Light gauge steel trusses tend to cost more than wood trusses by 20 to 40% because wood trusses are fabricated in a manner which is highly automated. Light gauge steel trusses require a large amount of manual labor in the fabrication process, therefore causing the completed cost to be greater than wood trusses. As the industry finds improvements in automation and other cost reduction techniques, the price of steel trusses will decrease and will be more competitive with wood trusses.

Superior Truss & Panel’s light gauge steel trusses can be designed and engineered to clear span 100 feet with a common truss at 24" OC spacing, flat bottom cord and normal loads. Superior’s engineering department can also solve difficult areas within a buildings roof system by incorporating structural steel trusses with light gauge steel trusses into the roof design to solve problem areas.

Superior Truss & Panel will provide a separate optional proposal for the complete installation of our prefabricated trusses. Superior performing the installation of the trusses will assure you that the trusses are installed per industry standards with one subcontractor being responsible for the manufacturing as well as the installation of the trusses. This will eliminate the job site problem of a framing or drywall subcontractor who is not familiar with truss installation.

Answer: The short answer is, higher quality for a competitive cost. Steel framing discourages mold, frustrates termites, provides more safety in electrical storms, and just generally stands straighter, stronger and longer. Do you live in an earthquake zone? Steel framing is stronger than wood, giving it more stability against surprises. Are your soils subject to settling? Steel framing weighs less than wood, putting less pressure on the foundation systems.

A very good question. To answer your specific question, Yes, other framing is used successfully with Deckmaster. Home owners, builders and architects are interested in additional longevity of the decks as the manufacturers of the composite materials explode into the marketplace. Galvanized metal framing is an alternative that works well with Deckmaster? Hidden Fastener System.

Want to build your own online toy store? Don't want the hassles of owning inventory and building a secure shopping cart? We've got your answer!

Yes. When comparing the strength of steel, the lower the gauge number, the thicker (and stronger) the steel is.

All of Direct Sheetmetal’s firewalls and floors are made out of 16 gauge cold-rolled steel (060.) The tunnels are made from 18 gauge cold-rolled (.048).

Our Metal Stucco Panels are formed from very sturdy, 20-gauge,G-90, galvanized steel to assure a uniform flat surface that resists wrinkling and “oil canning”. Standard corrugated metal panels are normally much thinner, 26-28 gauge.

The gauge is the thickness of the stainless steel. An easy rule of thumb is, the lower the number of the gauge, the thicker and better the stainless steel. Therefore, 18 gauge is better than 20 gauge.

Both of these models have a steel wagon bed with wood sides that are bolted in but may be removed with a screwdriver and a wrench. Model #22: This is a 34" steel wagon with wood sides that has 8 ?" pneumatic wheels and a weight capacity of 120 lbs. Model #32: This wagon is similar to the #22.

Steel generally costs less per square foot to build with than any other material. Insect infestation is not a problem with steel and steel is non-combustible.

Yes. The lower the gauge, the thicker (and stronger) the steel (ex. a 24 gauge steel is thicker than a 27 g. steel).

Superior Windmills are made of high end galvanized steel with a gauge strength of up to .8 mm. Their weight and strength helps them stand up against fierce Northern Winds. Many of our customers are adding as many as 3 air diffusers to a single windmill aeration system. Adding multiple air diffuser units is only recommended with the Turbo Jet Stream model. The main reason is because this is the only unit on the market that can truly produce enough air to sufficiently operate multiple diffusers.

The secret to balsa wood's lightness can only be seen with a microscope. The cells are big and very thinned walled, so that the ratio of solid matter to open space is as small as possible. Most woods have gobs of heavy, plastic-like cement, called lignin, holding the cells together. In balsa, lignin is at a minimum. Only about 40% of the volume of a piece of balsa is solid substance.

The heartwood of naturally durable species such as western red cedar, yellow cypress and white cedar will all resist decay to some degree, but it is variable. The amount and type of natural fungi-toxic chemicals deposited in the heartwood determine how durable the wood is. The sapwood of all species is considered non-durable. Heartwood of second growth may be less durable than the best of the old growth but probably less variable.

First of all, our buildings are constructed from steel making them stronger than wood. Steel construction also adds other benefits such as fire resistancy, easy maintenance, cleaning, and the ability to weather the elements better than wood.

Engineered steel tube panel frame construction allows for superior durability during transportation plus larger structural spans for open and airy floor plans. Steel is more fire resistant, mold resistant, and moisture resistant than wood. We also use re-cycled steel, which is a more sustainable building material than wood framing.