
Steel Is A Great Eco-Friendly Option For Building Any Structure
Steel is regarded as one of the world’s strongest building materials; To be specific, it easily withstands a strong environment and weather effects that can damage other structures. Another surprising trait it has is that it minimizes waste and saves energy. This makes steel the absolute best eco-friendly option to use as a building material, which we will explain more.
Steel Meets Every Standard and Code for Green Building
Some of the steel’s great eco-friendly properties come from its exceptional durability; Its durability is important because it prevents homes and other structures from being abandoned and becoming waste. It’s also a great economic choice in general because of its durability, as it has unparalleled environmental resistance, large structural length, and low maintenance costs. Traditional homes with wooden frames, on the other hand, fail to meet the new eco-friendly and durable direction that the construction industry is heading towards.
Cold-formed steel specifically is recognized in every green building and eco-friendly rating program. This shows that it’s well positioned to meet even the highest standards of sustainability in the construction industry; In fact, programs like LEED, or the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, program by the US’s Green Building Council and the National Green Building Standard program strongly recommend it as an eco-friendly building material.
Using Steel as a Building Material Promotes Minimum Waste and High Recyclable Value
Steel is a material that allows multiple opportunities for recycling; Specifically, it can be recycled into new studs, joints and other components that are used in the building of new architecture. Its value as a recyclable material also lies in the fact that it’s the only material that holds an automatic default value, showing that it’s significantly more sustainable than other materials.
There is also little to no waste in the construction of steel buildings, as each piece of steel is specifically manufactured, engineered and delivered with the purpose of fitting a specific structure. To put it simply, it’s custom designed to fit a building’s structure, which means that there is no “waste” being produced onsite from the steel.
Steel is simply one of the most reusable and recyclable materials available in the construction industry. This comes from the fact that its strength does not creep, buckle and/or “wear down”; It offers huge opportunities for re-purposing as well, as any piece of steel can easily be reused in different projects and situations. Lastly, it’s 98% recyclable, which makes it the embodiment of eco-friendly construction materials whenever and wherever it is used.
Steel Allows More Insulation for Your Home and Better Support for Solar Panels, Which Saves Energy Costs
We really can’t stop singing the praises of steel as a building material and its strength is truly what allows it to be a great eco-friendly option, similar to an eco-friendly cleaning service. In fact, its strength allows for your home to support massive layers of insulation without compromising its structural integrity. Thicker insulation means that your home won’t lose as much heating or cooling from your house’s heating/cooling systems, which will cause your energy bill to plummet. Placing more insulation in steel homes also allows you to set your home’s temperature to a lower level, as you’ll no longer have to account for heat loss through-out the home. Some estimates even state that steel homeowners are paying at least 30% less on their energy bills compared to traditional homeowners.
Maybe 30% less on your energy bill doesn’t sound like enough though, well, what if we told you that even more savings are possible? Steel homes offer greater support for solar panels when compared to other homes built with different materials, as their strength can easily support the weight of one or multiple solar panels. To make it even better, solar panels greatly increase the value of your home while also significantly reducing, and in some cases even eliminating, an expensive energy bill, as you will be producing your own energy and you’ll be entirely self-sustainable. Investing in a solar panel is just a great option overall, this is because the average return on investment for solar panels is at least 15%; That percentage is also expected to go up, as energy is continuing to grow in price while solar panels have consistently low maintenance costs and little to no energy costs involved. Having a solar panel also means that you’ll always feel secure knowing that your home can sustain its energy needs indefinitely.
Steel Is Resistant to Weather and Environmental Changes
Again, the durability and resistance of steel cannot be understated, as that is its greatest strength. In fact, steel is completely resistant to mold and it cannot grow at all in a steel home; Its inability to produce mold comes from the fact that steel cannot absorb moisture. This means that a steel home won’t need any treatments to resist mold, insect infestation or decay.
Snowstorms, earthquakes, and floods are no match for steel either. Steel homes can completely resist earthquakes of magnitudes up to 7.9. Steel can also be purposed to be completely resistant to floods in certain designs. Lastly, steel structures won’t collapse under massive amounts of snow, as they can hold large amounts of weight.
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