Steel in the Home :: Why Steel? That's a good question. Fortunately, the answer is even better. Residential steel framing is a solid investment because it's cost-effective, creates a safe and strong structure and is durable. Speaking of safety, did you know that a steel home performs better and can be designed to withstand earthquakes and hurricanes? Though they'll try their best, termites cannot infest steel. That means your steel framed home is impervious to termite damage to the frame. What about appearance? Because of its strength, steel offers increased design flexibility, accommodating larger open spaces without interior load-bearing walls. So feel free to choose any look you like, from traditional to contemporary to avant-garde. Interested in remodeling your steel framed home? Go for it. Non-load bearing walls can be easily removed, altered or relocated, so if you ever want to remodel, it's easy to do. With its durability, steel framing is longer lasting. In fact, it has one of the highest strength to weight ratios of any construction material. It won't crack, warp, twist, rot, split or settle like wood framing might. Steel framed homes can be finished in almost any kind of material, too – like stucco, wood, brick, siding or any other material you have in mind. Auto :: Why Steel? Steel is one of the strongest materials on the planet. That means you and your family's car will have the most secure auto body and safety cage available. Steel is also used for auto suspensions and auto closures, which include doors, hoods and deck lids. Steel is the environmental leader among automotive materials. You see, virtually 100 percent of the steel used in a car can be recycled. And recycled steel is used to make more cars, as well as bridges, food cans, construction beams and other steel products. The steel industry recently unveiled a new, more structurally efficient steel auto body that uses high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels to improve performance without sacrificing safety. This new body design exceeds federally mandated crash requirements in computer-simulated tests. A car made with this new steel auto body technology means better gas mileage and savings at the pump. The New Steel not only offers superior strength, but it also costs significantly less than its competitor – aluminum. A lightweight aluminum body structure would add an additional US$1,200 to US$1,400 to the cost of an average vehicle. That's three to five times as much as automotive steel. Did you know that aluminum is not as easy to repair as steel? And time-intensive repairs to aluminum automotive parts require specialized training in handling the material. Recycle :: Why Steel? Did you know that it takes old steel to make new steel? That means each new steel product is made in part from recycled steel that's been used previously. So each time you buy a steel product, you're closing the recycling loop by buying recycled. The use and reuse of steel in homes, cars, appliances and other products means steel is an environmental solution and an alternative to other materials that end up in landfills. Steel is one of the few materials you can purchase that is guaranteed to be recycled. And it can be recycled repeatedly without loss of quality or strength. The New Steel is stronger than ever. In fact, if the Sears Tower was built today, it could be erected with 35 percent less steel than when it went up in 1974. Steel products last a long time. Major appliances, for instance, typically have a long life, thanks in large part to steel. That's because steel comprises around 75 percent of all major appliances, including the motors that keep them running for years. The average refrigerator, for example, lasts more than 21 years. Steel plays an important long-lasting role in roofing as well. With steel's durability, steel roofs can last up to 50 years, while traditional asphalt roofs last only around 17 years. So just how recyclable is steel?