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Re: Opening up a late 1940's steel stud framed cape-cottage in Ma...From: info@builderswebsource.com
Category: Carpentry and Framing
Remote Name: 63.198.181.43
Date: 16 Jul 2002
Time: 11:58 PM
CommentsYou have a 1940's home with welded steel stud framing and have concerns about hiring a typical home improvement contractor to open up walls. First, it is quite unusual to find any home, particularly older homes, with steel construction. Even today, steel frame construction in residential applications is very small. As a result, your concerns are legitimate about hiring any contractor to do this work for you. Special tools are required for working with steel, as compared to traditional wood. We recommend that you search for a contractor who has specific experience in steel construction (with references). Often, this will be a contractor who does both small commercial and some residential work. The vast majority of residential contractors have little familiarity with steel construction, so you'll have to screen them carefully. Furthermore, if there are specific structural considerations that arise due to removal of load-bearing partitions, we strongly advise that you consult a licensed structural engineer who can specify the proper size and anchoring details for any headers or additional support members that may be required, factoring in your location and other environmental considerations such as loads due to wind, snow, earthquakes and structural dead and live loads. Builders Websource.
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