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To: GraceZ who wrote (59390)	1/18/2001 6:22:01 PM
From: flatsville	Respond to of 436258

The housing market has almost always limited metal to multi-dwelling units (the fire code again) but it is starting to show up in single family houses. The biggest difference between the two types of construction is that wood is structural on inside weight bearing walls and single family houses frequently have more than one story. The lightweight stuff you see on most office partitions doesn't need to be structural because there is usually steel I-beams and slab to support upper story walls. There is a heavier structural weightbearing metal stud....but it is almost as heavy and difficult to work with as wood (no tin snips for cutting, you have to use a chop saw with a metal blade). My husband complains bitterly when they have to use it because it slows them down considerably. I think we'll see a mix of wood and steel in residential construction going forward for the reasons you stated above until residential builders adopt steel steel building systems (like that Canadian co. I linked earlier.) Most big residential builders are doing pre-fab wood now anyway. The change over won't be that difficult for many. The pre-fab steel systems will eliminate most of the cutting problems with the heavier structural weightbearing metal studs that builders (like your husband) have now. I also thinks cost will come down (at least that's what my guy is telling me.) And there's alot said for product reliability and uniformity that you can't get sometimes with wood. they take a lot out of the installer because they require a great deal more pressure on the screw gun (I know this first hand). I noticed that too. Once I got the stud placed within the top and bottom plate channels I clamped a vice grip to hold it in place and make better contact. Then pushed like mad on the screw gun. It made me wonder if a better screw gun wouldn't have made it easier though. I'm married to a metal stud guy (take that any way you want to) Hon, I'm telling you...run a search on "steel studs." You'll be surprised with the hits some of these search engines turn-up. They ain't all building trade related sites either.