How steel products are durable and eco-friendly in comparison to wooden products and the reasons to use them
Steel is one of the most commonly used materials when it comes to consumer and commercial purposes and is fast replacing the wooden products. There are certain properties that make steel a better alternative than wood.
The durability of steel products
For long, steel has remained the preferred choice for numerous constructional purposes. Steel encompasses an array of properties which results in its durability as compared to wooden products. The following features make steel more durable and help steel products to stand out.
- Durability: Steel is an alloy of carbon, iron and other elements. The same results in the steel products being so strong and durable that they can easily withstand conditions such as storms, earthquakes, mild cyclones, etc. However, wooden products are vulnerable to climate and other natural occurrences.
- High-tensile strength: Steel has high tensile strength and thus steel products are tough and more durable as compared to wooden products. Steel structures concede long-term performance and do not expand or contract with moisture as opposed to wooden products.
- Fire resistance: Steel offers excellent fire protection. The same results in making steel products a great choice for constructional uses. Hence, steel structures stay protected in case a fire breaks out. Wood has low fire resistance and thus is not a safe option for building purposes.
- Longevity: Steel does not distort, split, crack or creep like wood and hence ensures longevity to the structures.
How are steel products more eco-friendly?
Wooden products are formed with the destruction of trees and the same leads to deforestation. Thus, wooden products are not eco-friendly. On the other hand, the usage of steel products means the conservation of trees.
Another fact that makes steel a go-to choice is that it’s the most recycled material on the planet. It can be easily recycled continuously without any degradation in its quality or performance and can be formed into anything. That’s not the case with wooden products. Even though they can be recycled, they can only be formed into limited products. Also, their performance degrades over time.
Reasons to use steel products
- Steel products are quite versatile owing to their durability, longevity, and malleability. Due to being highly malleable, they can be beaten into various shapes and can be formed into different products ranging from constructional materials to utensils. The property also makes steel the most preferred choice in constructional purposes as they are easy to use.
- Steel is alloyed with carbon and the same makes it highly corrosion-resistant and thus it finds its usage in various products.
- Termite resistance and low price
- The wooden products are highly prone to termites. Even if the wood is topped with termite-proof coating, the overall result becomes very expensive. However, steel products are termite resistant and come at a low price.
- Less maintenance
- As mentioned above, steel products are highly durable and can withstand extreme temperatures and climates. Also, their quality remains the same even after years of usage. Thus, they require less maintenance and are easy on the pocket.