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.

Buying Tips for Quonset Steel Buildings

Although there are many types and styles of steel buildings, Quonset buildings have always been among the most popular of the configurations available. Most people are familiar with Quonset huts – the rounded hoop constructions made popular by the military. They’re among the most affordable of steel building styles, as well as the most durable, thanks to the methods of construction used in erecting them. They are not, however, the ideal choice for everyone who wants to put up a steel building. If you’re considering a Quonset building, give some thought to a few practical considerations before you make your final decision.

Check Your Local Zoning Laws

Before you even begin your quest for the right building, make sure that you’ll be allowed to put it up at your desired location. Some municipalities and counties restrict Quonset buildings to industrial areas, for example, while others may have size restrictions you’ll have to meet if you want to build. If there’s any doubt, call the zoning board to discuss your plans and make sure that you’ll be able to build. If a Quonset building isn’t allowed on your property, there are many other styles of steel buildings that might suit your needs.

Consider Your Needs Carefully

One of the biggest advantages of Quonset buildings and other arched steel buildings is the lack of interior columns, which allows for an unlimited variety of interior floor plans. Because Quonset buildings have curved sides, however, some of that space may have limited uses – for storage shelves, for example. Consider how you want to use your interior floor space before deciding that a Quonset style steel building is the best option for you. Several other types of steel buildings offer many of the same advantages, but have straight-sided walls that increase your interior space.

Shop Around for a Quonset Building Dealer Who Knows Your Area

 

Requirements for steel buildings vary widely from state to state and even county to county. When you work directly with a dealer or manufacturer who is familiar with the zoning guidelines for your county, he can guide you to the best choices for your building.

Steel buildings, especially Quonset buildings, are popular as garages, barns, workshops and storage buildings – and with good reason. They’re affordable, durable, attractive and easy to construct. If you decide that a metal building is the right choice for your needs, take the time to check the local requirements and find the best dealer to make sure that you have a smooth experience from start to finish.

Steel Buildings and Horses Make a Perfect Fit

Got horses? Steel buildings may be the perfect solution to your shelter and storage needs for a stud farm or riding arena. For decades, steel buildings have been among the first choices for agricultural uses. Farmers have turned to structures made of steel to store grain, garage their farm equipment and shelter their animals. There are many good reasons for the use of steel buildings in the world of agriculture. They’re affordable, durable and flexible, as well as being easy to put up and tear down. Since most agricultural steel buildings aren’t outfitted with extras like carpeting, paneling and other interior detailing, it’s not unusual for a farmer to sell his building to another, who can take it down and put it back up on his own property.

When it comes to horses, steel buildings offer a number of possibilities. Farmers often use steel barns for cattle and livestock, including horses. It’s easy to customize the interior of a large steel barn to provide stalls for horses, feed storage, a tack room – even an office. Since most metal buildings are easily expandable, your horse barn can grow as your establishment does.

Of course, steel buildings can be used for more than just sheltering your animals. If you intend to offer stud service, you can work with a manufacturer of metal buildings to customize a steel shed and outfit it to use for stud services. Quonset steel buildings with open ends can provide shelter from the weather for a riding ring or arena.

In fact, steel riding arenas are among the most popular new commercial agricultural buildings. Steel buildings are safer than wood – steel is fireproof and less prone to rot or decay. They’re environmentally friendly and recyclable, and offer many other advantages, both financial and practical.

You can save up to 50% on the construction costs of a building when you choose a prefabricated steel riding arena. Since the building arrives in pieces, ready to put together, you don’t have to pay a construction crew to cut pieces and frame a building from wood – they just have to bolt the steel walls and supports together. You can have a simple steel structure up and ready for use in a weekend or two.

Steel buildings are energy efficient and resistant to adverse weather conditions. The architects who design your steel structure will be conversant with local building codes and the requirements to make your riding arena as weather-proof as possible.

Because steel buildings are resistant to fire and most types of rot and insect infestation, you’ll save up to 40% on insurance costs for the building itself.

Steel buildings are easy to expand when you want to add more space.

If you’re looking to replace older buildings on your farm or considering opening a new horse-based business or enterprise, look into the many advantages offered by steel buildings for use as horse barns, stables and riding arenas.

Maintenance Tips for Steel Buildings

One of the biggest selling points for steel buildings is that they require so little maintenance. The painted finish on most steel buildings, including barns, garages, storage buildings and other types of metal buildings, is a powder-coated finish that rarely needs repainting. Most are treated with finishes that resist corrosion and rust, and are resistant to fading in the sun. That means keeping your steel building in top shape costs far less than maintaining a similarly sized wooden or concrete structure. Those additional savings add up over the years – not only in money but in time saved.

Nevertheless, you shouldn’t completely neglect maintenance and care for your steel buildings. It doesn’t take much to keep them neat, clean and in excellent shape. These tips will help you keep your metal building looking like new for years.

Remove dirt and debris from any painted surfaces with a soft nylon brush and clean, clear water. Removing dirt, sand and dust will prevent a buildup of debris that can eat away at the finish. It only takes a few minutes to tackle the areas of the building that are most prone to collecting dirt and dust.

Check the gutters, roof sheets and the areas under any overhangs for dirt and staining every few months. Give any dirty areas a quick scrub with a soft-bristled nylon brush and clear water. Avoid using caustic cleaners and firm bristles, which may scratch the painted surfaces.

If you notice any cracks or leaks in the building, have them repaired immediately. These types of problems are rare, but if you leave them unattended they can lead to worse problems. In many cases, your warranty will cover repairs to any damage of this type.

Inspect your steel building each spring for wear and tear. At that time, wash the eaves and gutters with a mild detergent and give the entire structure a once-over with a pressure washer to remove any dirt and debris left over from the winter storms.

Lubricate the hinges of any doors, and keep the thresholds free of grit and dirt that can scratch and mar the surface. Once the finish is scratched, your building may be prone to rust or other corrosion, so it’s important to wipe away gritty sand or dirt before it damages the finish.

Steel buildings are an excellent investment that should serve you well for decades. Investing a little time in maintaining them properly will extend their usable life even further and keep your building looking fresh, new and clean.

Steel Buildings to the Rescue

Steel buildings provide an amazing array of benefits for many residential, storage, commercial, agricultural and industrial uses. Despite their reputation as utilitarian workhorses that are out of place anywhere but the warehouse district, today’s steel buildings are flexible, stylish and up to just about any use you can imagine for them. There are just a few of the ways that steel buildings have come to the rescue in a wide variety of situations.

Quick Classrooms

When the pipes burst in an outdated school building in a small New England town, it looked like the students would be doubling up with other schools for the next two years. The old building was already scheduled for demolition, and the new building wouldn’t be ready for occupancy for nearly 18 months. The city council put their heads together and came up with a better solution. A local supplier of steel buildings was pulled in and within a month the kids were back in class in a series of customized modular steel buildings that housed them until the new building was ready to open at the start of the following school year.

Custom Home Office

When a mother of two decided to give up her office job and work from home, she never expected that her biggest challenge would be finding space to work without interruption. After just a few months, though, she realized that a detached office space would be the key to her success. A steel building kit provided the base for her new digs. She was able to choose a pre-fabricated metal building in a color and trim that matched her home perfectly, and saved a fortune by pressing her husband and brothers into service to erect her new office. It took just a weekend plus one morning for an electrician to wire her new office and she was up and running with a stylish, comfortable and well-appointed home office.

Housing a Congregation in a Steel Building

After leading a congregation in a rented storefront for several years, a pastor in a small Southern city decided it was time for the congregation to have a home of its own. A member of the church contributed a plot of land and the congregation set to work raising money for their new building fund. By opting for a custom-engineered steel building, the congregation was able to create the worship space they wanted at a cost far less and in a much shorter time frame than any other kind of construction. They saved even more by doing the building themselves under the supervision of a member of the congregation who worked as a contractor.

Steel buildings are useful for far more than storage, factories and auto shops. Thanks to the latest engineering technology and trends, a steel building today can fit just about any need you can imagine.

Seven Reasons to Choose Steel Buildings for Your Business

Business owners often choose steel buildings when it’s time to expand or open a new business. Pre-engineered steel buildings offer many advantages over wood or concrete structures, including cost, flexibility and long-term maintenance. If you’re considering a new home for your business, consider these advantages of steel buildings before you make your decision.

Metal Buildings Are Cheaper to Build

Steel may seem more expensive than wood or concrete on the surface, but erecting a steel building generally costs considerably less than building a similar-sized structure of wood or concrete. Up-front savings is a major reason that business owners often choose steel.

Steel Buildings Are Cheaper to Maintain

Metal buildings require far less maintenance and upkeep than wood-framed buildings. You won’t have to repaint as often – or at all – and most industrial grade steel buildings include a corrosion-resistant powder coating to inhibit rust, which reduces the amount of work you’ll need to do on your building.

Most Businesses Save Money on Insurance

Steel structures can be engineered to meet local codes for hurricanes, floods, fire and other disasters. They tend to be stronger and more structurally sound than buildings made or wood or concrete, and less likely to be destroyed by fire or storms. The lower risk nearly always means cheaper insurance premiums for your business.

Steel Buildings Are Safer

As noted, steel is stronger, more structurally sound and more resistant to fire, earthquake, storms and other disasters. That’s nice for your insurance bill, but even nicer for your employees and neighbors, who benefit from the added safety and security.

You Can Build to Any Size

Arch construction steel buildings, such as Quonset buildings, come in many widths and can be custom-engineered to fit your space exactly. Even better, you won’t lose valuable floor space to support posts and beams required by other types of construction.

Expansion is Easier with Steel

You can start small and add on as you grow. Expanding a steel building is far easier than adding on to a wood or concrete structure. In most cases, you can simply add on to the length without making any other changes to the building structure.

You Can Be Up and Running In Weeks Rather Than Months

Erecting a steel building is much quicker than building a wood-frame or concrete building. Depending on your local building codes, you may not have to dig a full foundation, reducing both the cost and the time. Your building will arrive ready to put up, and an accomplished crew can usually do the job in less than half the time it would take to raise a wood frame.

Consider all the advantages of steel buildings before you make a decision on your new business’ home. You’re likely to find that steel makes far more sense than any other building option.

The Many Options Available for Steel Buildings

When you consider the many options and features available to customize steel buildings, it’s easy to understand why they’re as popular as they are. Just a few years ago, a homeowner wanting to put up a storage building on his property might choose a wooden or fiberglass building from the local home improvement store. Today, those who want quality construction and want to avoid the cookie cutter syndrome that afflicts so many of the models of storage buildings available at big box stores often turn to steel buildings instead.

Choose the Color and Style You Want for Your Steel Building

Steel buildings come in a wide variety of styles, shapes and colors, even before you start considering the many different trim options they offer. Most manufacturers offer their steel building kits in many different colors, usually as powder-coated steel. Powder coating is one of the most durable forms of painting and colorant available because it allows the paint to bond with the metal beneath. The color on steel buildings won’t fade, crack, blister or peel. And while many dealers have a set range of colors, others allow you to order your building in custom colors, making it possible for you to match it exactly to your house or to use the same colors that you’ve chosen for your branding and marketing.

The most common and best-known style of steel building is the Quonset building, the rounded, domed hoop buildings commonly seen throughout the Midwest, but that’s only one of many different styles available. You can choose modified arch buildings in A-frames or steel buildings with straight walls and rounded roofs. You can choose from arched or gable roofs, add windows and skylights, choose from many different types of doors and other exterior trim to finish off the look of your building.

Customizing the Interior of Your Steel Building

One of the biggest advantages of steel buildings is that they allow a virtually limitless array of interior floor plans. Because they don’t require interior support posts, arch buildings give you the full interior to sculpt your interior from. You can add mezzanines and lofts to take advantage of the extra height in most steel buildings. You can add partitions to create private rooms, and make them movable to allow you some flexibility in creating your floor plan.

Depending on the choices you make, you can turn your metal building into a workshop with workbenches or an automobile lift, a home office with carpeting, electricity and interior walls or a garage with storage shelving and a small workbench. Whatever your needs, the simple design of a basic steel building gives you the options and the flexibility you need to create almost anything you want.