Metal Studs to Frame Outdoor Trash Shed?
TooldadNJ
| Posted in General Questions on
I build small sheds/trash can enclosures as a side hobby. I usually use pressure treated wood. What are your thoughts on using metal studs to frame and attaching boards or plywood? How will it stand up to the elements? The benefits are a quicker build and sides that are more exact and plumb and not prone warping etc.
If this is doable, what about doors? Still frame them from wood or use metal studs too?
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Replies
Sounds like a good idea--
Metal studs are galvanized, but this inhibits rust, it won't prevent it.
If you protect the sill plates from contact with damp surfaces and otherwise weatherproof the roof & sides, you can expect the structure to last a good while.
As you note, steel doors should be more stable than wood, but they may still move with temperature changes, so you might bolt them together & use a diagonal cable and turnbuckle to true them if they drift out of a tight fit. Let us know how it works.
Thanks for the tips! I usually space the boards 1/2ā vs using sheets of plywood for the trash can sheds. So not sure how that could impact the steel structure. Iām going to mock up something with some stud scraps š¤š¼
-- Steel studs are galvanized but they are pretty thin if you get the ones from big box. once they rust, then it doesn't take much to make them lose structural section at that location [which means the loads will transfer through the cladding.] so keeping water off the metal is a good idea if you want a longer service life.
-- You should get SS screws -- truss head
--- bottom tracks are u-shaped so add some weeps so they don't have ponding water.
I'd mount the bottom plate onto a wood sill.
-- if you do make the doors out of metal, then I'd use 1x2 studs to cut down on thickness. by the time you get done detailing and cladding, you might as well make them out of wood. [frame and panel would be the lightest]