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To: Roads End who wrote (59334)	1/18/2001 3:14:20 PM
From: flatsville	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 436258

They're coming for you Riechers-- Increased Market Share for Steel Studs? Although steel studs do not constitute a sizeable share of the U.S. housing market, they have become increasingly popular during the last decade. The growth of steel stud utilization is the topic of a recent article in The Northern Logger & Timber Processor by Tom Korb. Korb writes that higher, fluctuating prices for lumber in the early 1990s provided an opening for steel studs to become acceptable. Prices did indeed fluctuate during this decade, but generally in a downward trend. Now, higher prices for lumber have apparently reappeared. This has resulted in a rise of TV advertising that emphasizes how wood harvesting leads to forest destruction. Wood products manufacturers claim that the advertising is mud-slinging at best and factual misrepresentation at worst. They raise the question: Are steel studs, joists, and rafters a viable alternative to the traditional timber frame? The answer is obviously "yes," but at what cost? Steel promoters claim that their products will ease the lives of both contractors and homeowners. One argument is that steel is extremely stable and uniformly manufactured. It doesn't warp, split, or swell and shrink with ambient moisture changes. In the past, the use of steel was accompanied by a different set of problems. Studs wouldn't fit in tracks because sizes and lengths varied from factory to factory. According to the steel industry, these problems are being addressed. The industry is reportedly standardizing size, length, straightness, and squareness with great precision. Another advantage being touted by the steel industry is that Southern homeowners who already have steel frames can live free of worry about termites, particularly the Formosa termite which became established in six southern states and threatens to spread even deeper into the American heartland. In addition to insect resistance, other advantages attributed to steel include the lack of wall and ceiling cracks and better fastener connections. According to Korb, although steel promoters will readily list these advantages, they cannot deny the impediments to using steel. First, the final cost of steel is about 12% to 15% higher than that of wood. Carpenters need training to work with steel. Saws need to be exchanged for nibblers, and hammers transferred to screws and drill motors. Steel conducts heat quickly. In northern climates, exterior walls need to be constructed with a high R-factor sheathing and insulation. The primary argument against steel framing advanced by the forest products industry focuses on the resource depletion and pollution caused by the mining, milling, and fabrication of steel. In addition, the forest products industry points out that wood is a renewable resource, unlike iron. Regardless of the actual merits of either side in the wood vs. steel debate, the battle for the preferences of American consumers is underway. Wood currently has the market share to lose, and the steel industry is clearly trying to wrestle away as much of the market as they can. [Source: The Northern Logger & Timber Processor, January 2000]