One of the areas in home construction that continues to evolve over time is the list of materials available for frame construction. In primitive times, homes were framed using sticks,or even bones, and the walls were formed from mud, grass and other local natural resources. Obviously, in today’s world, a homeowner would not want to build their home from bones and grass. Luckily, many other choices are available in the building materials market for those looking to turn their home plans into a structurally sound living space.
Log cabins were also a type of house used long ago; but they are once again popular among those looking to build their dream homes. Many home plans utilizing logs as a primary building material are available for folks who enjoy a rustic appearance,yet want to utilize the latest building and design technologies. One of the disadvantages to using logs in the construction of homes is that although logs come from trees, a renewable natural resource, they take longer to replenish than other natural building products.
In the early twentieth century, steel gained huge popularity in the construction of commercial buildings. More recently, steel has gone from being a material used for commercial buildings to a commonly used material for personal residences. Some of the advantages of using steel products in your home’s construction include the longevity and strength of the materials, and its resistance to decay and wear from the elements,rain,snow,etc.
The strength of steel framing enables a home-builder to eliminate some of the other structural walls typically required when using other,less supportive materials and to open space that might otherwise be taken up by wall construction. Steel beams ordered from the specification sheet of your home plans will generally arrive pre-cut into the appropriate required sizes, with fastener holes pre-drilled in the correct locations.
The disadvantages of using steel as a framing material for residential construction include the necessity of hiring specially trained professional builders who can assemble steel frames. The cost of steel is also significantly higher than wood materials. However, if you are a homebuilder looking for quality and longevity in realizing a set of house plans into the home of your dreams, then steel is the right framing material for you.
Wood materials are still the most commonly used for framing in residential home construction. House plans are generally designed with the assumption that the builder will be using wood-framing, at least for the upper levels of the house. Technology has increased the industry’s ability to extend the life of wood framing, and to increase the wood’s resistance to fire, water and insects.
In conclusion, after purchasing floor plans, the builder will need to decide what specific materials will be used in building a custom designed home. The options presented above are just some of the framing choices available. Keep in mind that if you plan to use a material like steel in the framing construction, it is advisable to discuss this with the provider of your floor plans and other home plan documents, since reducing the amount of material required may enable you, the new homeowner, to significantly reduce your building and framing costs.