Nueco News
January 2025
BUILDING OF THE MONTH
Building of the Month: Stunning 2-Story Barndominium in Trinidad, Colorado
This month’s spotlight is a remarkable two-story Barndominium kit, measuring 30 x 40, crafted from bolt-together cold-formed steel. Located in the scenic area of Trinidad, Colorado, this project showcases both functionality and style.
Key features include:
• A spacious 10-foot covered upper deck, perfect for enjoying panoramic views.
• A large lean-to, offering additional space for storage or outdoor activities.
Constructed by the owner with the help of family and friends, this barndominium exemplifies the possibilities of DIY steel building kits.
6 ADVANTAGES OF COLD FORMED STEEL
1
CFS IS A COST-EFFECTIVE BUILDING MATERIAL
Even if you’re working with a comfortable budget, money is always a factor in choosing building
materials. Cold-formed steel is a truly cost-effective material choice, offering layers of savings with
lower labor costs, lower material costs, and easy scalability. Many contractors choose CFS to save
money upfront, lowering the cost to build, and many stakeholders choose CFS for long-term savings
with fewer maintenance needs.
Cold-Formed Steel (CFS) has been a staple of the construction industry for more than a century, and it’s easy to see why. Steel, in general, is a highly durable material. And when it’s formed using cold-form processes, it becomes even stronger. CFS offers cost-effective, durable, eco-friendly building options that are in high demand today as inflation and supply chain woes drive prices up, and sustainability is a top priority for many industries. Let’s take a look at the advantages of choosing Cold-Formed Steel over other building materials.
Cold-Formed Steel (CFS) has been a staple of the construction industry for more than a century, and it’s easy to see why. Steel, in general, is a highly durable material. And when it’s formed using cold-form processes, it becomes even stronger. CFS offers cost-effective, durable, eco-friendly building options that are in high demand today as inflation and supply chain woes drive prices up, and sustainability is a top priority for many industries. Let’s take a look at the advantages of choosing Cold-Formed Steel over other building materials.
Building of the Month Here is how you can lower your costs using CFS:
■ High Strength-to-Weight Ratio Means Fewer Materials Needed
■ Panelization Reduces On-Site Construction Costs
■ Shorter Product Cycles Means You’re Productive in Less Time
■ Lower Insurance Premiums Due to Weather & Fire Safety Ratings
■ Fewer Site Safety-Related Costs Like Security or Inspections
■ Fewer Long-Term Maintenance Needs Due to Durability
■ Panelization Reduces On-Site Construction Costs
■ Shorter Product Cycles Means You’re Productive in Less Time
■ Lower Insurance Premiums Due to Weather & Fire Safety Ratings
■ Fewer Site Safety-Related Costs Like Security or Inspections
■ Fewer Long-Term Maintenance Needs Due to Durability
A lower up-front price tag is just the beginning of cost savings with a cold-formed steel building. This
material is versatile and scalable and lends itself well to commercialization–meaning that it is easily
mass-produced to bring efficiency and cost savings to the construction process. So, in a nutshell, CFS
is a cost-effective building material from beginning to end.
2
CFS BUILDINGS ARE MORE DURABLE
Next to money, durability is the second most important factor when choosing materials.
Steel has a well-known reputation for its strength. But what many building owners might not realize is that cold-formed steel is particularly strong.
The manufacturing processes performed at a lower heat produce compressed sheets that offer improved durability over hot formed steel sheets.
Add to the sheer strength of CFS that steel is also impervious to most environmental factors like pests, moisture, heat, and wind. Using CFS, you’ll incur far fewer long-term maintenance costs typically caused by environmental exposure.
Steel has a well-known reputation for its strength. But what many building owners might not realize is that cold-formed steel is particularly strong.
The manufacturing processes performed at a lower heat produce compressed sheets that offer improved durability over hot formed steel sheets.
Add to the sheer strength of CFS that steel is also impervious to most environmental factors like pests, moisture, heat, and wind. Using CFS, you’ll incur far fewer long-term maintenance costs typically caused by environmental exposure.
3
IT’S A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE
Steel is a 100% recyclable material. Often, CFS framing and panels used in new construction are from recycled materials. Plus, when the building is torn down or renovated, the steel components are still 100% recyclable.
For building owners and contractors looking to receive LEED certification points or support sustainability goals, CFS is a logical building material choice.
Using CFS as a sustainable building material is a choice that you can feel good about. The CFS manufacturing process is inherently designed to eliminate waste. It’s based on a dry system that does not require excessive water consumption to produce heat or cool the steel.
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly material choice, CFS is green from beginning to end.
For building owners and contractors looking to receive LEED certification points or support sustainability goals, CFS is a logical building material choice.
Using CFS as a sustainable building material is a choice that you can feel good about. The CFS manufacturing process is inherently designed to eliminate waste. It’s based on a dry system that does not require excessive water consumption to produce heat or cool the steel.
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly material choice, CFS is green from beginning to end.
4
IT’S A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE
When it comes to safety, you may not realize the role that individual building materials play. It’s true choosing highly combustible framing materials like timber or untreated wood paneling for walls and roofing increases the combustibility of the entire building.
That means, in the event of a fire, the building turns into a tinder box and is quickly engulfed in flames. With CFS, your building’s occupants may have more time to reach safety. While many of the accompanying building materials will still burn, the structure of a CFS building is non-combustible, which considerably slows the spread of the fire. From goodwill to a good price, cold-formed steel is a good choice for your next building project.
That means, in the event of a fire, the building turns into a tinder box and is quickly engulfed in flames. With CFS, your building’s occupants may have more time to reach safety. While many of the accompanying building materials will still burn, the structure of a CFS building is non-combustible, which considerably slows the spread of the fire. From goodwill to a good price, cold-formed steel is a good choice for your next building project.
The non-combustible nature of CFS means:
■ Buildings are safer for Human Occupants
■ The impact on Municipal Fire Services if reduced
■ Buildings cost less to insure
■ The impact on Municipal Fire Services if reduced
■ Buildings cost less to insure
In fact, did you know that the melting point of steel is approximately 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit?
The average building fire only reaches 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and even the hottest fires rarely exceed 1,800 degrees, so CFS will remain non-combustible from construction through destruction.
The average building fire only reaches 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and even the hottest fires rarely exceed 1,800 degrees, so CFS will remain non-combustible from construction through destruction.
5
CFS IS EASY TO INSTALL
If money, safety, and sustainability aren’t enough to inform your decision, consider the construction process.
Cold-formed steel is well-known for being easy to install.
This means you’ll have fewer labor hours invested in the construction of your building, leading to both lower costs and a quicker build. If your goal is to get through construction quickly, cold-formed steel is the right choice.
Cold-formed steel is so versatile that it can even be installed during the coldest months of the year. This means that you won’t be limited to summer months to construct your building, and you won’t have to plan for portable heaters during construction.
These buildings are often panelized, leading to easy construction in less time compared to other building materials.
And all of these benefits are just what you’ll see day-to-day with CFS.
Cold-formed steel is well-known for being easy to install.
This means you’ll have fewer labor hours invested in the construction of your building, leading to both lower costs and a quicker build. If your goal is to get through construction quickly, cold-formed steel is the right choice.
Cold-formed steel is so versatile that it can even be installed during the coldest months of the year. This means that you won’t be limited to summer months to construct your building, and you won’t have to plan for portable heaters during construction.
These buildings are often panelized, leading to easy construction in less time compared to other building materials.
And all of these benefits are just what you’ll see day-to-day with CFS.
6
IT’S RESISTANT TO EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS
How often do you face extreme weather like tropical storms, intense blizzards, or tornadoes? Cold-formed steel, notable for its durability, is the best choice for buildings constructed in areas that experience extreme weather.
According to the Steel Framing Industry Association, CFS is a truly weather-resilient building material. This designation goes beyond durability, encompassing safety, security, durability, energy conservation, and the general ability to be resourceful during an extreme weather event. To that end, cold-formed steel is a superior building material offering the structural resilience that your business needs to remain operational in the face of catastrophic weather conditions.
According to the Steel Framing Industry Association, CFS is a truly weather-resilient building material. This designation goes beyond durability, encompassing safety, security, durability, energy conservation, and the general ability to be resourceful during an extreme weather event. To that end, cold-formed steel is a superior building material offering the structural resilience that your business needs to remain operational in the face of catastrophic weather conditions.
The Bottom Line…
Whatever your building goals are, cold-formed steel can help you achieve financial savings, LEED certification and much more.
FREE ONLINE DESIGNER TOOL
Do you have a vision for a Steel eco-kit s made from our COLD FORMED STEEL, and you are not seeing the exact Kit on our website?
You Can Now Design your Own Steel Building Using Our FREE Online Designer Tool!
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