Five Things to Look for in Quality Steel Buildings

With the growing popularity of consumer-grade steel buildings – the type you use for storage sheds, home offices, garages and workshops – there’s also a growing number of dealers capitalizing on the trend and profiting from selling low-quality buildings at so-called bargain prices. If you’re in the market for a new steel building for your storage, home office or other needs, how do you make sure that you’re getting a high quality structure that’ worth the price you’re paying? These tips can help.

The Right Gauge

Steel gauge is a measure of its strength. Unlike most gauges, the higher the number on steel gauge, the weaker the steel is. Many cheap steel buildings are made of 29 gauge steel. Look for steel buildings made of at least 26 gauge or lower steel to make sure that your building will stand up to the rigors of regular use.

The Right Coatings

Most steel for buildings is coated to protect it against corrosion, rust and other environmental factors, as well as painted with a color for appearance sake. Substandard steel buildings may be dipped and spray-painted, often with lower quality coatings that have to be renewed every few years to maintain their protection. Look for Galvalume steel or another high-quality protective coating for corrosion resistance, and for powder-coated color, which will last for decades without peeling or wearing away.

Blueprints and Engineering Diagrams

If you’re putting up a steel building in many counties or cities, the coding/zoning department will require that you file detailed, stamped architect drawings or engineering plans before they’ll issue a permit. Make sure you work with a dealer or manufacturer who can supply the needed paperwork and doesn’t charge you an additional fee for it.

Local Contractors

If you’re planning to hire a contractor to do the actual construction of your new metal building, look for a company that is associated with local contractors, or check with local contractors to find one that has experience with that particular style and brand of steel building. There are many advantages to working with a local contractor that has been trained and has experience in working with steel building from a particular manufacturer or in a particular style. Just think about how much easier it is to build something the second time, after you figure out all the pitfalls and places you could go wrong the first time around.

Ethical Business and Sales Practices

Be careful about websites and dealers that offer flashy “huge sales” and “steep discounts.” Steel buildings offer big profits for middlemen, especially those who are peddling low quality buildings for high prices. Get familiar with the sales tactics used by hucksters, and avoid any dealer who uses them in their marketing.

Steel buildings offer great value for most needs, but it’s important to know what you’re buying. Do some research to understand what goes into a quality metal building so that you know you’re getting the best quality building available for your budget.

Should Steel Buildings Be Insulated?

One of the things to consider when you’re shopping for steel buildings, whether for commercial, agricultural or personal use, is whether or not to include insulation in your steel building package. Choosing insulation will obviously add to the cost of your steel building, but it will offset other expenses – provide other benefits that may make it economically advantageous as well as making your building more comfortable.

The Role of Insulation

Insulation serves a number of purposes, especially in metal buildings. Because metal is such a good conductor of heat and cold, steel buildings are notorious for thermal transfer – that is, cold air from inside will move outside if it’s warmer outside and cold air from outside will move inside if it’s warmer inside. The end result is much higher energy bills for both heating and cooling. Depending on the temperature extremes in your area, insulation could save you hundreds – even thousands – of dollars a year in energy costs to heat and cool your space.

However, in steel buildings insulation also serves other purposes, some of which can reduce your cost of ownership and others simply make your building more pleasant to use. These purposes include:

Radiant Heat Barrier

Fiberglass insulation – the most commonly installed type of insulation for steel buildings – is “mass insulation”. It keeps your buildings cooler in warm weather and warmer in cool weather by slowing down the transfer of heat. That’s only one type of insulation, though. Reflective insulation, also known as radiant barrier insulation, prevents the transfer of heat by reflecting radiant heat back. That means that it will keep the heat inside in the cold weather and keep it from coming in during warm weather.

Moisture Control

One of the most common problems with steel buildings is moisture. Because they’re built to be weather-tight, steel buildings tend to hold moisture inside as well as keep it out. The right insulation can help prevent condensation and the accompanying damage due to moisture, including mold and mildew.

Sound Damping

Anyone who has ever weathered a rainstorm under a tin roof knows that metal conducts – indeed, amplifies – sound quite readily. An uninsulated steel building can be rather loud – echoes bouncing off the walls and outside sounds amplified to make them even louder. Insulation damps a lot of that sound by absorbing it, even if you don’t use sound-proofing. While that may not save you any money, it will certainly make your use of the building much more comfortable.

Steel buildings offer many advantages for just about any use, but if you’re planning and designing a steel building, it definitely pays off to add insulation into your budget.

Customizing Steel Buildings as Workshops

For the home hobbyist, steel buildings are a way to achieve the ultimate luxury – a home workshop that’s custom-fitted with everything you need all in one place. Why choose a steel building? Aside from the economic reasons – steel buildings are less expensive throughout their usable lives – they also offer an easy way to customize and build in all the little perks that make your crafting life easier. Whether your hobby is crafting pots, making cheese or tinkering with engines, when you choose a metal building to house your gear and provide you with a room of your own, you’ll have dozens of customization options to make your new workshop building perfect for you. These are just a few of the custom options you can discuss with a steel building manufacturer and designer.

Exterior Finish and Style

One of the common myths about steel buildings is that they’re unattractive eyesores. Nothing could be further from the truth. Today, you can choose from many different exterior styles, including brick or stone facing and vinyl siding. Even if you choose the steel exterior, you’ve got a range of colors from which to choose. There are even many manufacturers who’ll custom-blend paints so that workshops, garages and other outbuildings exactly match the main structure.

Insulation

If you’re located in a region that gets chilly or if you need a climate controlled room for your gear or collection, choose a steel building from a manufacturer that offers easy-to-insulate steel panels. There are many different ways to insulate, but snap-in steel panels that are cut to fit each wall are among the simplest to install and most effective.

Sound-Proofing

If you practice a hobby that makes a lot of noise, whether it’s your garage band or your power tools, your neighbors and family will thank you for your attention to sound-proofing. Many types of insulation panels also serve to soundproof the areas they enclose. And it works both ways – soundproofing is an absolute must if you’re planning to use your steel buildingas a recording studio, and helpful if you just want to shut out the noise of the outdoors so you can focus on your work.

Built-Ins

From storage shelves to work tables, built-ins are the types of customization that make your workshop fit you like a glove. When you design your steel buildings and have them pre-engineered, you can choose where you’ll want electrical outlets, openings for plumbing pipes and lights, and even bolt locations for workshop tables, benches and your major equipment.

If you’ve been practicing your hobby for any length of time, you’re certain to have imagined exactly what your own workshop would look like and include. If you’re ready to make it a reality, a manufacturer of steel buildings can show you how.

Five Ways Steel Buildings Save You Money

One of the most attractive things about steel buildings is their economical footprint. They’re the ideal choice for anyone who needs a structure for just about any reason. Steel buildings make great storage sheds, garages, home workshops and offices, small factory buildings, warehouses – you name it, and there’s a steel building configuration that works beautifully for it. Even better, steel buildings serve all of those purposes at less cost than any other type of structure, not just at first, but throughout their useful lives.

Steel Buildings Cost Less to Buy

Steel is among the least expensive construction materials available. It costs less than wood frame construction or concrete. If you’re looking at building kits, you might be misled into thinking that wood building kits are less expensive, but once you add in the cost of the wood – which most shed kits don’t include – your steel building kits are considerably less expensive.

You Save on the Foundation

While it’s less important in smaller buildings, larger wood-frame buildings like garages require a foundation to be put up safely. Most residential size steel buildings require nothing more than a poured concrete foundation, and many metal buildings put up for agricultural use don’t even require a concrete floor – just concrete piers to anchor the building securely to the ground. You can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars on the cost of having a foundation prepared for your steel building.

Save on Contractor Costs with Steel Buildings

Many metal buildings are designed for easy DIY construction – you don’t need to pay a contractor at all. For larger buildings, or for those without a DIY bone in their bodies, steel buildings arrive on your site ready to assemble. There’s no cutting, sawing or drilling involved – it’s like putting together a life-size erector kit. Because so much of the work is done in advance of the steel building arriving, you pay the contractors for much less time – small buildings can go up in a day rather than the several required for a wood-frame building. Count the savings yourself.

Maintenance Costs Are Negligible

Your wood shed or garage will need to be scraped, painted, stained and treated with all sorts of insect and pest repellents every couple of years. Steel buildings require none of that – the only maintenance that most metal buildings require is a good hose-down with a pressure washer every year or so. In general, steel buildings are also easier to heat and cool because they’re weather-tight and don’t transfer heat as easily as other construction materials.

Insurance Costs Are Less

Because steel buildings are fire resistant, corrosion resistant and pest resistant, they’re far less prone to the typical disasters that cost insurance companies big money. Add in the fact that most steel buildings are designed to be structurally safe in hurricane force winds and high snows, and you can see why insurance companies often offer lower premiums to insure metal buildings than buildings made of other materials.

Steel buildings save you money up front, and continue to save you money throughout their lives. Why would you choose any other material if money is important?

Advice on Steel Buildings – Before You Choose One

Are you considering a steel building purchase? Steel buildings offer many advantages for nearly any type of use. They’re relatively low in cost, easy to maintain and can be erected quickly. Before you make a final decision about which metal building or steel building style to purchase, there are three important things to consider.

Cost vs. Quality

Many dealers of metal buildings offer unbelievably low prices. The problem is that those prices are just that – unbelievable. While steel buildings are far more economical than most other types of construction, if you find a dealer offering them at prices far below typical, be wary. They may be cheap because they’re – well, cheap. Do some serious comparison shopping to get a good feel for how much you should be paying for the steel building you want, but don’t necessarily choose the lowest priced package. Look for quality – it will last longer and cost you far less in the long run.

When you’re comparing one metal building with another, be sure that you’re comparing comparable packages. Figure out what you want in your building and ask for a quote on the same package from several different suppliers. That way, you’ll get a fair comparison rather than comparing the price for a bare bones building with a steel building that includes all the trim and accessories you need.

DIY vs. Erector

It’s tempting to believe that you can put the building up yourself – who doesn’t want to play with a life-size Erector Set? It’s important to be realistic, though. Smaller buildings, including storage sheds, garages, greenhouses and workshops, are good candidates for DIY construction, which can save you a considerable amount of money. If you’re not reasonably handy with an electric drill and pouring cement or if your building is much larger than a single car garage, it makes more sense to engage a professional erector to put your building up.

Take advantage of the professional expertise of your building supplier. Ask how reasonable it is to consider erecting your steel building yourself. If you have doubts, get a recommendation for qualified erectors in your area and find out how much the erection will add to the cost.

Permits & Code

Before you sign a contract for a steel building, check with your local code and zoning offices to determine what permits and approvals you’ll need. The zoning laws in your town may limit the size and configuration of your structure, and you’ll need to make sure that the steel building you choose meets all the relevant codes for your area. You may need to provide certified engineering plans and blueprints for approval, so be sure to work with a supplier that will provide those.

Steel buildings offer so many advantages that it’s hard to imagine choosing any other type of construction for your needs, but it’s important to do things the right way. Check with your local authorities, comparison shop wisely and be sure you consider all the relevant costs before you sign a contract.

What Steel Buildings Offer for Recreational Facilities

It’s easy to see why metal buildings have been the standard for recreational facilities for a number of years now, but you may not realize all the advantages that steel construction offers for recreational buildings today. New technology and the growing importance of green building have increased the benefits of building with steel in the recreation industry. Whether you’re considering a new facility, renovating an older one or building an addition to your current facility, steel buildings are structurally solid, energy efficient, cost effective and safe.

More Versatile

One of the most important advantages offered by steel buildings is their versatility. The strength of steel makes it easy to build large, open indoor spaces without the columns and supports that wood frame buildings require for structural stability. That makes metal structures ideal for use as stadiums and skating rinks, as well as for indoor tracks, tennis and volleyball courts and gymnasiums. In addition, steel buildings are engineered to be easily expandable, a real boon for a business or organization that has to start small, but intends to grow as its membership grows.

Aesthetically Attractive

When it comes to appearance, metal construction offers much more than most people realize. Even cheap steel buildings have come a long way in the looks department. They’re no longer metal boxes or hoops sheathed with corrugated steel. Some of the top architects in the nation have turned their design skills to working with steel and stunning masterpieces. Even budget-priced steel buildings are available in many styles and colors, and can be customized with trim and custom exteriors that fit attractively into their environment.

Cost Effective

When you’re building a commercial sports or recreational sports facility, cost is always a consideration. Steel has long had the advantage as a cost-effective building material, not just during construction but over the entire life of the building. Because steel buildings are pre-engineered and ready to assemble, they take less time to erect. That cuts construction costs substantially, and allows for quicker occupancy so that the new facility can start producing revenue. Steel buildings are more energy efficient so they cost less to heat and cool, and they require far less maintenance, which cuts maintenance costs over the life of the building. Finally, because steel is fire-resistant and safer to occupy than wood and other construction materials, owners of steel buildings often spend far less to insure their properties.

Environmentally Friendly

Most steel used in building today is recycled, so steel buildings reduce the use of finite resources and divert waste from the landfills. They’re also recyclable – when a steel building reaches the end of its usable life, the materials used in its construction can be recycled and used again. In addition, buildings of steel are more energy efficient, so they use less fuel and require less energy to maintain, heat and cool.

Whether you’re building a commercial sports facility, a riding arena or another type of recreational building, take a close look at all the advantages offered by modern steel buildings. Understanding those advantages will make your decision to use steel much easier.

Info on Steel Buildings: Getting Ready to Build

Steel buildings are especially popular with the DIY set. Kits for metal garages, storage sheds, barns and other residential metal structures are best sellers for many reasons, but the one that attracts home handymen and DIY builders is the ease of erecting them. Most steel buildings are versatile, inexpensive and easy to erect, but if you’re putting up a new metal building on your property, you will have to do some preparation before it arrives on site.

Confirm delivery dates for your steel building. Most manufacturers or distributors will have been in fairly close contact during the design stage, and you’ll usually have a contract that details the shipping dates and methods. Usually, you’ll have several weeks’ notice of the date you can expect your shipment to arrive.

Before that date, prepare your foundation. You’ll need to check with your local code department to ensure that the foundation for your metal building meets all the relevant local codes. Because the foundation is so important to safely and efficiently erecting your metal building, manufacturers recommend having your foundation designed and/or built by a professional foundation engineer. The larger your building will be, the more important it is that you bring in a pro to design the foundation.

The manufacturer should have provided you with an anchor bolt diagram, which specifies where the anchor bolts for your building must be located for safe and proper installation. The foundation itself must be square, even and level. Whether you pour the foundation yourself or have it poured by a professional, however, be sure to allow enough time for the concrete to cure before you start building on it.

Make sure that the truck delivering your building will be able to access your work site. Clear away any obstructions and make room for the building components.

Organize your work site in advance and decide where you’ll unload and store the components. Your work site plan should include a way to protect all the elements of your steel building from the weather – waterproof tarps, for example.

Generally, the contract for your delivery will define whose responsibility it is to unload the truck at the destination. Most often, it will be your responsibility, yet another reason it’s vital to know when your steel building will be delivered.

If you choose to go the DIY route with steel buildings or kits, make sure that you understand everything involved in handling the delivery of the pieces. Plan ahead and be prepared to unload and store all the components of your future shed or garage to avoid problems that could delay the construction of your new structure.

Many Uses for Today’s Steel Buildings

If you said you were building a steel building not too long ago, most people would have assumed that you were putting up a commercial building or skyscraper. That’s no longer the case. Today, steel buildings have many uses in manufacturing, in retail and on residential properties. Their increasing popularity is fueled by the low cost of steel construction, as well as all of the benefits that metal buildings provide. These are just a few of the many ways that steel buildings are used.

Commercial Uses for Steel Buildings

Many new small malls and retail stores are built of steel. Steel buildings are especially popular for smaller retail stores because they can be put up quickly and at fairly low cost. They provide safety benefits – steel is non-combustible, for example – cost benefits, and environmental benefits. Buildings used for retail space this way tend to differ in appearance from those pressed into service as factory and storage buildings, but they provide the same safety, cost and structural benefits.

Other common commercial uses for steel buildings include self-storage units, factories and storage for heavy equipment and vehicles, such as boathouses and airplane hangers. Some of the most interesting uses for commercial metal buildings are recreational – Quonset hut construction is very popular in northern states for ice skating rinks, and entrepreneurs in many states have put together volleyball clubs and paintball academies using steel buildings as a base.

Residential Steel Buildings

The newest wrinkle for steel buildings is their growing popularity for residential uses. In some areas, they may even be used as a residence if the zoning laws and business code allows it. More often, though, they are used as garages, storage buildings, garden shed, home offices, carports and workshops. Their popularity for these uses is driven, as it is in commercial applications, by a combination of low cost and high benefits of steel buildings.

Among the attractive features of steel buildings for storage, garages and other residential uses is their safety. Buildings made of steel are so safe, in fact, that many homeowners enjoy lower homeowner insurance rates than they would if they added on a wooden garage or home workshop.

These buildings are also especially popular among home DIY enthusiasts. Many manufacturers sell steel building kits that come complete with everything a property owner needs to put up his own garage, shed or workshop except the land to build it on and the cement for the poured foundation. The DIY aspect brings the cost down even further.

Even better, the cost of steel buildings remains lower than wood or concrete building throughout their usable lives. They require very little in the way of maintenance – nothing more than a spray-down with a pressure washer once a year or so and you’re good to go.

Steel Buildings Make Sense as Garages

A chicken in every pot and an automobile in every driveway are no longer enough. These days, American consumers also want garages for their cars, to protect them from the elements and keep them somewhere safe. Many older homes were built without attached garages, but there are many options for a homeowner who wants to build a new garage or replace one that is falling apart. Steel buildings are among the most popular choices for people who decide to build garages to house their cars.

Steel Buildings: Costs

Steel is one of the most affordable building materials available, especially when you consider the durability and longevity it provides. The savings don’t end with the materials, though. Steel buildings are less expensive to erect and maintain for a number of reasons.

Most steel buildings can be erected without a dug foundation, which cuts out the cost of engaging a contractor to dig and fill a foundation for your new garage. Generally, the only foundation needed is a cement slab, which a reasonably handy person can pour himself. Even if you decide to engage a contractor to pour a slab foundation for your garage, it will cost considerably less than digging a full foundation.

Many property owners choose to put up a steel buildings themselves as well, which represents another considerable savings over the cost of having a garage built from wood or concrete. It’s not difficult, because the pieces of your steel buildings project are pre-cut and pre-drilled with all the holes needed to assemble them into a finished garage. In most cases, an experienced DIY homeowner can put up a garage over the course of a weekend, especially if he has the help of one or two friends.

Again, if you choose to hire a contractor to erect your steel buildings, the cost will be considerably less than what you’d pay for a stick-built garage, simply because the building goes up so much faster – a couple of afternoons at most, as opposed to weeks of construction to build a wooden garage.

Steel Buildings: Maintenance

Finally, you’ll save considerable time and money over the years when you choose steel to build your garage. Most steel buildings have a colored powder coating – in the most wanted home colors, so they fit into your landscape well – that won’t need repainting for up to 20 years. You also won’t have to worry about termites, rotting wood and timbers or mold, since steel buildings don’t attract the kinds of pests responsible for destroying wooden buildings.

If you’re considering building a new garage or replacing your old one, take a look at the many advantages offered by steel buildings as garages for residential and business uses.

Agricultural Steel Buildings Offer Long Term Benefits

Farmers replacing a barn or building garages for farm equipment often turn to steel buildings rather than building from wood – and with good reason. Steel buildings and steel building kits offer many benefits and advantages, both long and short term. If you’re getting ready to put up a new barn, an animal shelter, grain storage or other building on your agricultural property, consider these advantages and benefits of choosing buildings made of steel.

Lower Cost

Steel is a less expensive building material than wood or concrete, so your steel buildings start off costing less. You’ll save even more in site preparation costs because most steel building projects require very little in the way of a foundation. Most don’t need a dug foundation at all, and if you’re building a carport or animal shelter, you may not even need a slab foundation. That saves you both time and money in materials and labor costs.

Faster Construction

Because the parts of your metal building arrive ready to assemble – usually complete with pre-drilled holes for screws and bolts – your steel building will go up much faster than a comparable structure made of wood or concrete. In fact, depending on the size of your building, you may be able to have it ready for use in an afternoon or a weekend.

Do It Yourself

It’s common for farmers to erect steel buildings on their own, with the help of one or two hands to help out. Everything is pre-cut and pre-drilled, so you just have to muscle the pieces into place and bolt them together. In most cases, you don’t need any specialized tools or equipment – just basic power tools and, for larger projects, a hoist to raise the larger pieces into place.

Low Maintenance

The coating and finishes on the steel parts of these building kits prevent corrosion, rust and rot. Unlike wooden structures, which need repainting every few years to keep them fresh, steel buildings generally won’t require repainting or refinishing for 20 years or more. Most companies sell metal buildings in a wide range of powder-coated colors so you can choose a building style and color that looks good with your other buildings. And while appearance may not be everything, looking good is a nice little extra.

In addition to the individual benefits, steel buildings also offer long-term benefits for the planet. The steel used for building construction is nearly always recycled, so your new building will be using little in the way of new resources – and can be recycled again when you no longer need it, diverting the steel from the garbage stream and giving it useful life again and again.

Tips for Choosing Steel Buildings for Your Property

If you’re looking for the best storage options for your property, steel buildings are bound to be high on your list. They’re economical, well-built, durable and energy efficient – not to mention available in many styles and colors to fit in with your home and property. Adapted from the Quonset buildings used during World War I to house soldiers and set up field stations, arch-framed steel buildings have transcended their utilitarian origins to become truly flexible structures that can meet nearly any residential or commercial need you have. If you’re shopping around for the right metal building for your property, these tips can help you narrow down your choices and find the right supplier for your needs.

Decide on the Right Size First

Steel buildings are available in a wide range of sizes, from garden shed size to longer than a pair of football fields stacked end to end. Measure your available space to figure out the maximum size for your metal building, then evaluate your needs to come up with your final figure. For garages, for example, the standard size for a single car garage is about 10 feet by 20 feet. For a two-car garage, you should be looking at steel buildings that are a minimum of 26 feet by 20 feet. Don’t forget to include enough room in your plans to walk around the outside of the building for maintenance purposes.

Consider Whether You Need a Foundation

One of the major advantages of steel buildings is that many don’t need much in the way of a foundation. If your structure is going to have an earthen floor, for example, you may not need a foundation at all. For a garage or garden shed, a poured cement slab foundation is usually enough. No matter what you’re building, however, your local code department may have specific requirements for foundations.

Check with Your Code Department

The foundation isn’t the only requirement your code department may have. Check with your local zoning office to find out what kind of permits you’ll need before you order your steel building, as well as to get the standards and specifications that steel buildings must meet in your town and location.

Research the Steel Building Supplier

Don’t be so dazzled by a low price that you neglect to do your due diligence. While steel buildings are more economical than wood-framed buildings, they still represent a significant investment. Before you plunk down your hard-earned money, take the time to research the company you’re buying from to make sure their reputation in the business is a good one.

Steel buildings are a great option for use as garages, barns, garden sheds, workshops and home offices. Make sure that you do your homework before you decide to buy so that you’ll get the best deal possible on your new metal building.

Choosing the Right Supplier of Steel Buildings

Once you’ve made the decision to purchase a steel building for your project, you’re faced with a much more difficult task – finding the right supplier of steel buildings from whom to buy. If you search online, you’ll find hundreds of sites offering steel buildings for sale – and many of them seem to be offering similar, if not exactly the same, metal buildings. How do you choose the best vendor for your steel building project? These tips can help you get the best deal on your purchase and ensure that your order is handled properly.

Beware of Sites That Offer Huge Discounts on Steel Buildings

The price of steel is fairly stable across the country, though it does fluctuate slightly. If a website that sells steel buildings promises huge discounts or advertises prices far below most other dealers, be suspicious. They may be selling lower quality buildings made of inferior steel, or selling seconds that have been rejected by other, more reputable companies. Also, be wary of dealers that use strong-arm pressure tactics to sell, or who tell you that they just happen to have a building that exactly matches the one you ordered on the lot, so you can have it for a steep discount. More often than not, they’ve posted an inflated price on the website so that they can make “steep cuts” to convince you to buy.

Work with a dealer who is knowledgeable about the building and permitting process.

While the permitting process and requirements vary from state to state and county to county, there is a standard, overall process that your steel buildings dealer should be familiar with. Many buyers rely on the dealer to guide them through the necessary steps to order, customize, ship and prepare their building site for construction. If the dealer doesn’t have the answers you need – or is unable to tell you where you can find them – choose another, more knowledgeable, dealer.

Look for a Well-Established and Complete Website

While anyone can put up a professional looking website for just about anything these days, it’s hard to fake real knowledge. Look for a website that offers good information, real pictures and a physical address or telephone number where you can talk to someone about the steel building you want to purchase.

When you do find a reputable dealer of steel buildings, ask for a full quote on a building with the specifications that you want. A reputable dealer will provide you with a detailed, itemized quote and provide you with any information you need to make a final decision.

The Benefits of Steel Buildings for Separate Storage

One of the biggest reasons people turn to steel buildings is to have a separate structure exclusively for storage purposes. Storage space is often at a premium in homes built after the early 20th century. Many of them have no attic or basement, and the garages are just big enough to hold a single car. Steel buildings offer a place to keep garden and yard equipment, seasonal equipment and other items that we don’t use every day without taking up precious space in the garage or being left out in the rain and snow.

Steel Buildings Benefits

Metal buildings offer benefits that wooden and vinyl storage buildings don’t provide. Between the ease of construction, the lower cost and the low maintenance requirements, steel buildings are a clearly superior choice for most storage uses.

Easy to Build

Pre-cut and pre-engineered steel buildings are so easy to erect that the average homeowner can assemble his own metal shed with the help of a friend or two. The parts of the building are pre-cut and pre-drilled, and are engineered to fit together perfectly. In most cases, you need no special equipment to put the structure together, though larger steel buildings may be easier if you have a hoist to help with the heavy lifting.

Lower in Cost

While the listed cost for steel buildings may appear to be less than a wooden shed building kit, metal buildings come with everything you need to erect them. Wooden building kits usually only include the hardware for assembly. You’ll still have to buy the lumber and wood needed to actually build the thing. In addition, you generally need less of a foundation than you would for a wood frame building of the same size when you choose a steel building.

More Durable with Lower Maintenance

Most steel buildings are built to last 30 years or longer. They require very little care to keep them in excellent condition, both structurally and in appearance. Unlike wood buildings, metal buildings aren’t prone to rot or vulnerable to insect damage, and the powder coatings used to preserve and color the steel are fade-resistant and corrosion resistant. In fact, as long as you clean the metal surfaces regularly, you probably won’t ever have to repaint your steel building.

Versatile and Stylish

Finally, steel buildings are available in a variety of styles, colors and sizes, and are highly customizable. When you choose a steel building for storage, you’ll have a new structure that’s attractive and stylish, and that will add value to your property for years to come.

Paint Finishes Used on Steel Buildings

Among the most attractive features of today’s steel buildings is the broad selection of finishes available. In most cases, you can purchase a steel building in the same color as your house with a paint finish that’s warranted to last for 20 years and longer. The top quality finishes for steel buildings for your home are attractive and provide a great deal of protection for the building and the materials of which it is made. There are, however, some considerations you should keep in mind when choosing the paint finish for your steel building.

Color

Most manufacturers of steel buildings offer their products in a standard range of colors that usually includes white, cream, tan, blue, brown and red. In addition to choosing a color that’s attractive, you should also consider the climate and conditions of your location. While most paint finishes will stand up well to any kind of weather, some colors present particular challenges. White, for example, is more likely to show dirt and dust, especially in urban areas with high rates of pollution. Even the best quality finish will require more cleaning if you choose white or a light cream color. Darker coatings, such as blue, red or brown, are more likely to show fading and discoloration from the sun, especially in southern climates. You can combat the tendency to fade by choosing a fade-resistant coating to keep your building looking new and fresh.

Roofing Finishes

In addition to the color finish for your building walls, you’ll also have a choice of roof finishes. Today, many steel buildings are topped with roofs painted with eco-friendly reflective paint. White or light-colored roofs help reduce overheating in steel buildings by reflecting much of the sun’s light back into the atmosphere. They also help reduce your energy costs by reducing the amount of energy you need to use for cooling and climate control.

Aside from color, there are material considerations for roofing on steel buildings. Many metal roofs incorporate zinc and aluminum with the steel because they help reduce erosion of the underlying steel. Galvanizing provides similar protection for steel building roofs. One of the best-known names in galvanizing for steel roofs is Galvalume, a product introduced byBethlehem steel nearly 40 years ago. Today, Galvalume is considered essential for coating a non-painted steel roof because of the protection it affords for your structure.

Finishes for your steel buildings provide more than good looks. The right coatings and finishes add dramatically to the life of your new metal building by protecting it from the elements.

DIY Insulating Steel Buildings

Not all steel buildings need insulation. If you’re simply planning to store your gardening equipment in your new storage shed or garages, chances are that you don’t need to worry about insulating it. If you’re in a temperate climate with few extremes of heat or cold, steel buildings really don’t need insulation. Thanks to the way they’re constructed, steel buildings are surprisingly weather-tight, which leads to little heat transfer between the interior and the exterior.

If, on the other hand, you’re putting up a metal building to house animals or to use as a workshop or home office in climate with extremes of hot and cold, insulation is an important part of your construction plans. The better the insulation you choose for your steel building, the less it will cost you to keep your building at a comfortable temperature. You can hire a contractor to put in the insulation, or, if you’re reasonably handy and know how to follow instructions, you can insulate your new building yourself.

Types of Insulation for Steel Buildings

While there are many types of insulation on the market, the two most commonly used in steel buildings are blown-in foam insulation and fiberglass insulation. Foam insulation generally requires interior walls in your building, and it can be tricky to work with. If foam insulation is your preference, you may be better off hiring a professional to do the work. Fiberglass insulation, on the other hand, is relatively easy to put up and can be used with or without drywall interior walls.

Fiberglass insulation comes in rolls that you roll out and cut to size to fit your walls. It’s best applied before you put up interior walls, and can be enclosed between the exterior and interior walls. Interior walls add an additional layer of insulation as well as making the interior of your building more attractive.

In addition to fiberglass insulation, you’ll also find insulation on the market that’s made with recycled materials, including shredded denim and wool. Those should be treated with a flame retardant and with an inhibitor to prevent mold and mildew growth.

Actually applying the insulation is a relatively simple matter. Generally, you’ll measure the walls to determine the sizes to cut your sheets of insulation, then apply double-sided tape to the interior of the steel walls where you’ll be applying the insulation. Carefully unroll the insulation, pressing it against the double-sided tape to secure it in place. Make sure that the insulation has a bit of sag to it to allow for proper airflow. Work your way along the side of the building to insulate each wall in its entirety.

Once your insulation is up, you’ll place sheeting over the it, and insert metal strapping into it to hold the insulation in place. Finally, finish your walls with drywall as desired.

Some steel buildings require special handling when you’re applying insulation. Be certain that you consult the specs for your particular building and follow any instructions to install insulation safely.

Five Reasons to Consider Steel Buildings No Matter What You’re Building

Are you considering a construction project? Whether you’re building a new storage building, adding on to your home, erecting a barn or putting up a new garage, steel buildings offer many advantages. Before you make a decision about the materials, design and construction of your new building, consider these five excellent reasons for choosing steel buildings.

Up-Front Cost

Steel is one of the most economical construction materials available. Even if that were the only cost factor involved in construction metal buildings, it would put you ahead of the game, but there are other factors as well. Because most steel buildings are precut and pre-fabricated, construction is generally only a matter of putting the pieces together on site. That means that putting up a steel building doesn’t tie up a construction crew as long – and in many cases, you can do most of the work yourself, adding to the already considerable savings.

Long-Term Cost

Steel buildings require very little in the way of maintenance. Top of the line metal buildings of galvanized, powder-coated steel will even retain their color without fading for up to 20 years. By contrast, wood frame buildings generally need repainting every five to seven years. You’ll also save money on insurance costs. Because steel buildings are so much safer than other types of construction, insurance companies will nearly always offer lower premiums on buildings made primarily of steel.

Ecologically Sound

Because most steel buildings today are made of recycled steel, they use fewer of the earth’s natural resources. And because they can be recycled again and again, they save further use of resources down the road and put less strain on the planet. You’ll never see a steel building in a landfill because the metal is too valuable to throw away. In fact, many smaller steel buildings are simply disassembled and sold to be reassembled elsewhere.

Steel Buildings Energy Efficient

The components of steel buildings are designed to fit together snugly, which reduces the energy costs of heating and cooling them. You can add insulation to make them even more weather tight. Most metal building roofs are painted with energy efficient light paint to further reduce the cost of heating and cooling your building, coincidentally reducing your carbon footprint.

Safety

Steel building construction is among the safest type of construction available. Steel buildings can be built to meet the most stringent safety codes and face some of the world’s most challenging weather conditions. The dome shape used for Quonset buildings and similar construction styles shed heavy snow loads that often collapse flatter roofs, and the steel frames withstand high winds and earthquake tremors better than other types of buildings.

If you haven’t considered steel buildings for your needs, take a closer look. You may find that a steel building is ideal for your needs.

Steel Buildings for Professional Offices

Today’s steel buildings are incredibly flexible and affordable, two qualities that any professional without an office to call home can appreciate. It can cost you an arm and a leg to set up shop as a professional in your own office. In general, you’ll have to come up with at least three months rent for an office up front, along with maintenance and cleaning fees – and that’s not counting the cost of setting up telephone service and Internet access for your office. Working at home is a more attractive option, but it may not be possible in the space that you have available for use. If you have room on your property to set up a small steel building, you have options that you may not have considered for a home office. Here are some of the reasons that steel buildings are a good choice for setting up a home office for a professional.

Cost

Putting up a steel building to use as an office will probably cost about as much as you’d need for upfront money to rent an office – but once you build your office, you won’t have to continue paying rent every month. Depending on where your office is located, that can save you anywhere from $300 to well over $1,000 a month. At that rate, how fast will your new home office pay for itself?

In addition, you’ll save on utilities and amenities when your office is located on your own property. It’s an easy matter to extend your telephone service a few feet outside your home. In fact, with a good cordless portable telephone, you won’t even have to add a telephone line. The same goes for wireless Internet service. Any decent wireless modem/router will broadcast a signal strong enough for you to pick up from a steel building outside your house.

Convenience

How much more convenient can it get than being able to walk out your back door and into your office? You’ll save commuting time – and more money – because your commute is twenty feet from your kitchen door. You can easily step back to the kitchen for lunch – more savings there as well – and be on site in case an emergency arises that requires you to be at home.

Privacy and Separation with a Steel Building

Whether you tutor students, teach music, do accounting or counsel patients, having an office that’s separate from your house provides privacy for you and your clients and separates your home life from your work life, even if it’s only by a couple of feet.

If you’re considering hanging out your own shingle but aren’t sure about the cost, take a look at the advantages that steel buildings provide for the home office professional. It could save you considerable money while providing a comfortable and very professional home office for your work.