How to Choose – Wood or Metal Stud Framing for your Home

Guest Blog #143, Entry #614, August 10, 2011

If you’re in the process of building a home, have you considered whether you will build with traditional wood framing or use metal studs? Today, my Guest Blogger gives tips for selecting framing for your home and weighs the pros and cons of metal versus wood studs.

Wood framing is the traditional method for residential construction

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Although hard-core, residential builders swear by wood studs when framing a stick-built home, is this really the best choice?  The typical contractor tends to stick with their old, trusted habits instead of seeking out different materials or techniques that might offer additional value to the final owner.  That is, of course, until building codes or a picky client changes their mind.  On the other hand, many potential buyers consider a homemade of organic materials to be of the highest quality; they picture metal studs as something only used in cheap, manufactured homes.  To find out which material really is the biggest stud, take a closer look at both as well as their benefits:

Wood Studs: The Old Standby

Wood studs are used to construct the vertical framework of most buildings, especially older homes.  Usually, a combination of 2X4 and/or 2X6 planks is placed between 12- and 24-inches apart, depending on the building codes, to create both the interior and exterior walls of the structure. Because studs must support the vertical load, or downward weight, of the entire building, lumber designated as a stud is graded to reflect the amount of weight it can hold as well as for visual defects and knot size.

Metal Studs: Time-tested Newcomer or Expensive Joke?

Commercial construction and the manufactured-home industry have used metal studs for years with success.  Most metal studs are made by combining thin sheets of galvanized steel into a plank-like shape that closely resembles a wooden stud.  Aluminum is sometimes used, but this type of metal stud is generally more expensive and heavier that its steel counterpart.  Metal-stud advocates point to the fact that they can be used in exactly the same way that wooden studs are used, but they’re not prone to damage from termites, fire, or rot.  Most expert builders don’t use metal studs for the exterior, load-bearing walls although newer product lines are advertising load-bearing products and charging premium prices for the stronger item.

Metal framed housing

Which One is the Biggest Stud?

This might just be one of those “chicken or egg” questions.  Both wood and metal studs have significant benefits and some definite drawbacks. Use this list of important features to make the final choice:

• Cost – Prices vary depending on market conditions and current demand, but metal construction is usually more expensive and always requires a higher grade of electrical outlets and junction boxes.
• Durability – Although galvanized-steel studs are coated to prevent rust, most products are only guaranteed against this corrosive condition for about 10 years.  On the other hand, metal studs won’t burn, rot, or become infested with termites.
• Strength – Wood is still considered the clear winner in this category.  Compared to the stiffness of wood, metal studs may feel flimsy until sheetrock is attached to firm up the wall.  Even then, some homeowners find that hanging cabinets or shelving on a wall supported by metal studs is far from trouble free.
• Ease of Installation – Wood studs are easier to cut to size, but metal studs are simple to adjust after they are installed.  Because a metal stud is screwed into a modular grid, it can be easily removed by simply unbolting the item.
• Heating Concerns – This is an important, but often ignored, concern.  Metal, unlike wood, transfers the cold from the outside into the home. In addition to increasing the cost to heat the building, this temperature transfer can cause condensation to build up on the inside of the walls.  If metal studs are used on exterior walls, extra attention should be paid to the insulation needs of the structure.

Whichever you decide, make your choice based on facts

Like most things, there is no clear winner in the stud competition.  The final choice should be made based on the pros and cons of each type of material and the desires of the final owner.

This guest post is brought to you by DIY Home Center, an online retailer specializing in Deckorators and FastenMaster home building products and accessories.

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