Wood Studs Vs. Metal Studs in Residential Construction

Wood Stud Construction

• Wood studs are the primary framing member of modern stick-frame homes. Positioned upright between horizontal framing members, called plates, studs support the structural loads of floors and roofs and transfer the loads to a building's foundation. Although most homeowners associate studs with 2-inch by 4-inch lumber, the term "stud" refers to all sizes of dimensional lumber applied to a stick-framing system, including 2-inch by 6-inch boards and larger. Wood studs are strong and widely available. However, wood studs are relatively unstable, prone to warping, pest damage and rot.

Metal Stud Construction

• Standard metal stud walls resemble wood stud walls. However, whereas wood studs connect to top and bottom plates by butt joints, metal studs slip inside top and bottom tracks and connect via screws. Metal studs are available in dimensions that closely correspond to wood stud sizes, such as 2 inches by 4 inches and 2 inches by 6 inches. Fabricated from thick sheets of metal, steel studs are structurally stable and impervious to rot and pest damage.

Materials and Labor Costs

• According to a cost comparison conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, steel-framed homes cost nearly 15 percent more than similar wood-framed homes. Despite their higher initial cost, metal studs might offer greater long-term savings to homeowners in particular climates or environments. For example, metal studs are immune to problems that commonly plague wood-framed homes, such as rot and termite damage.

Renewable Resources

• Although steel stud manufacturers use a large proportion of recycled metal to produce framing materials, wood is an entirely renewable resource. While properly harvested and managed timber repeatedly regenerates, even recycled steel originates from a finite natural resource. However, wood framing systems tend to deteriorate and require replacement more frequently than steel framing systems. Wood studs' relatively rapid deterioration raises the total energy consumption of lumber-based construction systems through increased harvest, processing and labor requirements.