The Pros and Cons of Metal Stud Framing

Rost Architects Metal Stud Framed Home

Should you build your home from metal studs? What are the positives and negatives of metal stud construction? Over the past few years, we’ve had more and more clients ask about building their custom home from metal studs. Below we share our un-biased opinions on the positives and negatives for metal stud construction.

Positive: Rot, Mold and Termite Resistant

Metal studs will not rot, mold or attract termites unlike conventional wood framing. With conventional wood framed construction, the cost to replace and protect against these can be expensive. With metal stud construction rot, mold and termite invasion will not occur in your home. This may be particularly intriguing for families with mold allergies or respiratory problems.

Positive: Fire Resistant

Rost Architects Metal Stud Home

The fire resistive qualities of metal stud construction are becoming more and more appealing to homeowners, especially our area of Southern California. We are plagued by wildfires and many of our clients are willing to invest in any measure to protect their homes from fires. Metal stud construction with a fire resistive sheathing will help improve the fire resistance of your home. To read more about other measures for protecting your home from wildfires check out our article here.

Positive: Less Waste if Prefabricated

We’ve worked with a metal stud fabrication company called B&T Manufacturing who pre-cuts, pre dimples and fabricates all of the steel members in our buildings. This requires a bit more coordination and work upfront with the engineers and fabrication team during the design process however, it can drastically reduce waste on site because each framing member is precut to size in the shop. There should be minimal to no cutting of members on site as the frame is erected, therefore minimal waste.

Positive: Ease of Installation

Metal studs are roughly 1/3 the weight of the same size wood member. This is because metal studs are “C” shaped in section and hollow. The light weight makes it easier for the framers to carry and lift into place on site. This also means a lower volume of raw material being used.

If the metal studs were prefabricated and cut to size in a shop as discussed above, the erection of the frame will be even faster. This will reduce the time the framing crew is on site and most likely lower installation costs.

Positive: Predictable Quality, No Bowing or Warping

Rost Architects Metal Stud Framed Home

Compared to wood stud framing, the quality and precision of metal studs far exceeds wood members. Wood members can bow, warp, twist and have endless imperfections that can reduce structural integrity and cause problems during the lifecycle of a building. Metal studs are manufactured with a high level of precision which will significantly minimize the need to fur out walls or use plaster to float out walls or surfaces that are not plumb or level.

This impeccable precision of metal stud framing should not be overlooked. When building a custom home from wood studs, there is often a significant amount of time invested by the plaster and framing crew to shim, fur and float out walls and ceilings to correct them. If this time isn’t required, that means a nice chunk of money and time saved on the project.

Negative: Insulation Values

Metal is inherently a better thermal conductor compared to wood. This doesn’t mean metal studs are a poor solution, it simply means that the wall assembly made from metal studs needs to be slightly modified to reduce thermal transmittance. A common way to modify a metal stud wall to meet insulation requirements is to skin the outside of the wall with a layer of rigid insulation. The layer of rigid insulation outside the metal studs and sheathing minimizes thermal bridging and heat transfer through the wall.

This type of assembly is often referred to as an EIFS assembly. With EIFS assemblies, there is typically a higher cost involved and can be unfamiliar for traditional home builders. We personally like the EIFS system and have designed multiple buildings using this type of system.

Negative: Higher Cost

Currently, metal stud framing is now only about 30% more expensive than wood studs. The higher cost is not all in the material, it is mostly the installation costs. This upfront cost may be unattractive to building owners that are on a tight budget however it is important to evaluate potential savings throughout the life cycle of the building. For example, the owner will not be reframing the building from termite, mold or rot damage. They will not be as concerned about water or fire damage. The cost saved to replace rot, termite, mold, water or fire damage could easily offset the upfront 30% investment to go with metal studs.

Negative: Unfamiliar Among Traditional Framers

Traditional or small builders may be unfamiliar with metal stud framing. The learning curve to erect a metal stud building may impact schedule and result in errors on site. It is critical to work with a building and framing crew who has erected metal stud construction in the past as opposed to hiring a conventional wood framing crew.

Negative: Wall Hanging

Unlike wood studs, the homeowner cant simply hammer a nail into a wood stud to hang a picture, mirror or television arm. With a metal stud building, the contractor will often add wood blocking in the areas where these items may be located. This will allow the homeowner to screw or nail directly into wood using conventional nails and screws. In our opinion this is a minor drawback of metal studs and can be easily addressed with a little planning.

Negative: Wireless Signal Interference

One of the most frequent complaints about metal framed buildings is the interference with wireless signals. This can be solved relatively easily with multiple routers, wifi boosters or antenna extensions.

Negative: Not Biodegradable & Higher Embodied Energy

We are an environmentally conscious Architecture firm and the fact that metal studs are not biodegradable and have a higher embodied energy is often difficult for us to overlook. That being said, although wood is a renewable resource, there is a significant environmental price to pay to harvest trees.

One thing to note about metal stud framing is that the members are often composed of recycled content. When metal stud buildings are demolished, the metal can be recycled and used again. We have have not been able to find comprehensive studies on the environmental impacts for each of these construction types so it is difficult for us to make select on system over the other purely based on environmental impact. If these studies are available please notify us at www.rostarchitects.com.

Rost Architects Metal Stud Framed Home

For us the largest hurdle to using metal studs in most of our homes is the upfront cost to the owner. Our hope is that the cost to produce and install metal framing systems will become more comparable to wood framed construction. If the cost comes down and more convincing environmental studies can be conducted in favor of metal stud framing, then this type of construction will most likely become our standard.

If you would like to learn more about Rost Architects or discuss the design/construction of your custom home feel free to reach out to us. We would love to help bring your vision to life.