Steel framed house

[S J H]

What would people's opinions be on having a steel portal frame as the framework of a house, blocked in between then clad on the outside?

I haven't spoken to an engineer yet, but thinking out loud, I don't think it would cost an awful lot, it would support all the blockwork so this could be completed with the roof before the external stonework, first floor steels could be in the frame and the 2nd floor could be fully vaulted.

Just wondered if anyone had seen it before or looked into it?

 

[grainboy]

Hi Sam, visited a customer the other day, he lives in a converted Atcost type building. As he says, when requiments change you just reconfigure rooms internally.

 

[Forever Fendt]

What would people's opinions be on having a steel portal frame as the framework of a house, blocked in between then clad on the outside?

I haven't spoken to an engineer yet, but thinking out loud, I don't think it would cost an awful lot, it would support all the blockwork so this could be completed with the roof before the external stonework, first floor steels could be in the frame and the 2nd floor could be fully vaulted.

Just wondered if anyone had seen it before or looked into it?

good idea with plenty of glass looking across field,You will have quite big stanchion bases as point loading and will have to consider cold bridging with the steels to masonry,there is some on google images that look nice (A barn style stone home) if thats your type of thing

 

[Turra farmer]

Will cost too much , look at closed panel kits , structural preinsulated frame without steel

 

[Forever Fendt]

Will cost too much , look at closed panel kits , structural preinsulated frame without steel

the frame could cost 10k for a std house and when you think about it is there any point in a steel frame as it does not achieve a lot

 

[Turra farmer]

the frame could cost 10k for a std house and when you think about it is there any point in a steel frame as it does not achieve a lot

Sometimes steel required around big windows or where room sizes are large , although with glulam beams and jj joists big spans are achievable without steel

 

[spikeislander]

Hi Sam this is what I did although the frame was already there. I made steel hangers from the apex to carry the loft floor and rooms up there , which meant I could just block the ground floor rooms off the old grain store floor without footings and then just did stud work upstairs . I think it saved us loads but we were working with what was there. Starting from scratch may end up a dear way, welcome to come and look

 

[Doing it for the kids]

If you want to go down this route google SIPS.

As with everything there are pros and cons but don't go thinking your the only one who has looked at this - 1000's of home builders do new builds each year and not many use steel frames.

As others have said no need for blockwork if steel as either can support the loads required!

 

[Forever Fendt]

If you want to go down this route google SIPS.

As with everything there are pros and cons but don't go thinking your the only one who has looked at this - 1000's of home builders do new builds each year and not many use steel frames.

As others have said no need for blockwork if steel as either can support the loads required!

Local joiner makes his own sips , he is doing a local farm shop soon with about 150 panels, there must be a saving to do them himself

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Yeah I am sure. Probably no build warranties with that method but if building it for yourself...

 

[Forever Fendt]

Yeah I am sure. Probably no build warranties with that method but if building it for yourself...

There is SBEM calcs, and air leakage test to give a epc and inspected by la building control so all must be in order he has done oak frames before but this will be his first involvement with steel frame apparently the wall build up will be about half the thickness for the same u value

 

[S J H]

Will cost too much , look at closed panel kits , structural preinsulated frame without steel

If you want to go down this route google SIPS.

As with everything there are pros and cons but don't go thinking your the only one who has looked at this - 1000's of home builders do new builds each year and not many use steel frames.

As others have said no need for blockwork if steel as either can support the loads required!

The SIPS panels look a bit too modern for me, I would prefer to live in steel and concrete.

Do you mean sips inside a steel frame @Doing it for the kids

 

[S J H]

Hi Sam, visited a customer the other day, he lives in a converted Atcost type building. As he says, when requiments change you just reconfigure rooms internally.

That was my thinking, it's 10m wide x 9m deep, so if we had 4 corner stanchions, rafters at the end of the frame, with a ridge beam, eaves beam and first floor beam. Then there would only be a ring of foundations and the pad holes.

 

[S J H]

Hi Sam this is what I did although the frame was already there. I made steel hangers from the apex to carry the loft floor and rooms up there , which meant I could just block the ground floor rooms off the old grain store floor without footings and then just did stud work upstairs . I think it saved us loads but we were working with what was there. Starting from scratch may end up a dear way, welcome to come and look

Thanks Damian, i will take you up on that offer, I'm probably over thinking it, but if I did have an envelope straight away, then I cost spread the work out internally so I could do as much myself as possible.

 

[S J H]

good idea with plenty of glass looking across field,You will have quite big stanchion bases as point loading and will have to consider cold bridging with the steels to masonry,there is some on google images that look nice (A barn style stone home) if thats your type of thing

It's pretty traditional looking @Forever Fendt so no big glass, but I was just thinking of making the roof as easy as possible, I expect they'll try to keep attic trusses, but I'd prefer a cut roof so I can fiddle about in the future.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

I wasn't clear - it's easy to get the calcs organised and I am sure it will work well.

However folk want new homes that come with a 10 yr build warranty. If home made they maybstruggle to get that but if living in itbyourself it's no big deal until you want to sell..

 

[Forever Fendt]

I wasn't clear - it's easy to get the calcs organised and I am sure it will work well.

However folk want new homes that come with a 10 yr build warranty. If home made they maybstruggle to get that but if living in itbyourself it's no big deal until you want to sell..

i understand your point but i have never had any luck with guarantee

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Who is the house for? Will it be sold on?

My point was if you want to use block or brick then that can take the load the steels would.

Sips are timber frame based usually

Those who use steel frame end up with hoff house style or ultra minamilistic box things normally.

If you want to build a house on a budget just speak to a decent architect / builder

 

[J B]

What would people's opinions be on having a steel portal frame as the framework of a house, blocked in between then clad on the outside?

I have no thoughts on the actual property but we looked at a property in N Wales a while back which was "not of traditional construction" (it was steel frame) and the vendors were struggling to sell it as no mortgage company would lend on it.
Then a friend near here was considering buying one but surveyor advised that it would be 'un-mortgageable'

Best have an eye to the future??

 

[mo!]

Another thing to remember with steel frame is all the fire proofing, my uncle had a steel ridge beam put in, clad it in oak to look good, it ended up bigger and dearer than glulam! Leave steel frame for Grand Designs.