After reading an article in theglobeandmail – www.theglobeandmail.com about how a housing company based in Ontario, Canada produces frames for buildings made, not out of wood, but out of steel … recycled steel, we wanted to find out for ourselves.
Green Terra Homes was established in 2012, and is the first and only CWB CSA certified steel frame home factory in Canada and the company is also one of the few facilities in Canada with multiple CSA Certifications for the production of RV Homes, Mobile Homes, Modular Homes, Park Model Homes and prefabricated kit homes.
The reasons behind choosing steel over wood are many including its strength, it doesn’t rot,warp, split, crack and will not expand or contract with moisture content. A steel framed building has better fire protection and better mold and termite resistance. And last but not least, it’s better for the environment.
Green Terra Homes say that ‘an average sized wood framed home requires at least 40 trees to be cut for framing. The framing for a typical steel framed home can be made from 6 recycled cars. The use of steel framing saves the nation’s forests and has a positive impact on the environment.’ and because steel-framing is unaffected by temperature or humidity changes, the building is more energy-efficient, therefore saving on fuel costs to further conserve natural resources.
Other benefits for the customer include, the price, as steel is competitive against timber. And along with being a help to the environment, there is no waste as every piece is cut to precise length, punched, predrilled, labelled and often assembled before it leaves the factory.
To summarise the benefits of a steel frame: Steel is lighter, stronger and straighter, it is not treated with dangerous and often toxic chemicals. Steel’s quality is consistent. No bowing, bending, warping, twisting or movement. It is not affected by rain and no drying required prior to construction, it will not rot or rust. Steel is non-combustible therefore a lower fire risk. Steel is environmentally friendly and the most recycled material in the world. Steel use does not lead to health issues, for example, resulting from sawing/handling chemically treated timber and the framing is a lot lighter than timber, therefore less weight results in less foundation movement.
Sounds too good to be true! If you know more about this, or would like to make a comment, or you have a suggestion for a topic you’d like us to cover, let us know at info@atfpro.co.uk
If you would like to find out more from Green Terra Homes, take a look at their website here: www.greenterrahomes.com
