Historically, people have turned to wood for construction because it is a familiar material that is “user-friendly”. Pole Barns and wooden structures are some of the most common building structures around.
A century ago, wood was easily the best choice for materials and was found in abundance all over the world. It was inexpensive, readily available and owners usually designed and built their own structures because it provided a flexible and very forgiving erection process.
However, when comparing steel vs wood frame building, despite the initial savings in price, over the years, steel construction has become more popular and presents significant advantages over wood. Pre-engineered buildings are now the method of choice for most industrial, warehouse, and commercial steel buildings. Even the agricultural and livestock sector, which traditionally has relied heavily on wood for construction, is switching to steel.
Here are some of the reasons why steel structures have become the preferred alternative to wood construction.
Comparing Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings to Structures Made from Wood
Greater Structural Strength and Integrity
In the debate of steel building vs wood construction, steel offers unmatched consistency in quality and strength. Here’s why:
- Steel building components are manufactured to very rigid standards and specifications.
- There are no substandard materials in a pre-engineered metal building.
- Each part in a metal building meets strict industry standards in terms of strength.
- Components are designed specifically for their predetermined use in each metal building.
- Every component is manufactured to meet the strict load criteria in each individual structure – this ensures that each steel building will handle all the load requirements of its specific site location.
Because of this, properly designed and assembled metal buildings have withstood hurricanes, tornadoes, and extreme conditions worldwide.
Quicker, Easier, and Less Expensive to Construct
Each pre-engineered steel building component is designed and made specifically for your building. When comparing a metal building vs wood, this level of precision gives steel a major advantage.
- Each component is designed and manufactured to match perfectly with the others.
- Every piece is labeled and easy to identify.
- Components are cross-referenced on the assembly drawings for easy identification during assembly.
This means your steel building—regardless of size—will arrive as a perfect kit, and each piece will fit together precisely.
Because each component is detailed and specifically made for each structure, erecting the building is quick and easy. Steel buildings are assembled quickly and easily, requiring less labour. Additionally, there is little to no waste and little to no cutting, sawing, or welding on-site.
Wood buildings take much longer to erect than pre-engineered packages, simply because:
- All the components are sourced and acquired separately.
- There is more measuring, more cutting, more margin for error and all of this takes a significant amount of time.
- Produces much more waste in total, as components must be made to fit once they arrive to the job-site.
When weighing the benefits of a steel building vs wood, ease of assembly and reduced labour are key advantages.
One last consideration is that the price of wood is constantly fluctuating. Frequent lumber shortages drive the cost of wood up.
This encourages the use of “green” wood in construction projects which can result in warping, cracking, and splitting. These cracks in the wood members affect seal-ability, which decreases both the energy efficiency and the structural integrity of the final structure.
Riding arenas, like those pictured above, can be built in either wood or steel but steel components are quicker to assemble, safer over the lifetime of the building, and more affordable than wood.
Safer – Over the Lifetime of the Building
Steel components won’t weather, degrade, or decay over time like wood and will remain rigid for the life of the building. This structural strength means less stress on fasteners and components; which in turn provides a safer building for years to come.
Alternatively, owners of wooden structures need to invest in continuous maintenance. With wood, wherever there is moisture close to the base, there is an opportunity for decay.
Decay causes structural insecurity and increases the risk of collapse. To deal with the natural properties of wood, most wood posts are pressure treated, but this process can be poisonous to livestock or other animals if ingested.
Importantly, wood carries with it the fear of loss due to fire. One very real peace of mind that comes with choosing a Steel building is the security that your people, livestock, and your property, are safe; because steel is non-combustible.
Greater Design Flexibility
Because steel is much stronger than wood, it allows for much greater design flexibility compared to wood structures:
- It can span the entire width of the building without the need for interior posts, maximizing usable interior space.
- Columns can be spaced further apart on the sidewalls, creating a more open interior layout resulting in a lighter structure while maintaining structural integrity.
When wood trusses are used to accomplish wide open spaces, they must be layered and joined in several places. This increases costs exponentially. This is why wood structures typically involve several interior posts and beams that limit the useable, clear span area, decreasing work space.
Wood structures require more interior columns for support. This takes up valuable floor space that could otherwise be used.
Lower Maintenance Costs
Considering steel vs wood frame building maintenance, steel is the clear winner:
- Steel components won’t warp, split, twist, swell, shrink or decay, like wood – they also will not have to be replaced or repaired and will remain long after the wood frame building is gone.
- Pre-engineered metal buildings use a minimum heavy 26-gauge sheeting for roofing and siding, as opposed to the light 28 or 29 gauge material used on most wooden pole barns.
- Our steel sheeting is finished with long-lasting coating – these coatings are specifically designed to resist corrosion, UV damage, and fading, keeping your structure looking new for decades.
- Fasteners are also higher quality for steel buildings and won’t need to be replaced like on a typical wooden pole building.
In most wood pole barns, light-gauge metal sheeting is fastened to wood runners, which tend to trap moisture. Many wooden buildings rely on younger, “green” wood—an initially affordable material that deteriorates quickly due to its high moisture content.
This combination accelerates the rusting of both the sheeting and fasteners, eventually causing them to loosen and fail, which leads to frequent repairs or full replacement.
As a result, these structures become prone to warping, rot, mould, and insect damage, and typically require repainting every 3 years, especially when exposed to fluctuating temperatures, humidity, and UV radiation.
Additionally, regular high maintenance is required to escape rodents and burrowing insects, and to limit the amount of rot and mold in wooden structures.
It’s important to know that steel structures are virtually maintenance-free. Over time, the ongoing expenses of repainting and maintaining wood significantly exceed the minimal upkeep required for steel. For those seeking a low-maintenance exterior that retains its appearance, steel cladding offers a far more reliable solution.
Above is a side by side comparison of a wood structure and steel structure. At Norsteel, we can also customize designs to give you a sleek wood finish, fully made with steel.
Longer Economic Life – More Durable and Worry-Free
A common question is: “Are steel buildings cheaper than wood in the long run?” The answer becomes clear when looking at durability. Steel buildings simply don’t wear out over time like wooden structures. Barring some catastrophic event, your steel building will last a lifetime.
Steel offers maximum functionality while still maintaining the aesthetic quality many seek from wooden buildings.
Watch the video testimonial above for more intel.
Wooden buildings have an economic life of 15-20 years and require lots of maintenance along the way. After approximately 7 to 10 years, wood siding and roofing will have to be replaced. If non-metal roofing is used, it will also require replacement at some point.
And as a wooden structure ages, wood members naturally dry out, which causes shrinking, warping, swelling and cracking. Preventing the wooden structural members from drying out is necessary to maintain a secure structure but requires continuous maintenance and a watchful eye.
In contrast, a pre-engineered metal building requires virtually no maintenance and provides decades of worry-free service.
Stronger Foundation
One of the first objections some people make to a steel building is that it requires a concrete foundation and floor, adding significantly to the initial cost of the project.
A metal building doesn’t always require a full slab, although it does require concrete piers at each column location to provide proper structural stability and meet design load requirements. The required piers provide load bearing capacity and an above grade connection so that the posts are not subject to moisture and decay.
Foundation requirements are dependent on building applications as well as site location. Local permit offices will assist in dictating which foundations will be deemed appropriate for specific buildings and municipalities.
While the foundation does add to the initial cost of a metal building system, the advantages over the life of the building are tremendous and outweigh the original expense.
Steel Construction is Better for the Environment
The difference in environmental impact between a steel building vs wood is hard to overlook.
Steel is 100% recyclable and is the only recycled material that doesn’t lose strength when it is recycled. Remember that there is also no waste when a steel building is manufactured and erected, because no substantial cutting is required on-site and all cut-offs at the factory are recycled.
When compared to wooden construction which is wasteful and non-recyclable, Metal buildings are the best choice for the environment.
Steel Buildings Can Actually Save You Money – Year after Year
In addition to structural advantages, steel buildings offer important safety and financial benefits:
- Steel buildings are recognized with an “A” fire rating.
- Wood buildings instead, have a “C” rating for fire – that means that a wood structure is more likely to burn.
Many customers don’t realize that this non-combustibility factor can save significant money on insurance premiums for the life of their pre-engineered steel building.
Closing Out
Steel buildings offer many advantages over wood structures.
At first glance, the price savings afforded by a wood building may seem very attractive to customers. But when comparing different solutions for required construction, we recommend that our customers consider all the factors
Compare all the costs – not just the initial costs for site prep, materials and labour, but also the longer-term costs of ownership – costs like maintenance, repairs, and insurance. Decide how much value you place on safety and environmental friendliness, too.
When considering all the advantages, customers agree that the value of a pre-engineered steel building far outweighs the initial cost savings of a building made from wood.
Contact Us Today!
When you buy a building from Norsteel, we become your partner throughout the construction process. We work with you, or with your general contractor, to ensure that all your building requirements are from storage to residential steel buildings and more. Your project is our project, and we’ll be with you the whole way through.
Looking for inspiration or a quick-start option? Visit our Steel Building Kits page to explore popular sizes available through our online store.
For a fully personalized steel building solution tailored to your needs, get in touch with us — we’re here to help you build with confidence.
FAQs
Are steel buildings cheaper than wood?
While the initial cost of a steel building may be slightly higher than a wooden building, steel buildings often prove to be more affordable in the long run.
Steel offers superior resistance to pests, fire, moisture, and environmental stress translating into long-term cost savings through reduced maintenance, fewer repairs, and longer intervals between replacements.
In addition, the durability of steel buildings can enhance property value and reduce insurance costs, making them a cost-effective and worthwhile investment over time.
Is a metal building better than a wood building for long-term use?
For long-term use, metal buildings offer better durability and longevity compared to wood buildings. Steel is less susceptible to damage from pests, weather, and rot, while wood can require more frequent maintenance, repairs.
With the right care and maintenance, your metal building can last more than 50-60 years, depending on its use, whereas wood buildings last much less. To research tips to increase the longevity of your steel building, visit How Long Do Steel and Metal Buildings Last? A Complete Lifespan Guide.
Do steel buildings take less time to construct than wood ones?
Yes, steel buildings typically take less time to construct than wood buildings, especially when utilizing pre-engineered steel structures. This is due to the pre-fabricated components and ease of assembly.
Pre-engineered steel buildings can often be completed in a fraction of the time it takes for a comparable wood-framed building. The entire process from design to engineering to erection, all within a few months’ time out does the construction of a wood structure.
Which is more energy efficient: steel or wood buildings?
Steel buildings save energy and reduce the greenhouse effect because they are excellent insulators for both heat and cold. The insulating properties of steel, combined with effective Metal Building Insulation, help keep heat from escaping the metal building during the winter.
We engineer buildings to meet and exceed the building codes in your area. We incorporate energy-saving features such as high-performance insulation and efficient HVAC systems by designing in accordance with local energy codes and help ensure long-term cost efficiency, comfort, and sustainability.
Can you customize steel buildings like wood ones?
Yes, when comparing steel vs. wood frame building, one standout advantage is that steel allows for much greater customization and design flexibility. As a matter of fact, Norsteel buildings can be extensively customized to better suit your needs compared to wooden structures.
Pre-engineered steel buildings offer a wide range of design choices that create both unique aesthetics and functional spaces, thanks to the clear-span design.
Is steel more environmentally friendly than wood?
Yes, steel is more environmentally friendly than wood, and can be recycled repeatedly without losing strength and integrity. In fact, steel is highly recyclable, with a 90%+ recycling rate, allowing for the continuous reuse of materials.
All new steel is currently produced with recycled steel, making steel construction the ideal choice for the environment. While wood is considered a renewable resource, the harvesting of trees for lumber can contribute to deforestation, impacting biodiversity and the atmosphere around us.
When considering sustainable construction, remember that steel is the stronger, cleaner, and greener solution.
