Believe it or not, the French people were not in love with their majestic Eiffel Tower when the magnificent structure was dedicated in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel. As a lofty tribute to steel, the Tower received a lukewarm reception from its French constituency. As we all know, today it is a landmark and point of pride for the people of France. Although steel framing has been around for centuries and is more commonly used in framing commercial buildings in the U.S, it is finally beginning to reach its stride in new home construction. Skyrocketing lumber prices have significantly spurred tens of thousands of today's new homes to have steel at their core.

Immediately after World War II, a huge push was on for steel in building materials, due in part to healthy productivity by the steel war machine. By the time the 'fifties rolled around, inexpensive lumber was in abundance and demand for steel faded. Decades went by with steel used for primarily commercial applications. Fewer than 1,000 steel homes were built in the U.S. as recently as 1992, making the future of steel framing in residential building uncertain.

In the early 1990's events began to occur in the lumber industry when environmental issues slowed logging, causing extreme price volatility. More and more old growth forests becoming off-limits to loggers, and the price of lumber and wood products began to steadily rise. 1994 saw 40,000 steel-framed house starts, with the 60,000 more units using steel in interior partition walls or non load-bearing applications, according to information by the Midwest Steel Framing Alliance. As the new millenium dawns, it is thought by many that steel-framed and steel-reinforced concrete will become the future of homebuilding in both custom and production homes.

According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, steel's impact on the economy, along with its many advantages, translate into healthy prospects for the years that lie ahead. Steel has a 66% recyclability rate, answering to environmental concerns. It is energy efficient since it is wholly unaffected by humidity and temperature changes (which cause expansion and contraction of wood products), keeping a check on both heat and air conditioning bills. It is safer than wood-framed homes, with resistance to earthquakes, hurricanes, high winds, fire, and lightening. Steel need not deal with termites, or other wood-eating pests. It possesses the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any residential building material, according to sources, and its durability is legendary, with no possibility of cracks, splinters, creeping, splitting, warping or rotting. And thrown in just for good measure, the new galvanized steel leaves no possibility of rusting.

Many potential homebuyers' questions regarding the use of steel framing are understandable. Do steel-framed homes "look" different than conventional wood-framed varieties? No, there is no difference in looks - any style home exterior can be achieved using steel framing. And yes, you can still hang pictures in interior walls, using, perhaps, screws instead of nails where needed. Remodeling homes made of steel can be even easier, since larger spans in framing make more "flex" space available and no load-bearing partitions make it easier to make alterations without affecting structural integrity, according to steel experts.

Steel-frame manufacturers will be on hand for the PCBC (Pacific Coast Building Conference) Western Building Show, which will take place this week in San Francisco at the George Moscone Center. Hundreds of new home builders, building product representatives, and building-curious types will be on hand to show off their wares, tout their futures, and get ideas. For more information on Steel Framing, visit www.steel.org.