Options for Finishing Steel Buildings

The right finishing touches can turn steel buildings into works of architectural art that rival any other building on the block. When most people think of steel buildings, they picture corrugated, extruded steel often used for inexpensive farm buildings or warehouses. While those buildings are every bit as structurally sound as a metal building with a decorative finish, they’re nowhere near as attractive. Steel building manufacturers offer many finish options that can pretty up your new structure.

Referred to as “exterior works,” steel building finishes include wall panels that simulate nearly any type of material conceivable. You can choose the finish you want to make your building blend or stand out among its neighbors.

The most common exterior finish for a metal building is a powder-coated paint finish. Manufacturers generally provide a list of basic colors for the wall panels, roof panels and trim for doors, windows and roof trims. The finish is often guaranteed to last for 20 or more years without any maintenance beyond regular washing. But painted steel is only one finish option for steel buildings.

Your steel building finish can mimic the look of virtually any other type of construction, including wood, brick and concrete. Customers may choose one of these finishes at additional cost to make their buildings look more like traditional construction. Owners may also choose to have their steel building finished with a faux stone front, or with textured panels that look like stucco or brick.

In addition, you’ll have a range of choices for roof finishes, with the most common being steel, asphalt and cedar. You may choose from many different styles of windows, including skylights, bow windows, picture windows and glazed windows, as well as customizing window and door frames, sills and eaves.

You can usually select your steel building enhancements and finishes from the manufacturer when you order your building. Many manufacturers provide customized designs that include options for standard and upgraded finishes. Even if you choose a basic, economy building, you can often engage a local contractor to apply finish work and trim to your specifications.

Steel buildings offer so many advantages for both residential and industrial uses. Until recently, style was not one of those options, but that’s changed. With the wide variety of accessories, finishes and exterior works available for finishing your metal building, your new structure can be the star of your neighborhood.