Frequently Asked Questions

Very simply, a light gauge steel frame is a high quality product. It represents value for money and brings peace of mind. A light gauge steel frame is light and strong: it will not burn; it is termite, borer, and fungus-proof; and it will not shrink or warp. It is environmentally responsible, low on life cycle energy usage, recyclable and saves timber resources. A SFS’ frame is between 33% and 50% of the weight of a comparable timber frame, with a far higher strength to weight ratio. Steel features one of the highest strength to weight ratio of any conventional building product.

Steel is incredibly accurate with tolerances in the 10ths of a millimetre, not in 10s of millimetres. Your window and door openings will be precisely placed, perfectly square (or perfectly tapered depending on your design) meaning fitting will be faster and easier. Because steel doesn’t warp, twist, bow or settle you will experience less ‘nail pops’ requiring rectification. You will also experience drastically reduced instances of doors and windows sticking as the house settles, because a steel frame never ‘settles’, its engineered to maintain its dimensions for the lifespan of the building. ​

Steel is 100% recyclable (in its purest sense) and has a virtually infinite life span; it’s the most recycled product on the planet. Termite treated timber is un-recyclable (straight to landfill) and almost all other timbers are only down-cyclable.

Steel is 100% termite PROOF, requires $0 of termite treatment and $0 of ongoing termite maintenance.

Steel is 100% non-combustible, it will not burn or ‘char’ and it will not contribute to a fire, or the spread of fire. In a bush-fire, ember attack to a steel house frame and roof space will not ignite the frame.

Light Gauge Steel is an engineered product, not an organic one. Being engineered means movement over time is eliminated, as a steel frame will not settle like other products.

BlueScope Steel, a quality-accredited producer to the appropriate National Standard Specifications, produces TRUECORE® steel in a Light Gauge Steel (LGS) Frame Solutions frame. The components are precision manufactured and assembled to very tight tolerances using advanced techniques. SFS uses the most advanced framing system available in the world today, combining design and engineering software and an automated roll former to produce frames, trusses and joists quickly and accurately. Strength and performance are engineered into the frame, allowing 3S Super Steel to provide the best possible product to its customers.

TRUECORE® steel used in SFS’ wall frames and trusses come with a 50 year warranty* from BlueScope Steel. A great reassurance in anyone’s book! For more information on the 50 year warranty, including the terms and conditions, visit BlueScope Steel’s warranty website.

SFS’ LGS frames are made of steel protected against corrosion by a hot-dipped metallic coating of a zinc-aluminium alloy. In external applications such as roofing, these products are exposed to the elements and have excellent durability, so in less exposed applications such as inside the building envelope they weather more slowly. Where there are cut edges, the galvanic action, or sacrificial protection, of the coatings protects the exposed steel edge against corrosion.

Sure! The customer can install our system. Panels are easily handled and are clearly identified for assembly, with pre-punched electrical and plumbing service holes. Roof trusses are easily identified and easily secured to support the walls. Ceiling and roof battens are easily fixed to the trusses.

You don’t need to know how to be a carpenter to erect a steel frame for your house. You require far less carpentry skills to construct a LGS frame compared to constructing timber frame as you don’t need to deal with the issues of wood warping, twisting and shrinking.

Yes. SFS’ framing allows for larger spans, meaning a home can often be designed without interior load bearing walls. This makes alterations easier without affecting the structure in any way. Furthermore the existing steel structure will remain straight and true regardless of its age, making the job of lining up the extension easier than for conventional timber framing.

Steel is completely non-combustible, doesn’t burn or “char” and confirms to any and all non-combustibility requirements. Being non-combustible means the frame will not contribute to the fire or its spreading, and will not release smoke and carbon dioxide such as will happen with a timber frame. We’ve never seen steel used in a bonfire or BBQ! ​

Smoke and heated air and/or asphyxiating gases are responsible for about 75% of fatalities in house fires. Steel frames will not burn. It will therefore not contribute. Steel releases no gasses or VOCs during its life. This has been recognized by The Healthy Home Institute as a desirable feature for steel frames. Electrical faults cause many fires in wall cavities. An electrical fault cannot ignite a steel frame. If fire gets into the ceiling and ignites timber trusses it can spread very rapidly to the rest of the house. In a bushfire the point of ignition is often the roof cavity when burning embers are blown in under the eaves or tiles. House fires have been known to break through ceilings into the roof cavity. A steel wall frame or roof truss made by SFS cannot be ignited in either of these ways.

Yes. Not surprisingly steel is the preferred framing material in the extreme climate of North West Western Australia, for example, where temperatures can vary more than 40 degrees Celsius in a single day.

Steel frames represent the future of house framing. Continual product improvements and consumer awareness means that demand for steel-framed homes will keep increasing. People are more conscious than ever of the ever-increasing threat from termites. You can build the major termite management into the building, rather than add it on with zero maintenance required, ever. A SFS house is a quality product that delivers to the customer long-term peace of mind and cost savings. Call backs are reduced and your reputation can be enhanced. ​

Although steel frames require slightly different techniques, they are quick and easy to erect. A 3S Super Steel steel wall is straight and true and has continuous nogs and flush connections, meaning cladding materials attach faster and easier. Because steel has consistent strength and complies with strict standards and tight tolerances, every stud is a good stud. LGS frames are lightweight and easy to handle, time is not lost sorting to select suitable pieces, there is no need to straighten framework on-site, and wastage of material is reduced and there is very little scrap on site. Builders will appreciate the lightweight frames being faster and easier to erect. A 7.5-metre wall frame can easily be carried and installed by two men; trusses can be lifted into place by hand.

No. Electro-magnetic waves can diffract around steel as easily as timber. Waves pass through the spaces between the studs, allowing the use of all household appliances without any interference. Performance is no different to any other building.