The name gets attention. The education matters more. LumberSucks™ is an awareness campaign of Secure Structure Alliance focused on helping people ask better questions about material choice, wildfire resilience, durability, and hazard-resistant construction.
Steel framing is noncombustible
Cold-formed steel framing is a noncombustible framing material. That does not make a complete building fireproof. Roofing, cladding, insulation, openings, interior contents, detailing, defensible space, and the surrounding fire environment all matter.
Material choice is only one part of resilience
No framing material makes a building disaster-proof. Good resilience comes from a complete system: engineering, connections, assemblies, site conditions, maintenance, codes, and installation quality.
Termites do not eat steel
Steel framing does not provide a food source for termites. Buildings can still contain other materials that are vulnerable to pests, so whole-building pest management still matters.
Steel does not rot
Steel framing is not subject to biological rot. Corrosion protection and moisture management remain important parts of design and maintenance.
Steel is highly recyclable
Steel can be recycled repeatedly. Environmental comparisons between materials should consider the full lifecycle and specific product rather than relying on slogans about carbon or sustainability.
Questions to ask before you build
- What hazards are most important at this site?
- What assemblies are required by current code?
- How will fire exposure, moisture, corrosion, termites, wind, and seismic forces be addressed?
- How are connections engineered?
- How will the building be inspected and maintained?
- What is the full lifecycle of the materials being considered?
Explore the LumberSucks™ education campaign →
LumberSucks™ is an educational awareness campaign. Secure Structure Alliance does not claim that any material or building system is universally hazard-proof.