10 Ways to add metal structure in your home

Ritika Tiwari Ritika Tiwari
Una Casa Híbrida que integra una Vivienda Moderna y una Nave Industrial, miba architects miba architects Endüstriyel Mutfak
Loading admin actions …

The structure is a resistant skeleton that supports a building or a dwelling. Its a frame that makes a house stable and also helps connects the ground to the foundation. Tradition homes lacked a proper skeleton. The walls used for enclosure and distribution of the house acted as a frame. They were usually built with bricks or stones and also had a bearing function. In the old buildings which make up the historic hulls of most of our cities and have several floors, we often find stable structures of wood framing. 

After the industrial revolution and invention of steel, the wooden structures were replaced by metal. The reason was its durability and greater resistance to fire. Nowadays all these materials have significant technical advances which have improved their performance.  That means when it comes to choosing one type of structure; many other factors need to be considered.

1. The metal returns

Both wood and steel currently have new treatments which have significantly reduced their disadvantages when compared to structures built with concrete. A metal structure occupies much less space than a concrete one. It is an important advantage, given that most people face problems of less space in the current homes.

2. Combinations of materials

The metal structures are composed of vertical supports or pillars, on which the horizontal elements or beams are placed. These are the items that form the forged structural support of floors and ceilings. It is common to find mixed structures, using metal pillars combined with beams of concrete slabs, as seen in the image.

3. Steel and sheet metal

It was traditionally associated with warehouses, agricultural or industrial construction. The greased veneer is increasingly used also in homes as a solution for the frame, instead of the traditional joists. The sheet is placed on steel beams, to form the metal structures for the roofs of houses or the upper floor.

4. Rehabilitation

These types of houses with metal structures are lighter than an equivalent structure made of reinforced concrete. Also, their execution is much faster. These characteristics make metal structures an excellent option for rehabilitation works. In such projects, the walls and partitions usually have the bearing capacity. That means we can not knock them down when we want to renovate an old house. Often it is necessary to replace the old wooden beams or pillars with new steel ones.

5. The weight of the structure

In projects of rehabilitation and reform, it is customary to carry out expansions or change the distribution of the house to suit the new forms of life. In this type of actions, it is necessary to avoid incorporating extra weight to the structure of the building. Therefore, we should opt for frames as light as possible. Using beams and metal pillars, together with sheet metal slabs is highly recommended in such situations. These can be modified with other features like partitions or carpentry which needs to be incorporated according to the weight of the frame.

6. Fast assembly

In small houses where the execution time is also limited, it compensates enormously to use metallic structures. Although the price of the structure is somewhat greater than that of concrete, it still compensates by saving space and time. It is much simpler and cleaner to install in a small house when compared to heavier structures. Since steel frames are a modular structure, it is easy to transport in parts and can be mounted almost like a Mecano. That is why in the pavilions and free houses, such as the one we see in the image, it is better to use metallic structures.

7. Big lights

A structural system conceived by joining of modern pieces facilitates their combination to form more complex structures. That's why you can build trusses, like the one in the picture, to cover big lights. Depending on the requirement either a two-way cover, as in this case or a flat one can be created. Also, the type of joints between each of the pieces is placed to create different types of trusses or triangular beams.

8. Small structures

homify Minimalist Yatak Odası

There are various models of houses in metal structures available. Also, the treatments that can be applied to metal structures for houses generate a broad range of possibilities for their use. You can create attics, designer shelves or any other decorative feature that you can imagine. For example, this original raised bed structure that our experts have created. It allows us to take advantage of the high ceiling.

9. New treatments

We have done a review of the technical characteristics of the metallic structures and their advantages or disadvantages when used in contemporary dwellings. But we can not forget its beautiful presence and how a steel structure can become the protagonist of the decoration in the space.  Today,  industrial aesthetics have become very fashionable in interior decoration trends. We can either choose different treatments for the metallic structure or leave it naked to enhance its industrial flair.

10. The versatility of steel

Steel is a solid material that needs little maintenance. Today, technical advances allow new treatments to protect the metal from oxidation and make it even more resistant in case of a fire. Being a highly industrialized material, it makes it possible to create complex as well as simple structures. It is a flexible and versatile material which is also easy to combine with other materials.That also means you can create metal structures for two-story houses easily. Lastly, it should be noted that metal is a reusable material.

For more designs check out our ideabooks

Ev projenizle ilgili yardıma mı ihtiyacınız var?
Bizimle temasa geçin!

Öne çıkan makaleler