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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →If you want to build without conventional lumber, cold-formed steel, masonry, concrete, and structural insulated panels (SIPs) are recognized residential wall-construction options in the 2024 International Residential Code (IRC). If you want to replace a particular sawn-lumber component rather than change the whole building system, engineered wood products may fit—but they are still wood. The right choice depends on the specific job, local code, design, and cost of a complete assembly.
First decide what you are replacing
“Wood framing” can mean a wall’s studs, floor joists, a beam, sheathing, or the structural system for an entire building. These are different decisions: an alternative suited to one beam or wall does not automatically replace every lumber component or work as a drop-in substitute throughout a home.
- One member: For a beam, joist, or other structural component, compare products designed for that role and have loads, spans, connections, and supports checked.
- A wall or floor assembly: Compare the whole assembly, including insulation, moisture management, fire and acoustic requirements, openings, and connections.
- A whole building: A shift to steel, concrete, masonry, or a panel system changes design and construction methods, not just the material in the frame.
The 2024 IRC, a model code rather than a guarantee of local approval, identifies wood-framed, cold-formed steel-framed, masonry, concrete, and SIP wall construction. Check which code edition your jurisdiction has adopted and any local amendments before choosing a system: 2024 IRC, Chapter 6: Wall Construction.
What can replace lumber in a residential project?
Cold-formed steel framing
Cold-formed steel framing is a non-wood option listed by the 2024 IRC for residential wall construction. It should be evaluated as a designed wall system, including connections and thermal details, rather than as a direct substitution of metal for each wood stud. Code recognition does not establish that it is suitable or less expensive for a particular project.
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#1 Best Overall
- By Crafters, For Crafters: Crafting and building with wood is our number one priority. Bringing you more of the wood craft supplies you love is our job
- Versatile Applications: These wooden sticks and lumber take paint, stain, and other embellishments well. Short lengths work well for many projects - from DIY decks to framing
- Pre-Cut and Pre-Sanded: The lumber comes pre-sanded and pre-cut to 12 inch sizes with less than a 1/64 inch tolerance, saving you time on cutting, sanding and measuring. For smaller than 12 inch pieces, you can easily cut them
- Quality Construction Material: Made from beautiful, quality Douglas Fir wood - only the best for woodworkers and DIYers. These boards are cut and prepared in the USA
- Sustainably Sourced: All of our wood comes from sustainable forests, ensuring that every tree is replaced and regrown for future generations
Masonry and concrete
Masonry and concrete are also named in the 2024 IRC as wall-construction types. They are distinct structural systems with their own design and construction requirements; they are not interchangeable with every sawn-lumber member. For a renovation, the existing structure, sequencing, and project-specific design matter alongside the material choice.
Structural insulated panels
SIPs are another wall-construction type listed in the 2024 IRC. A panel system needs project review of its specifications, openings, connections, and code path. APA’s Engineered Wood Construction Guide also covers panel-system applications; the page identifies the guide as revised in 2016 with 2023 errata.
Rank #2
- By Crafters, For Crafters: Crafting and building with wood is our number one priority. Bringing you more of the wood craft supplies you love is our job
- Versatile Applications: These wooden sticks and lumber take paint, stain, and other embellishments well. Short lengths work well for many projects - from DIY decks to framing
- Pre-Cut and Pre-Sanded: The lumber comes pre-sanded and pre-cut to 12 inch sizes with less than a 1/64 inch tolerance, saving you time on cutting, sanding and measuring. For smaller than 12 inch pieces, you can easily cut them
- Premium Quality Wood: Our wood and lumber are made from beautiful, quality Douglas Fir - only the best for woodworkers and DIYers. These are cut and prepared in the USA
- Construction Grade Dimensions: Measures 1 in. x 4 in. (3/4 inch x 3-1/2 inch actual dimensions) construction premium Douglas Fir board stud wood suitable for various building applications
Engineered wood for selected components
Engineered wood can substitute for solid-sawn lumber in particular structural roles, but it is not a non-wood alternative. APA describes products made by combining strands, veneers, lumber, or other wood fiber with moisture-resistant adhesives. Its guide covers structural panels, glulam, cross-laminated timber (CLT), I-joists, and structural composite lumber (SCL). SCL includes laminated veneer lumber (LVL), parallel strand lumber (PSL), laminated strand lumber (LSL), and oriented strand lumber (OSL); see APA’s Structural Composite Lumber overview.
These products have different forms and applications, so select by structural role and project design rather than treating “engineered wood” as one interchangeable material. The 2024 IRC references product standards for some products, including ASTM D5456 for structural composite lumber capacities and ANSI/APA PRG 320 for CLT. The American Wood Council’s 2024 Wood Frame Construction Manual is an ANSI-approved manual for one- and two-family dwellings referenced in the 2024 IBC and IRC. Product standards and manuals do not replace checking local adoption, amendments, and project requirements.
Rank #3
- 💯 Included are 5 Black Walnut 5 Cherry and 5 Hard Maple 3/4" x 2" x 12"
- ✔️Beautiful Grain
- 🔥 Perfectly Kiln Dried
- ✔️ Two sides sanded to 3/4" thickness
- ❤️ Makes beautiful cutting boards
Hybrid wood and steel
A hybrid can use wood and steel in different parts of the same project, rather than requiring one material to do every job. HUD’s Hybrid Wood and Steel Details—Builder’s Guide discusses hybrid details and alternatives to solid-sawn lumber. Published in 2008, it is background material; current design and code requirements still need to be checked.
Compare complete assemblies, not material labels
Before committing to a system, have the designer or contractor compare options on the same project scope. The questions below help reveal differences that a material-only comparison can miss:
Rank #4
- By Crafters, For Crafters: Crafting and building with wood is our number one priority. Bringing you more of the wood craft supplies you love is our job
- Versatile Applications: These wooden sticks and lumber take paint, stain, and other embellishments well. Short lengths work for many projects from DIY decks to framing
- Pre-Cut and Pre-Sanded: The lumber comes pre-sanded and pre-cut to 12 inch sizes with less than a 1/64 inch tolerance, making it craft ready. For smaller than 12 inch pieces, you can easily cut them
- Quality Construction Material: Made from beautiful, quality redwood lumber cut and prepared in the USA for woodworkers and DIY enthusiasts
- Standard Dimensions: Measures 2 in. x 4 in. nominal size with actual dimensions of 1 1/2 inch x 3 1/2 inch, suitable for construction and framing projects
- Structural demands: What spans, loads, supports, and connections must the component or system handle?
- Code path: Which adopted code edition, amendments, product standards, or evaluation requirements apply?
- Building performance: How will the complete assembly address thermal bridging, insulation, moisture, fire, and sound?
- Renovation constraints: What existing conditions, access limits, and construction sequencing affect the work?
- Local execution: Can local suppliers provide the specified materials, and are qualified installers available for the chosen system?
- Cost over time: What is included in the installed estimate, and how do service life, maintenance, replacement, and end-of-life assumptions affect a lifecycle comparison?
Get local estimates based on the same design, scope, and assembly. The available evidence does not establish current installed costs or regional stock levels, so a generic price ranking would not answer what a given home will cost.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read environmental comparisons
Environmental results depend on what buildings and life-cycle stages a study compares. Ask whether the alternatives provide equivalent building function and whether the stated boundary includes raw materials, manufacturing, transport, installation, use, replacement, and end of life. Service life, transport distance, and recycling or other end-of-life assumptions can also affect the comparison.
Best Value
- By Crafters, For Crafters: Crafting and building with wood is our number one priority. Bringing you more of the wood craft supplies you love is our job
- Versatile Applications: These wooden sticks and lumber take paint, stain, and other embellishments well. Short lengths work for many projects from DIY decks to framing
- Pre-Cut and Pre-Sanded: The lumber comes pre-sanded and pre-cut to 12 inch sizes with less than a 1/64 inch tolerance, making it craft ready. For smaller than 12 inch pieces, you can easily cut them
- Quality Construction Material: Made from beautiful, quality redwood lumber cut and prepared in the USA for woodworkers and DIY enthusiasts
- Standard Dimensions: Measures 2 in. x 4 in. nominal size with actual dimensions of 1 1/2 inch x 3 1/2 inch, suitable for construction and framing projects
A 2024 study in Building and Environment modeled multi-story residential buildings. In its cradle-to-grave A–C comparison, modeled mass-timber buildings had estimated global warming potential (GWP) 39–51% lower than functionally equivalent reinforced-concrete buildings and 28–34% lower than structural-steel buildings. When the study included module D accounting for biogenic carbon and recyclability, the reported reductions were 81–94% versus concrete and 76–91% versus steel. Those figures describe the study’s modeled buildings and stated boundaries; they do not establish a universal advantage or predict results for a detached house.
Other comparisons can be similarly specific. WoodWorks’ Return to Form comparative LCA compares mass timber, cold-formed steel, and concrete for a project context, including embodied carbon, cost, and construction speed. NIST’s BEES 3.0 technical manual (2017) describes environmental life-cycle and economic assessment data for more than 150 building products, spanning raw-material acquisition, manufacturing, transport, installation, use, and waste management. It is a description of the BEES publication, not a current local price or market comparison.
Quick Recap
A practical way to choose
- Identify the exact component or assembly you want to change: for example, a wall frame, floor joist, beam, sheathing layer, or whole-building system.
- Ask a qualified designer or building professional which alternatives can meet the project’s structural and performance requirements.
- Confirm the applicable local code edition and amendments, plus any product-specific standards or approval path.
- Compare complete assemblies for thermal, moisture, fire, and acoustic performance, and account for renovation sequencing where relevant.
- Request local supply and installed-cost estimates for the same scope; assess lifecycle cost or environmental claims only when the assumptions and boundaries are comparable.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
