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.