Trusses are essential in supporting the external loads of bridges, towers, and your precious home roofs. When they aren’t adequate, you might soon find yourself scratching your head and in an unfortunate predicament. That’s why the quality of your trusses matters.
Today, most trusses are made out of either steel or timber. What’s better? Here’s the answer to the steel truss vs. timber truss debate.
Steel Trusses Are More Durable
It’s no surprise that wood is more fragile than steel (aka one of the strongest metals). The problems with traditional timber such as being prone to fires, insect infestations, and decay are completely eliminated when steel trusses are used instead. On top of this, steel trusses are simply assembled better. Timber trusses are formed by using notched inserts and gusset plates. On the other hand, steel trusses are engineered together using robotic welds. Notched inserts and gusset plates can snap easily, but steel that’s welded together is far more durable.
Steel Trusses Can Span Longer (and Look Better)
Steel trusses offer design and functional versatility. As you span longer distances using timber trusses, the wood will start to flex more. And, this is something that can’t be ignored. Flexing will damage your wood trusses, and you’ll need to counteract flexing by bracing. A significant amount of bracing can make an otherwise clean look a whole lot messier.
Steel Trusses Requires Less Labor
Did you know that steel trusses can be spaced up to ten feet apart? Keep in mind that the spacing for timber trusses is two feet. This means that you’ll need five wooden trusses for every one steel truss. As such, that’s five times less when it comes to labor costs.
If you need a project to be completed in a short amount of time and/or need to watch your labor costs – opt for steel trusses. Steel also doesn’t require professionals to notch the truss to post columns nor is special equipment needed to handle them.
Steel Trusses Are Reusable and Recyclable
Wood is also recyclable, but to a limited extent. As soon as wood gets wet, moldy, or otherwise damaged – it gets discarded. Steel trusses are reusable, recyclable, and versatile. Steel trusses generally last longer and can be disassembled and incorporated into other projects.
Cold-Formed Steel Trusses Might Be Your New Best Pal
Did y’all hear? Cold-formed steel trusses are hot (or should we say cold?) right now! Cold-formed steel trusses are the pinnacle of all steel trusses. Now, it can be all yours. These trusses offer flexibility, are built to minimize waste and drying times, and have one of the strongest strength-to-weight ratios out there!
Call us today at (904)-553-0069 for pricing and details.
Learn more about how cold-formed steel can be applied in your upcoming projects, by contacting our team today.
