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The Eco Housing Debate

Steel versus Wood: The Eco Housing Debate

To steel or not to steel? That is the question! When constructing a new home, what should you be using; wood or steel frames? And, vitally, what will make your structure more eco-friendly?

Steel frames are becoming increasingly popular, with construction companies choosing them over the more traditional wood frames of the past. With a decrease in the supply and an increase in the price of wood this is hardly surprising, but what does this mean in terms of green construction?

At first glance it seems that steel frames are the greener option with the obvious advantage of keeping vital trees in the ground, saving this precious renewable resource, but it isn’t just the outer structure of a construction that we should be thinking about. Steel frames on residential properties pose a thermal heat loss threat making thermal breaks essential. In a steel frame, the studs will act as thermal bridges, allowing heat to escape. Regular insulation on steel framed homes is ineffective, however, radiant barrier insulation will act as the perfect thermal break, reflecting heat and therefore stopping around 97% heat loss in winter and heat penetration in summer.

Setting aside insulation difficulties when using steel frames, this light, inexpensive alternative to wood framing is easy to ship, incredibly durable and provides more structural support than its wooden counterpart, meaning much less material is used. The average house built using wood frames will use around 40 trees, whereas just 11 recycled cars provide enough steel to construct the same house using steel frames.

Any construction waste created when building using steel frames can also be recycled, although, steel frames will also contain non-renewable resources, including zinc and iron, which can pose ecological damage during extraction.

It is important to consider that the embodied energy used to manufacture steel is incredibly high and although the difference between embodied energy used to manufacture wood and steel is significant, it isn’t as high as people believe. The Environmental Building News stated in an article that the energy used to manufacture wood is only 28% higher than used to manufacture steel.

For every argument against steel framing there seems to be an argument for, and despite potential thermal heat loss and the environmental cost of manufacture, it would seem that steel framed homes are here to stay, and with good reason. So, which side are you on?

This post was written on behalf of the shipping aggregator, uShip. uShip specialise in various types of shipping, including house removals, and have recently offered 100% climate neutral transport throughout Germany and Mainland Europe.

Functional and Value for Money – Built in Storage Cupboards

Bespoke furniture can completely transform not only the look, but the functionality of any room. A lot of homes aren’t blessed with enough space to store everything that’s needed, so additional storage space needs to be created, almost out of thin air. In this situation, many people turn to built in storage cupboards which can make the most of what space there is available, without intruding upon the rest of the room.

Flat-pack furniture is often very bulky and can be an expensive option, which doesn’t really provide you with anything beneficial. By the time you’ve broken every finger nail trying to get it out of the packaging and putting it together, and injured your back moving it into position, you often find that it takes up a lot of room, sticking out a long way from the wall into your floor space and actually proving to be detrimental, particularly in bedrooms where space is crucial. You may find that you have somewhere to store your books, medicines, trophies and so on, but you’ll find that you have less space to walk around in as a result.

Struggling for Ideas? Find out about our Bespoke Furniture

As Christmas approaches, and people add more items to their already cluttered rooms, the need for storage grows. Having somewhere to keep all of your possessions can help turn a messy room or home into a place where you’re happy to invite people into. Langstaff-Ellis appreciate that a lot of the generic storage furniture available can be poor quality or just not big enough, which is why we create our own, becoming the experts in bespoke furniture in Oxfordshire, making tailor-made solutions to the storage requirements of our customers.

A bedroom is supposed to reflect the tastes and styles of the person in it. With posters and wallpaper that shows what the person likes and different kinds of furniture to keep all of their possessions, it can do. But what better way to personalise a bedroom than to use bespoke furniture to give you exactly what you want?

Looking for Bespoke Furniture in the Oxfordshire Area? You’ve Come to the Right Place

All homeowners want to give their place that extra special feel, making it truly unique to them and their family. Expensive artwork on the wall, family photographs dotted around the house and some of the latest gadgets, all that’s missing is some designer furniture and you’ve hit the nail on the head. However, there’s nothing quite like having items made just for you. Langstaff-Ellis are the experts in creating bespoke furniture in Oxfordshire and the surrounding area, which can transform any home.

We create unique, tailor-made furniture in our workshop, making furniture that meets the requirements of all of our customers. From sliding wardrobes to freestanding French dressers, our team of expert joiners and carpenters are able to create a solution to all your furniture and storage requirements.

Your Home, Your Choice – Bespoke Storage Solutions

Langstaff-Ellis are currently a company in demand, particularly when it comes to built in wardrobes in Oxfordshire and the surrounding area, with more and more homes desiring a unique storage solution, and it’s obvious why. They’re multi-functional, they look great, and you have more space.

A team of joinery experts, furniture makers and craftsmen based in Henley-on-Thames, we create bespoke storage solutions in Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties that look great and provide a bespoke service to the customer.

To us, there are three main reasons why you would choose to have a built in storage space, so if you’re looking for built in wardrobes in Oxfordshire, maybe these will convince you to give it the go ahead. Or even buy a gas BBQ