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There are many ways to build with steel. Steel's light weight and superior strength allows for specialized framing techniques not possible with wood. Generally, steel framing materials are 1/3 lighter and 3 times stronger than wood. To take full advantage of steel's unique characteristics, an entirely new framing method has been developed.
This "Pictorial Journal" follows the basic steps in erecting a steel frame house from the planning stage to the finished home. A home of this type is projected to be complete in 3 to 6 months. Variables affecting the completion schedule are due to weather and the "subcontractor factor".
The most important part of building a house takes place before the first shovel full of dirt is removed from the ground. Every major aspect of the project needs to be addressed in the planning phase. There is never too much planning for what will be, to most people, their largest investment.
Determine your price range first. Plan to visit your bank or a mortgage company to determine how much loan you qualify for. You may be pleasantly surprised to learning how much you can afford. Knowing your price range will help you avoid tying up time and energy in looking at plans that may not fit.
Finding a building lot or selecting a neighborhood
is the initial step in deciding on what home plans to consider.
Often people make the mistake of drawing up their "dream
home" or picking out a set of plans in a cataloged before
looking at lots. The home must not only fit the lot, but it must
match the style and value range of the neighborhood. A
over-improved house in any neighborhood will not return as high
of value as those being in a neighborhood of similar quality.
For the purpose of building
a steel speculation house, we selected a "Glenview G-3"
and made modifications to the roof line, window schedule, and
ceiling layout. A draft of the changes were forwarded to the engineers who estimated the cost prior to placing the
order. After receiving the cost proposal, we made the decision to
accept the proposal by placing an order.
While the order was being processes,
time was spent gathering bids from sub-contractors as well as
preparing the lot. The foundation requires a set of plans for the
footprint of the foundation.
Foundation preparation is of key importance in a steel frame project. The foundation must be square and level. Take time to double check the foundation sub-contractors measurements before pouring the cement. As small skew in the foundation could make matching walls and trusses a headache later on.
A slab foundation
is the "default" foundation in the model plans. We
built on a slab, however basements and crawl spaces (post and
beam) are options.
All the steel for one house is shipped on one truck to most projects. Sometimes more than one house can be shipped on one truck which reduces the cost per house in shipping fees. An Important Note: Off-loading equipment is required to remove the bundles of steel from the truck. A fork lift or other heavy lifting machine is required to be on the site when the truck arrives. The amount of steel and weight does not allow for hand off-loading. Off-loading by hand will require several men a full day. You will be paying the trucker's fee for both he and his truck while he waits. Beside this, off-loading by hand will disturb the packing organization used to locate materials during construction. Fork lifts are available from rental dealers on a daily basis.
Framing Begins Jump
ahead to see the finished house DanHafle.com
©1996 Daniel Hafle