Timber vs Steel Framing for Mobile Tiny Houses

Choosing between timber and roll form steel framing for a tiny house on wheels? Here's how they stack up for NZ conditions.

Timber Framing

Pros

• Available at every local yard with no lead-time

• Naturally insulating with no thermal bridging

• Easy DIY with standard tools and fixings

• Ability to change the design on the fly

• DIY labour savings if you're building it yourself

Cons

• Heavier, which can be critical for a mobile structure, also heavier to stand frames

• Can rot, warp, or get borer if not sealed properly

• More movement and flex when mobile

• Can bow or twist, meaning more work to straighten

Roll Form Steel Framing

Pros

• Higher strength-to-weight ratio means lighter, which is the bigger winner for mobile tiny houses and standing frames

• Dead straight, precision measurements, no twist

• Screwed together with Tek screws, fast once you know the system

• Doesn't rot, doesn't get eaten by borer, no moisture-related warping

Cons

• Thermal bridging means it needs a thermal break

• Design needs to be dialled in before building, hard to modify after

• Minor rust risk if the galv coating gets scratched

The Bottom Line

For a build that's going to be towed and lifted, steel's weight savings and durability tend to win out. Timber's more suited to a simple and DIY-friendly build or non-movable structures. We produce steel framing.