Stairs are an integral element of any home or building, both functionally and aesthetically. While choosing the staircase design is quite a fun process, choosing the right materials is extremely important. Steel stairs are an excellent choice for a number of reasons that go beyond just design and functionality. Steel is an extremely versatile building material, with perks for consumers and the environment too. Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of building steel stairs.
Steel is truly one of the most versatile and practical materials to use in construction – especially for modern staircase design. Here are some benefits of choosing to build steel stairs.
A Modern Aesthetic
In the past half century or so, trends in modern architecture have tended to lean towards sleek minimalist designs of which steel lends itself perfectly. Steel tends to be associated with modern, sophisticated applications in homes and construction, pairing nicely with glass, but also timber and other materials (a further testament to its fantastic versatility as a building material).
Steel is also an extremely flexible material with an impressive strength to weight ratio meaning that it can be fashionied to suit the needs more left-field or forward-thinking designers and architects. Steel can also be finished with any number of coatings, further opening up the scope for designers to be creative with colours and patterns.
An Economic Choice
For a material so favourable across the board in construction and design, steel is still relatively cheap. When you consider its longevity, versatility, sturdiness and aesthetic appeal, steel is one of the most economic building materials avaliable.
Raw steel is relatively inexpensive, and manufacture and steel fabrication has become less and less labour intensive in recent years thanks to advances in the tools and technology that steel fabricators employ. Both of these factors will help reduce building costs. Steel also lasts a lifetime, further saving you money.
An Environmental Alternative
It’s widely known that widespread felling of trees across the world is one of the key contributors towards global warming and the demise of our natural environment. A large wooden staircase require huge amounts of fresh lumber, sourced only by cutting down trees.
Wooden staircases are also almost entirely non-recyclable, whereas steel is one of the most recycled materials in the world with a global recycling rate of over 60%. It goes without saying that it is the most eco-friendly choice.
A Reliable Solution
Steel is an alloy made up of iron and other materials, mainly carbon. Both of these materials discourage dislocation at an atomic level and thus steel has extremely high tensile strength, making it a prime material for building.
Steel is also non-combustible, unlike wood. It does not rot like wood does. Galvanised steel is quite impervious to corrosion and bugs and insects such as termites have no appetite for it. It’s as reliable as you can get when it comes to building materials and requires very minimal maintenance and care. You can always count on steel.
A Speedy Process
While using other materials may allow construction to start sooner, the steel fabrication process and erection cycle of structural steel is much faster than any other material. Steel sections come ready-made, waiting to be erected upon delivery. 3D technology allows close collaboration between designers and fabricators, greatly enhancing productivity and in turn speeding up the building process.
Steel stairs will look better, last longer and provide you with far greater protection than a wooden alternative. If you are considering steel stairs and would like a professional opinion, we can help.
Our team of experts have the experience and knowledge to answer any of your questions and will ensure that you find the best solution to suit your needs. To contact us today, simply call, fax, email or drop by our Brookvale location.
