Steel Framing

As low-maintenance, long-lasting decking materials like composite and PVC have moved into the spotlight, a new problem has emerged: durable deck boards are now outlasting the cheap wood framing beneath them. The solution: steel deck framing, which brings deck framing into the same durable, low-maintenance territory that has become the norm in decking.

Steel is a major upgrade over wood when it comes to deck framing for a few key reasons:

• Strength: steel is exceptionally strong, giving your deck the sturdiest foundation possible. Steel’s strength can even support unique features like hot tubs on your deck surface in a way wood often can’t.
• Durability: wood is susceptible to damage from water, insects, and fire. Steel resists all three, giving you a deck frame that will last for years.
• Consistency: with exposure to water and fluctuating temperatures, wood can expand, contract, and warp. Steel, on the other hand, is consistent and true - all parts of your steel deck framing will be the same size, fitting together well and keeping your deck surface from warping into visible waves.
• Fire Safety: steel framing is safe from fire spread. More local areas are incorporating fire safety into their building codes, and more and more deck builders are turning to steel to not just meet but exceed those requirements.
• Looks: steel features a sleek, powder-coated finish to give your deck frame a polished look.

Fortress Evolution Steel Deck Framing has been tested and given a Class A Fire Safety Rating from the National Fire Protection Association. That’s the best fire safety rating available for building materials. As fire safety becomes a more and more important consideration for local building codes, steel framing meets and exceeds safety standards.

Unlike wood, steel beams and joists don’t expand, contract, or warp while exposed to the elements. Have you ever looked across a deck surface and noticed waves in the decking? Pressure-treated wood framing warps when exposed to water and temperature fluctuations, and this causes the decking above to rise and fall in various places, creating visible waves or undulation in the deck surface. Steel is a stronger, more consistent material. Even exposed to different seasons and weather, steel beams and joists will stay straight. With steel framing, you’ll get a visually stunning deck surface that is smooth and consistent - and it will stay that way!

The Fortress Evolution Framing System is made from durable, powder-coated steel. The powder-coating keeps moisture out, protecting your posts, beams, and joists from rust. If you cut steel framing elements or if the powder-coating gets scraped, you can seal it over with Fortress Evolution Touch-Up Paint.

Fortress Building Products covers its Evolution Steel Framing with a 25-year limited warranty.

Yes. Steel is stronger than wood, and can support more weight and longer spans. That means you can frame out longer sections without needing extra posts, beams and joists to support the weight of your deck surface. If you’d like to see what steel framing could do for your deck plan, measure the dimensions of your existing deck - or come up with ideal dimensions for your dream deck - and give us a call at 1-888-824-5316. Our team will help you draw up a detailed deck frame plan and get you a fast estimate.

Yes! Steel is a major upgrade from wood when it comes to deck framing. Here’s an interesting fact: if you replace a 15-year-old wood deck frame with new wood, you’re actually downgrading in materials. That’s because lumber is continually devolving - a southern yellow pine tree today is fundamentally different from a southern yellow pine tree 15 years ago. Modern pressure-treated lumber has less hardwood and fewer growth rings than lumber did when your wood frame was built.

Choosing a steel frame sets you up with the highest-quality foundation, and a base for your deck that will last. If you’re interested in replacing your deck frame with steel, but don’t know where to start, give our team a call at 1-888-824-5316. We staff a team of experienced deck planning professionals, and we work directly with Fortress Framing engineers to create a detailed deck framing plan tailored specifically to your space and needs.

Fortress Evolution Steel Deck Framing is compatible with any deck board material. That means you can use steel framing to support wood, composite, PVC or mineral-based composite decking. One huge advantage of working with DecksDirect on your framing project: we have the right hardware to attach any and all kinds of decking to steel framing. Give us a call at 1-888-824-5316 to make sure you get framing, decking, and deck fasteners that are all perfectly compatible with one another.

You shouldn’t mix steel and wood within your deck frame. Wood will expand and contract with changing temperatures, while steel will not. This can stress connections between pressure-treated lumber and steel, hurting your deck frame’s integrity.

It’s not as hard as you might think to install steel framing as part of your deck project. The Fortress Evolution Framing system solves a lot of issues for DIY installers - for example, steel joists and beams come in consistent sizes and shapes that make installation much easier than wood beams that feature small variations in size and may not be perfectly straight.

When you work with DecksDirect, installing a steel deck frame gets even easier. Our team of deck project planners help plan thousands of decks each year - no matter what size or shape deck you want, we can help you assemble a framing plan, making sure you get every piece you need without overbuying. Give us a call at 1-888-824-5316 for a free consultation.

To install your steel deck frame, you’ll need steel self-tapping deck screws like these Fortress Building Products fasteners specifically designed for Fortress Evolution Framing. To attach any kind of deck boards to a steel frame, we’d recommend these CAP-TOR Xd metal screws, available in a wide range of colors to match common decking finishes.

At DecksDirect, we specialize in deck projects - that means we carry a huge variety of different fasteners to fit any and all deck projects. Give us a call at 1-888-824-5316 to plan a full deck project that includes every screw and fastener you’ll need at any point in your project.

Yes! Our deck project planners love solving problems and finding unique solutions for our customers’ outdoor living spaces. If you’ve got an irregular deck shape in mind, take measurements of the area and sketch out your ideal deck dimensions, then give us a call at 1-888-824-5316. We’ll help create a plan that fits your vision, timeline, and budget.