One of the "greenest" aspects of constructing Badboulder's main house may be our use of steel framing. Because David erected the frame during his off-duty time, approximately eight days per month, we couldn't expose bare wood framing to the harsh weather of a high desert climate. Many wooden studs start to curl and warp during the hour necessary to transport them from Prescott Home Depot to our site.
So, David read about steel construction, he visited some home sites under construction with steel, and then took his house plans to a structural engineer in Scottsdale to specify necessary weight bearing requirements. In all applications, David met or exceeded the specs.
We bought the steel products, studs and beams, from Thunderbird Steel in south Phoenix industrial area. (Felt like we had SURVIVED when we loaded and cleared that area). We hauled a few loads back to Yarnell using our old blue Chevy Caprice and a (quite appropriately) trailer made of steel. T-Bird delivered some huge loads on Saturday as we are conveniently located on the way to Prescott. No air or water transport involved in procurement of product.
Badboulder's steel was recycled from old car carcasses by a company in Kingman AZ. Again, China or round-the-globe shipping weren't a part of Badboulder's construction.
Just exactly how David, alone, fastened all that steel into a two story home, thirty-two feet at its highest, has intrigued many of the village citizens (some report the of use of binoculars). This was not an act to be viewed by a person afraid of heights, so I went to work. Carefully, methodically he planned the different erection systems and climbed the scaffolding thousands of times to put the steel members in place. Much of this placement was done hanging in the air; no cranes, no carpenter helpers--just David.
The framing took about two years worth of weekends and vacation time. Friends and strangers alike have stopped in to marvel at the construction. We hear comments like, "If we're ever bombed or Palo Verde melts down, etc., we know where we're coming" or, "you could land a 747 or park semis on this house" or best one, "you could build an Olympic-sized swimming pool on top of your house." Fortunately, we've only experienced a couple of eighty plus mile-per-hour storms but can report no damage done.
Steel framing afforded us the opportunity to build our own home in our own good time, was a recycled American product and any termite that eats this house has some morphing to do.
FROM THE KNOTHOLE: Hey, remember me, I'm up here, dangling from a beam with one hand and holding a screwgun with the other. Residential construction using light gauge metal is within the capability of the DIYer who has a basic knowledge of carpentry. The skills necessary to build with wood are transferable to building with light gauge metal. There are 2 basic tools for building with light gauge metal: a screwgun and a nibbler. I used a DeWalt screwgun and a Trumpf nibber. There are many good brands of each on the market. If you are interested in light gauge metal construction, I suggest you visit a project in progress. Most of the trades--electrical, plumbing, drywall, etc.--can adapt their skills to working with light gauge metal. If you choose to fasten sheathing such as plywood or OSB to the steel studs, you may either use screws and a screwgun or a steel pin driver. A steel pin driver will make the job quick and easy, but the steel pin driver and an air compressor will cost you several hundred dollars. If you decide to go for the steel pin fastener, I suggest the Aerosmith brand. Stay away from ETF fasteners as they have the absolute 1000% worst customer service; I found out the hard way.
parting shot from bbman: keep all your possessions in one bag.
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