Innovative  Building  Solutions

   KHMP - Steel Frame Homes Export Worldwide

Kit Homes MP helps their clients from start to finish with professional advice and assistance. With the organisation of everything from the licensed surveyor, engineers and architectural draftsperson

Our kit homes look like any normal house, just that they are packaged together so all the correct quantities of materials turn up on-site, making the construction process as quick and easy as possible.

Australian and European building materials are of highest quality and standards.Our steel frames and Roof trusses are designed to comply with Australian standards and tested at B.H.P. which is accredited by NATA.All our materials are guaranteed in writing from 25 years to 50 years.

Features, Benefits and Useful Information:
Peace of Mind, Safety for the Family, Security of Investment

•   Steel frames will not rust
•   Steel frames will not absorb moisture or dry out
•   Steel cannot harbor dry rot
•   Steel frames allow optimum design freedom
•   Steel frames are fully engineered
•   Steel frames keep their shape, roofs and walls stay put
•   Steel frames are extremely strong yet weigh so little
•   Builders find steel framing easy to erect
•   Steel framing is safe to handle - it is not chemically 
•   treated
•   Steel framing is user-friendly for following trades
•   Steel is 100% recyclable
•   Steel framing enables energy efficient design
•   Homes can be built with minimal site-disturbance
•   Steel framing represents value for money
•   The price of steel framing does not fluctuate wildly
   

 WHY you should build with Zincalume Steel

Builders Save on Time and Cost Using Steel Framing
Modern steel house frames are easy to use.
Suppliers are making them ever more appealing to builders as they work to improve their systems and meet builders’ needs.

Builders can do  a high quality job with ease and efficiency.
Computer aided design and manufacture permit the building of houses of almost any style and floor plan. Steel’s ability to cover long internal open spans enhances design-flexibility. Long spanning trusses also reduce the amount of support framing required, thereby reducing the cost. In some cases light steel framing eliminates the need for heavy structural sections. Factory assembly also reduces the amount of on-site labor, wastage, and site theft. These are all cost-savers.

Steel frames are light (yet very strong) and are easily handled.
They do not absorb water in wet weather. Suppliers deliver them in pre-fabricated form clearly identified for assembly. With each house lot of framing the supplier provides a complete frame and truss layout. Most also provide comprehensive instructions or a manual to remove any guesswork. Fastener and tool manufacturers have gone out of their way to make it really easy to work in steel. They have made suitable hand tools readily available and they form part of most builders’ and subcontractors’ kits.

The frame suppliers make it easy.  
They provide all the ancillary products the builder needs for the job. They also indicate the type, positioning, and number of all fixings. Depending on the particular system, screws and/or nails are used to join steel frames. Some can even be twisted and locked into position. It is simple to tie a frame onto a slab using conventional methods.

Frames have pre-punched holes for quick and easy installation of plumbing and electrical services.
Electrical and plumbing grommets to isolate wiring and copper piping from the frame are readily available. It is a simple matter to isolate copper piping from the frame to guard against the possibility of bimetallic corrosion.

It is easy to fix internal linings and external claddings to steel frames and to fit internal fixtures.
Ceiling battens are not usually required if trusses are placed at 600mm, which means that ceiling plasterboard can be fixed directly to the bottom chords of the trusses. This is another cost saver. Internal plasterboard is screw-fixed and because steel frames are so straight, trades people find there is no need for packing to compensate for non-linear dimensions. Internal lining tradesmen actually prefer steel framing because it is so straight and true. Specialist sub-contractors can install bathrooms and kitchens more easily and quickly and at lower cost for the same reasons. It is thus a simple matter to achieve a high standard of internal finish that will last because steel framing won’t warp, twist, or shrink after installation. Hardened steel nails and screws are available to fix architraves and skirtings.

Installing roof tiling is similar to working on timber. 
It is easy to fix roof battens to roof trusses. Screws or even clouts can be used to fix flashings. Windows and doorframes are fixed in the same way as for timber. For brickwork, clip-on brick ties are available, which is a great time saver.

Termite management is simplified.
Termites cannot destroy the steel frame. The builder is thus far less likely to be involved later in any disputes resulting from extensive termite damage. The builder also does not have to handle a chemically treated product. Householders particularly appreciate the termite-proof nature of steel as these days they are much more aware of termites and the widespread damage they inflict. They also appreciate an immediate environment that is as free of chemicals as possible.

Home owners are becoming more discerning.
There are compelling reasons why interest in steel framing is on the increase. For example they are termite-proof and will not burn. Steel is 100% recyclable. Many insurance companies offer the builder and owner-builder more favorable rates during the building process, and will offer the householder cheaper insurance on the house and contents. Resale values are often higher.

The steel framing industry is growing steadily.  Build in Steel.  It’s the way of the future. 

ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Is a steel frame electrically safe?

Steel house frames can actually be safer than alternatives.

Several facts are important.

Safety switches.
It is a requirement that any new dwelling must be fitted with a safety switch, also known as an RCD (Residual Current Device) or an ELCN (Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker). The switch is designed to prevent death by accidental electrocution in a majority of cases.

Earthing.
Steel house frames must be permanently earthed in accordance with the requirements of the local electricity authorities. A temporary earth should be established until the permanent earth is installed.
An electric current will follow the path of least resistance, the amount of current being in inverse proportion to the resistances involved. In other words if there are two paths the current can follow, it will split into two, the stronger current being conducted through the lower resistance. If that resistance is very low relative to the other, nearly all the current will flow through it. This is how the process of "earthing" works. Steel is an excellent conductor of electricity so it is improbable that any electric current would actually pass through a human body (high resistance) instead of the frame to earth system (low resistance). Non-conducting building materials with higher electrical resistances than steel actually increase the chance that more current will pass through the person.

Leaking current.
A broken or pierced wire in a timber frame can remain live, and leaking current can cause troublesome faults and fire risk. Also, a timber frame can get wet in a storm or heavy rain and can become live if there is an electrical short. Rubber electrical grommets are inserted into the pre-punched service holes in steel framing to prevent damage to the insulation. In the unlikely event of any shorting, current will be carried straight to earth.

Lightning.
Lightning has less effect on steel as the energy is conducted straight to ground and not released destructively within the frame. There have been reports of timber frames being set alight by lightning.

FIRE
No home can be completely fire safe but there are a number of steps you can take to plan for a house that has high fire-resistance. Steel does not burn.

Your choice of building materials is one way to improve your chances of establishing a fire-resistant home. The right materials can significantly delay, minimize or prevent damage to your house. Should damage occur the materials of construction could mean the difference between repairing your home or having to rebuild it completely.

The CSIRO Division of Building Research, Victoria, produced a paper outlining the features of a house with high fire-resistance. Major factors were:

•    steel wall frames, with gypsum board linings* for further protection
•    concrete slab floor
•    eliminating timber** in the roof (i.e. using steel roof framing)
•    brick veneer external cladding

*Although steel is non-combustible, it will eventually lose strength in the 4000 - 5000 C temperature range. Gypsum linings with reliable resistance to fire will protect the steel frame.

**The elimination of timber in the roof is a most important feature. When a roof catches fire, the burning rafters can fall into the cavity between the walls creating an intense local fire through a chimney-like effect (white pine ignites at 280°C).

Inferno throughout house, floor level or building in 3 -5 minutes.

In the event of an external fire threatening the house, a bushfire for example, the main focus is to prevent burning embers or sparks from entering the building. It is particularly important to keep them out of the spaces above the ceiling and below an elevated timber floor.

A roof of steel sheeting fixed to a steel roof frame simply cannot burn. In addition, the long lengths and tight overlaps prevent the entry of fire even when burning embers fall on the roof. Cover plates or closure strips seal off the small openings at the end of steel roofing profiles.

The space below the floor can be eliminated by building on a slab of concrete laid directly on the ground. Alternatively, on a sloping site an elevated floor consisting of a concrete slab on structural steel sub-flooring can perform the dual function of defending the building against fire and termites.

Design/ Properties
"...without requiring intermediate columns or load bearing walls."
Because of its strength, steel is capable of long spans, offering large open spaces without requiring intermediate columns or load bearing walls.  This allows increased design flexibility.
Steel framing Fabricators assist building professionals and builders by providing engineering detailing and documentation specifications.

"...every stud is a good stud"

Because steel has consistent material strength and complies with strict quality controls and tolerances, every stud is a good stud.  This means there is no time wasted sorting material to select suitable pieces.

Steel roof structures perform in any climate. 
 

"This is an ongoing saving..."

Steel is a non-combustible material - one of the many reasons why insurers may offer substantial discounts on their premiums for homes with a steel structure.  This gives an ongoing saving for the homebuyer.
 

"Roofs of steel framed homes do not sag over time..."

Roofs of steel framed homes do not sag over time, even with concrete tiles, so the finished structure keeps looking good.

Due to its inherent strength and consistency steel offers the potential to reduce the number of framing members required .

Steel framing moves at similar thermally-induced rates to other building materials, which means it is unlikely there will be noise or cornice cracking problems.
 

Construction
"... I get a high quality finish every time..."
Steel frames are straight and true, which means walls, ceilings and roofs do not have ripples or bumps.

"...protected from termite attack..."

The builder must ensure that the requirements of the International Building Code of (BCI)

 are met, the homeowner is made aware of the need for periodic, competent inspection for signs of termite infestation, and the requirements of local authorities such as councils, builder and licensing boards are fulfilled.  The BCI requires that the structure of a new building be protected from termite attack, either by the use of termite resistant materials or by chemical and physical barriers - Steel framing is deemed to be a termite-resistant material. In fact it is actually totally termite-proof.

 

"...easy to erect...saves time and labor.."

Modern steel framing is lightweight and strong.  Sections are mechanically jointed and are tolerant of thermal movement.  In a properly constructed, insulated building, thermally induced movement and noise is no more likely with steel framing than with timber framing.

Fixing roof tiles to steel battens is made easy with purpose-designed clips.

Steel framing is light, resulting in easier on-site handling, and assembly.

 

"...eliminating potentially costly and embarrassing call backs..."

Steel framing does not dry out and shrink over time.  For builders this eliminates potentially costly, inconvenient, and embarrassing call backs to repair warped walls, nail-pops and squeaky floors.