, but also about sustainability, then you'd be interested to know that timber, when harvested sustainably, is a far, far more sustainable choice. Steel has high embodied energy, meaning it's production creates large amounts of CO2 emissions. Timber does the exact opposite. It locks up CO2 in the home's structure! I guess you're a bit confused, comparing a double brick home, to a framed home, whether that's timber framed or steel framed. Whether it's brick veneer, reverse brick veneer, or lightweight cladding. It's not the steel frame that makes these more energy efficient. It's the room in the frame for higher levels of bulk insulation. Me, I'd choose a timber frame every day. For coastal areas I'd use lightweight cladding. With a concrete slab, ample thermal mass for thermal stability. For inland areas I'd consider upping the thermal mass with reverse brick veneer. I'd recommend you read the government's 'Your Home' website. Not just to learn more about passive design, but also this section about different building materials & techniques, https://www.yourhome.gov.au/materials/c ... on-systems Hi I am wanting some opinions about the build of a steel shed I am going to get one about 4.5 x 2.5 m steel shed and the height will be about 2.3-2.4m high The one I am… 0 14434 This is 100% true. You can not hang anything on steel frames. very frustrating 8 5338 Hi, I have a steel frame house which was built 2 years ago. When you are down stairs you can hear clunking noises when someone is walking around. We were told if you… 0 4441 |