In the next series of how a commercial building differs from a residential building in the eyes of a Tulsa commercial contractor we are going to look at the exterior and interior framing of both types of buildings. As a Tulsa commercial contractor it is possible that you would be asked to use wood framing especially if If the owner and architect have agreed on a shingled roof or a gabled roof in general but in most cases the framing subcontractors preferred to use metal studs. Now the first difference is in the interior and exterior part of framing.
In a wood started building there is a difference between your exterior and interior framing there are weight bearing walls are non-weight bearing walls but all the 2 x 4‘s are going to be placed at 16 inches on center and then you know they will all be constructed the same way. However, metals duds come and both load eating and non-load bearing capacities. As a Tulsa commercial contractor I don’t often price the difference between wood and metal studs but I would guess that it is cheaper to get a 2 x 4 then it is a load bearing metal stud but it’s probably cheaper to get a non-load bearing metal stud then it is a 2 x 4.
How that relates to the building would be if you were going to construct the frame of a residential building out of metal studs you would have your load bearing walls made of load bearing metal studs and the non-load bearing walls will be made of non-load bearing studs whereas as I said earlier and con contrast that with wood studs and with that type of framing of it would all be the same two by fours. The other reason would think that a subcontractor would prefer to use metal studs is a handling issue. As a Tulsa commercial contractor, I’ve noticed that the subcontractors I have made suggestions to the manufacture such that the metal studs are specifically made for interior wall and exterior wall framing purposes.
What I mean by manufactured for framing purposes is the metal studs have a pre-cut hole in them so that the mechanical electrical and plumbing trades can run their lines through them. So, when a framer constructs the wall metal studs the electrician is able to place his receptacle box and run the Electrical cable through the holes up to and through the header into the ceiling. To contrast that with a metal stud in which a hole would have to be drilled in both the stud and the header to allow the cable to pass through is why I believe the framers typically excluded.
You can also pick up several non-load bearing metal studs more than you can wood studs. This helps the subcontractor in relationship to being able to move materials quicker. The draw back there I was a Tulsa commercial contractor see with using metal studs is adding wood blocking to help secure the stud when it is going to have something attached to the wall. There is a material that actually wraps around the metal Stud giving a blocking spot to alleviate this.
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The typical non-load bearing metal stud has to have the specialized material or a wooden 2 x 4 to go inside it when there are going to be heavy items fastened to the wall such as grab bars baby changing stations canopies basically anything that will give added outward force on the metal stud. In contrast a wooden stud does not need this extra backing or support which speaks to the nature of the different studs.
And a metal building the walls of the exterior can be made of the same material the rest of the metal building is made for from or in between the rigid frame of the building you could use load bearing metal studs and have them help support the roof and the rest of the wall. The drawback to using would especially near Aluminum is treated wood and aluminum corrode one another and non-treated wood is susceptible to termites.
So, depending on the material a Tulsa commercial contractor must be careful when combining aluminum and treated wood. this is especially important if the owner and architect have decided on aluminum storefront doors and windows. And most commercial buildings the main entrance is going to be a aluminum storefront I suppose her residential building where they are going to have a typical wood frame and wood door and the worry about treated wood being on Aluminum is not present. As a Tulsa commercial contractor, I would hate to give the impression that metal studs are somehow weaker than wood studs because they don’t have to be.
The metal studs have a wide range and thickness and utility and offer some things that it would be very difficult to get wooden studs to do. It is entirely possible to build a house, and have it framed with only metal studs and you would only have to put blocking in minimal spots. What are the ways in which metal studs are better to use for framing then wooden studs are the tracks at the bottom and top. A metal stud comes with a header and footer track as opposed to a header and footer stud, with a header and footer truck it is much easier to create curved or rounded looks instead of 90° angles. So, this means it is possible for a framer to create half circles and rounded walls and alleviate some of the corners that can give in on aesthetically pleasing look.
The track is sheet metal built into a channel with interlocking bands that allow the sides to slightly contract and expand meaning it gives it curve where wood would have to be cut or sanded and there’s a possibility that it wouldn’t even be possible using only wood framing if you were trying to get a curved wall. As a Tulsa commercial contractor Metal studs seem to be much more common and useful in building a commercial building then wooden studs do but wooden studs do seem more appropriate for residential building at least to this Tulsa commercial contractor.