Steel framing for houses has been around for yonks. All over the industrialised world inventive minds have had a crack at making a machine that can turn out steel frames efficiently and cost-effectively. The best minds in America, Europe, tried out different inventions. Most of it clunky, requiring welding, prone to rust, and too basic to ever catch on.
But Kiwi boys did it! They invented a machine that leapt straight into the world-class division and remains there all alone, years ahead of anyone. The secret turned out to be the SOFTWARE. Plus good old Kiwi number 8 wire ingenuity and self-belief. Other countries don’t have that quite like us. Kiwis, eh, aren’t we a remarkable people? (Notice we include ourselves in that?)
Now these clever Kiwi boys have hundreds of machines operating around the world and a plant that manufactures them right here in New Zealand. World class, like our rugby players, and at least one of our golfers. Michael Campbell if you don’t play golf or just back from Siberia. We’ve got machines in Christchurch and aim to have them all over the South Island. That’s Tru-Line Framing, in case you’ve been living in Siberia.
What happens is your house plans are converted to a computer architect system and fed into the machine’s laptop. In an instant it has your frames in a three-dimension perspective right before you on screen. Your dream home, the skeleton, the good bones that hold it all together, there on the laptop begging to be brought to real steel life! The machine then proceeds to take the fed lengths of flat coil steel and turn them out the other end folded, seamed, joining holes punched, ends sheared, joints flattened, edges swaged, out the other end to be riveted together. All those processes to give you flat surfaces for fix interior/exterior lining to, dead straight measurements, super strong structure, the machine even punches the electrical & plumbing service holes in the studs. They the pre-fabricated frames go out to your site to be erected just the same as timber, except faster because they’re so light, straighter because it’s steel, adding strength and durability as only steel can be.
We talk about “holes punched” and “ends sheared” so you know there is no exposed metal that can rust. This process folds the galvanising over so there’s no chance of rust. So you have a seamless complete run of galvanised-protected steel. Some folk say they wished they could clad their house in glass so to show off the steel. Honestly, it looks terrific. It’s only 1/6th the weight of timber. Yet it’s a whole lot stronger. It lasts so much longer, as steel does, and will outlive you and me and our children too.
The entire Building Code in New Zealand, got changed nationwide because of the leaky homes, rotting timber problems. A BIG problem, as we’re finding out every day as more poor home-owners put six-figure damages claims in. The latest is a major timber supplier admitting timber used in thousands of houses is of “sub-standard” quality. Say no more, except that can’t happen with steel. And it’s time the country started to realise: If we don’t switch to steel frames for our housing, we’ll always be exposed to the problems with timber. Plus what they never mention: the chemicals used to treat timber are not exactly a house air freshener you’d happily put your baby to sleep on. Timber absorbs water too. Moisture and timber are mates, whilst steel is the enemy of water. We’re not only like Richie McCaw, demonstrably superior in every facet of the house-frame game. But we COST THE SAME. Think of it: Same cost. Premium Product. Premium Product. Same Cost. So why would you use anything else but steel framing?