FAQ's

Metal has been used in construction since the 1700s. Iron beams and columns were widely used in large industrial buildings and the use of this material widened to become the significant material used in the construction of bridges, pipelines and skyscrapers.

While the strength of steel is a well known fact, its use is continuing to gain popularity over traditional methods such as wood, as the latter is more expensive and the use of it has a negative impact on the environment.

Steel has become an accepted construction material world-wide in the commercial and industrial sectors and its progression into residential buildings is a fast growing trend. The reasons are many and varied…

Steel buildings offer many advantages:

• Steel framing is 66% recyclable meaning it is cost-effective and environmentally sound. At Gear Steel Buildings, we aim to support sustainable practices in all areas of our business.
• Construction time of a steel building is significantly faster than with other forms of materials used in building.
• Strength is a significant factor. The ability for steel framing structures to withstand challenging weather conditions (hurricanes, cyclones, heavy snow and torrential rains) and even earthquakes make them a stand out choice when choosing a construction system. Steel frame homes are stronger.
• Steel framing is resistant to termites, creeping, cracks, splitting and rotting. This translates to a durable building and peace of mind for you. Steel frame homes are also easier to maintain.
• Steel buildings are lighter in weight than those built using wood or other traditional methods.
• Steel frame homes and building carry a reduced risk of fire.
• Comparatively, building with steel is significantly more cost efficient.
• Steel frame homes are more energy efficient.
• Gear Steel Buildings can be covered with traditional cladding methods such as linear board, bricks and plaster.

We use structural steel as our main frame. It is 16mm to 6m…. instead of light gage or C-Channels. The steel members are completely welded, with holes positioned, each member numbered, meaning quick assembly at your job site.

Gear Steel Building steel system uses steel technology and steel members to frame the house instead of light gage systems (which use wood technology with lighter steel members to frame with).

Our steel buildings come with a 10 year guarantee, which may even be longer, depending on the cladding used.

No, this is a common misconception.

In fact, since steel framing is electrically continuous with the ground, it is less likely to be struck by lightning. If lightning should strike, the energy will be dissipated through the steel frame with little or no structural damage.

Not at all. In fact, architectural plans drawn for construction in materials other than steel, can be simply translated for use with our Gear Steel Building system.

Building with steel means you have the advantage of wider spans (more open areas) so you may wish to modify your original plans in order to take advantage of this feature in your new steel frame home. We are happy to talk to you about this further at your convenience.

Yes, building with steel is more cost efficient and at Gear Steel Buildings we pass on the costs savings directly to you, our client. We save costs in the following areas:

• Because of the greater span distance, there is a reduction in the amount of materials needed for steel frame homes and steel buildings.
• Minimal construction time which is not impeded by adverse weather conditions, translates to less labour costs and means you will be in your steel frame home faster reducing rental and storage fees.
• Energy efficient buildings – the savings continue even after the build!
• Because of our ability to build on fewer piles than traditional buildings, site preparation is minimal – this is often a prohibitive cost when building on sloping and more challenging sites.

In addition to the fact that building with piles allows you to build on a wider variety of sites and that you are not limited by having to have perfect weather conditions to pour concrete, once the building is completed, the advantages are significant.

As we have seen with the recent Christchurch earthquakes, homes built on concrete foundations are generally the ones that have fallen into the greatest disrepair. Homes built on piles withstood the impact of the larger magnitude earthquakes, simply because of the flexibility afforded by being erected on piles, above the ground.

Gear Steel Buildings are on a minimal number of piles, the strength of our unique steel construction ensuring your building, or steel frame home, is solid.

If you were to have any electrical or plumbing issues with pipes and wires under your home, they are far more simply accessed than in a home built on a concrete foundation. There, lifting tiles and wooden floors to locate problems is a formidable task but in a home built on piles, the disruption is minimal as tradespeople are able to access the necessary pipes and wires from underneath.

Code compliance regulations apply for steel frame homes and steel buildings, just as per other buildings and construction methods.

We have noticed that code compliance has been issued more quickly with our homes and buildings than with more traditionally constructed ones.

Yes. There will be standard visits, which are carried out with any building.

No, permits for steel frame homes and buildings are the same as with any other construction method.

People living and working in steel frame homes and buildings are often surprised at the superior warmth they experience. 

Because the primary material is steel, our buildings do not retain moisture, meaning they are dry and warm with no humidity issues.

Air leakage from expansion cracks is less because steel framing doesn’t warp or expand/contract.

Because we have greater spans than buildings framed and built with wood, the insulation you choose to install in a steel frame home is uninterrupted – technically speaking this is the “heat transfer path”.

Yes you can. We are happy to work in with your choice of builder.

No. When we drive the piles, in most cases this will give the levelling required for your new home to be erected on.

We always advise on a site visit in order to give you the correct information on the number of piles we anticipate using.

You may have seen buildings under construction using red steel framing or girders. This is referred to as “red iron”, so called because of the red oxide coating used to protect the steel.  In addition, the steel framing of the house is contained within the envelope of the house and not directly exposed to the outside environment.

The risks of rust in a steel building are far less significant than the risk of rotting, cracking and leaking in a wood framed building.