I lived on Colbert and am waiting on an estimate to raise if possible. I am the director of economic development for a steel frame housing Co. I have had several meeting throughout the state, lake charles to new orleans discussing the benefits of rebuilding using steel and have been received positively. I was interested in some imput from my neighborhood. Has anyone considered building with a steel frame? Any imput would be appreciated.

Thanks

What would the increased cost be, if any?
How would you hang a heavy object that needs a stud?

Steel framing is less expensive than wood because the frame is assembled into a wall panel in our warehouse and shipped to the sight. This decreases your labor cost . Also your material waste is less. normally 20% waste for wood and only 6% waste for steel. Just to give you an idea what one of our house plans for the lower 9th ward runs. 1200 sq. ft. home finished and ready for move in the low $90k's or roughly $77 sq. foot. Home owners and or builders who want their own subs, we offer that framed roofed and enclosed shell for $20,000. All you have to do is finish the inside and exterior painting.
Hanging is the same as on anyother home except you use a screw into the steel stud using a common magnet to locate it. The steel is easily penetrated with a screw.
TAKE NOTE. Todays paper had an artical on modular homes. Steel framing is not modular homes. We do not build on a chasis. We build on slab and or pilars like everyother home is built just quicker, 7 days for a enclosed framed shell and 45 days for a finished home, assuming weather and permitting process is good.

So would I just send a copy of my plans to the steel frame shop, then they inturn build the frame of my home in sections then ship it down to my contractor to put it together?

You can use your plans for a steel frame house and use your contractor to assemble the frame. However if your contractor isn't educated in steel framing it may be a problem. Most contractors do not frame, they sub it out, We are steel framers, thats what we do, we sub out our finishing work with subs that specialize in there specialty. My advise is let a steel frame builder build your frame and if you want your contractor to finish the rest that would be best.

where can we get more information about your company?

the Company is Carson Construction inc. LA licensed commercial and residential contractor. Carson Construction has been incorporated since roughly 1986. We are in the process of implementing a websight for our steel frame housing and should be up within the month. The company that manufactures the steel which we use has a web sight that discusses the advantages. You can visit there web sight until our web sight is finished. The web address for them is

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I will also be attending the lakeview meeting on the 11th and will be happy to talk with anyone interested in learning more.

charlie

Great, thanks for the info. I guess I wouldn't need a termite contract anymore.

I talked to my contractor about steel frame housing. He likes the idea and I would like to sent a set of my plans to a steel framer and a traditional wood framer and do a cost comparative of both. That would be the cost of the frame plus the labor for both. He is going to try to make it out there Saturday as well with me.

Thanks

Good to hear. It is a good idea to compare the two. As long as plans do not have too many different angles in the plans, I think you will find that the steel cost will match up nicely. Of course the biggest expense in a house is not the frame but the finishing of the interior and exterior. That is where controlling the subs comes in.
I will be out there Saturday hope to see you there. Call me on my cell 236-4664 if you need anything.
Charlie

Steel framing sounds like a good alternative to wood.

What would happen to the material if Lakeview received flood waters from another broken levee or just a seriously heavy rain storm, as has happened several times? Even the high humidity in the gulf coast area is enough to promote rust.

Steel is subject to rusting. Would that have an effect on the structural integrity of what remains? Is the steel used for framing coated to prevent rust?

I have done a little readin on this as well, and I was wondering if it would be prone to "white rust".

The steel is zinc coated to prevent any rust for the life of the structure. The humidity will not cause rust. A large portion of the steel framed houses in the south are in hurricane prone Florida, and you cant get more humid than that. You have a much greater chance of wood rotting or being destroyed by insects than you have rusting your frame.

I plan to demolish my poor drowned house & rebuild a 2-story house in the old N.O. style w/ empty basement below (would house garage) & living quarters upstairs. I'm thinking abt a steel frame for the 1st floor & steel/wood hybrid for the 2nd. Is that feasible? Where can I get more info? Tnx.

It is best to frame it in its entirety with steel. Framing 1/2 and 1/2 defeats the purpose. Also a steel framed structure is stronger and requires less material than wood, so you would have to calculate material for the steel frame and the wood frame. Its easier to just do one or the other.