Steel Buildings Are Irresistible

There’s something totally irresistible about steel buildings – but steel buildings are plenty capable of resisting just about everything. A properly constructed metal building protects its contents against the weather and a wide range of other things, making them cost-effective in many different ways. Exactly what makes them so irresistible? Here’s a short list of things your metal building is capable of resisting.
Weather Extremes
Hot, cold, hot, cold. If you live in an area that goes through extremes of hot and cold, your buildings are subjected to a lot of weather stress. Wood expands and contracts repeatedly – and worse, it absorbs water. The stresses can warp, bend and split wood, compromising the structural integrity of your building. Steel, on the other hand, sheds water instead of absorbing it, and doesn’t expand and contract to the same degree.
High Wind Loads
Steel buildings are engineered to withstand high winds – winds as high as hurricane force. In fact, some steel buildings are specially designed to withstand tornadoes. Steel is flexible enough to give a little with the winds, unlike more rigid forms of construction that give way to the high force.
Fire
While steel buildings aren’t exactly fireproof, they do prevent fire from spreading and don’t contribute fuel to a fire. Because of this, most insurance companies will discount the premium on steel buildings, especially if they’re also treated with fireproofing chemicals.
Vermin and Insects
Wood buildings are susceptible to damage from termites, carpenter ants and other insects and vermin. Vermin infestation can do serious long-term damage to the structural integrity of a building. Steel buildings, on the other hand, are not terribly attractive to wood-eating insects. You’ll never have to worry about your building collapsing because bugs have eaten it away.
Corrosion and Rust
While steel is susceptible to rust and corrosion, most steel buildings sold are protected from corrosion by galvanizing or powder-coat paint systems. As long as you wash down your metal building a few times a year to remove built-up dirt and pollution and promptly repair any scratches, dents or other damage, your steel building will be protected from rust and other corrosive elements for decades.
Steel buildings are among the sturdiest, safest and easiest-to-maintain types of construction. They are cost-effective, energy-efficient and safer than nearly any other type of building available today. Whatever your storage or construction needs, take a good, long look at all the benefits that make steel buildings completely irresistible.

Steel Buildings During the Winter

The end of August may seem like an odd time to be talking about snow, but there’s no better time to discuss the benefits of steel buildings in winter than the season when most people are putting up new garages, barns and storage buildings made of steel. If you’re considering adding storage space or any other type of structure to your property and you live in an area that gets hit with heavy snows, high winds and low temperatures, you really should be considering the many performance benefits of metal buildings during the winter.
The Three Winter Advantages of Steel Buildings
Essentially, steel structures offer three major benefits during winter weather. Those are:

• Ability to stand up to heavy snow loads
• Ease of Insulation
• High Energy Efficiency

Here’s how each of these play into your decision to build with steel rather than other building materials.
Snow Load
Snow load is a fairly self-explanatory term. It refers to the weight of snow that settles onto a building or other structure. In areas where there is significant snowfall, regional building standards call for construction that can withstand heavy snow loads without collapsing. When you order a metal building, you’ll be required to provide a copy of your local building codes and standards. The factory will use those codes to engineer your steel building so that it meets or exceeds those codes. In layman’s language, that means your metal storage building, barn or other structure will incorporate safety features that are designed to prevent collapse during the worst weather your region faces. Those features may include the pitch of the roof or additional strengthening at stress points that are likely to give way under heavy snow.
Ease of Insulation
While steel is not itself a good insulator – in fact, it’s an excellent conductor – the typical construction methods for steel buildings lend themselves very well to insulation. The features that make metal buildings easier to insulate include:

• Weather-tight Construction

All of the joins and angles in your steel building fit together tightly, and most have additional seam coverings to ensure that there is no heat loss or cold seeping in at the seams. That ensures that your insulation doesn’t have to work harder to keep out the cold.

• Ribbed Frames

The outer walls of your metal building are fitted over a skeleton of vertical ribs. These days, most steel buildings are engineered so that the standard width between the ribs is a perfect fit for standard widths of insulation. Insulating them is as easy as fitting a sheet of insulation between each set of ribs and running metal strapping along the length of the wall.
High Energy Efficiency
The weather-tight construction serves another purpose: it makes steel buildings surprisingly energy efficient and affordable to heat. When you add other energy-efficient options, such as reflective roofs, it’s clear that steel buildings are the best choice for nearly any need year-round.

Why Farmers Love Steel Buildings as Barns

You don’t have to go far into farm country to realize that the owners of farms, ranches and stables love steel buildings. You’ll see the evidence everywhere in the shape of steel barns, steel storage buildings, steel stables and steel riding arenas. What makes metal buildings so popular with the very practical American farmer? There are four basic reasons that farmers love steel buildings.
Steel Barns Are Durable
Just like farmers, barns are hard-working structures. They don’t generally have a lot of the frills and furbelows that you’ll find on houses and many commercial buildings. They need to do their job without a lot of protection from the elements. When it comes to practical use, nothing outdoes a steel building. It isn’t susceptible to rot or water damage and it doesn’t attract termites, ants and rodents to nest. A good metal barn with a galvanized or powder coating will never need to be painted, will be less susceptible to rust than wood is to rot, and will stand up to almost any kind of weather Mother Nature sees fit to throw at it.
Steel Barns Are Versatile
Steel buildings have an amazing range of uses. Because it doesn’t need interior framing, a steel barn can be adapted to just about any floor plan you need. Metal buildings can be built as wide as 200 feet without addition supports, and can be extended to any length you want. You can add canopies and overhangs, second stories and even entire wings to the basic structure, even after your building is erected.
Steel Barns Are Easy to Maintain
A farmer or rancher has enough to do without having to mollycoddle his barn. Steel buildings require a minimum of maintenance. They don’t need to be scraped and repainted or treated with insecticide to get rid of vermin infestations. As long as they’re properly built with adequate ventilation, farmers don’t have to worry about mildew and mold, so their grain and other produce keeps well, and their animals stay healthier.
Steel Barns Cost Less
Steel is extremely affordable, and steel building construction costs less than just about any other building method. Dollar for dollar, they know that steel buildings cost far less per square foot than any other type of construction. That being the case, why would any farmer pay more money for a building that offers fewer advantages? He wouldn’t, of course – which is why you’ll see so many steel buildings dotting the landscape in any agricultural region in the country.

Steel Buildings as Storage Sheds

One of the most common uses for steel buildings is as a garden shed or back yard storage shed. Choosing the right structure means thinking through a number of considerations to make sure you’ve chosen the metal building that will most suit your needs. These five considerations all should play a part in your final decision.
What Will You Use It For?
When planning your steel building, be sure to think ahead into the future. Most experts suggest, for example, that you automatically add 20 percent to the amount of square footage you think you need to allow for the inevitable expansion. But there’s even more to thinking ahead than anticipating the need for more storage. Is there a chance that you’ll want to convert your storage shed to a home office or workshop in the future? Some types of steel buildings are extremely easy to expand if you need more space. Others will require you to start from scratch.
How Soon Do You Need It?
Steel buildings may go up more quickly than other structures, but you’ll still need to block out time for putting in a foundation, doing the construction and completing the finish work. The amount of time you’ll need will be influenced by the size and complexity of the project, as well as the number of people you’ll have working with you. Before you commit yourself to doing the project yourself, make a point of talking with others who have done so in the past to get their insights and advice. You may decide that it makes more sense to hire a contractor to do the actual erection.
What Kind of Foundation Will You Need?
When ordering a steel building, be sure to find out from the manufacturer what sort of foundation is needed. Steel buildings are much lighter per square foot than similarly sized wood or concrete structures, but they’ll still need some sort of foundations to hold them up. At the very least, you’ll need to sink concrete posts and set anchor bolts to hold your metal building in place. Because the foundation is so vital to your building’s structural integrity, most manufacturers recommend that you hire a contractor to lay the foundation.
What Kind of Permits Do You Need?
Before you order a metal building, check with your local zoning and codes office to find out what kind of permits you’ll need to erect it. In addition to permits, you should also get a copy of the local building codes. The manufacturer will need them to design a building that’s safe for your region.
What Is Your Budget?
Your final consideration is budget. While steel buildings are extremely affordable, it’s important to remember that there will be a few expenses that aren’t included in the price of your building, such as permit fees, construction costs and the cost of a foundation. Take the time to figure out what you can afford, and let the sales person know your general budget range so he can make appropriate suggestions for your needs.

Tips for Maintaining Steel Buildings After Construction

Steel buildings need very little maintenance to keep them in top shape, but they do require some preventative care. If you keep up with routine inspections and make small repairs when needed, you’ll extend the life of your metal building further and avoid the need for major repairs further down the line.
Do Regular Maintenance Checks
Establish a maintenance schedule that includes regular inspection tours to look for scratches, worn spots, dents or any other small damages that compromise the protective coating on your metal building. You should perform these checks twice a year, as well as after extreme weather, renovations and any incident that might compromise the building’s structure. It’s a good idea to keep records of your inspections and any maintenance done for your own records and insurance records. If your building is a commercial one, you may need to keep the information for government safety regulations.
Make Minor Repairs Immediately
Quality steel buildings are usually powder-coated with an anti-corrosive coating that protects the metal from rust and other types of corrosion. Even the smallest holes, scratches or dents offer a way in for damaging moisture. Fill any holes or dents you find. Light sanding, primer and paint will repair scratches and prevent moisture from causing further damage.
Protect Your Building from the Weather
The biggest danger to steel buildings is the weather, particularly rain and snow. Prolonged exposure to moisture can cause corrosion and rust. Excess weight can damage building panels and even cause shifts in the foundation. Certain shapes, such as the Quonset buildings and arch frame buildings that are popular as garages, storage buildings and barns, naturally shed snow and heavy rain from the top of your building, but the sides and the foundation of your building are still exposed, especially if snow builds up or rain puddles around the base. Gutters and downspouts will direct water away from the walls and foundation. Awnings or overhangs can help keep snow away from the foundation.
Wash Steel Buildings Every Year
While the anti-corrosive coating on steel buildings will prevent rust and most chemical corrosion, the metal is still prone to biological contaminants – which is a fancy way of saying that fungus and mildew can take root on dirt and debris left on your building. Once a year, give your metal building a good bath with a gentle household cleaner and soft-bristled brush or low-powered pressure washer. It will keep your building looking clean and new for years.

Six Ways Steel Buildings Save You Money After You Buy Them

It’s pretty commonly known that steel buildings are an extremely affordable choice. Steel is nearly always the most affordable building material, making steel buildings and steel-framed buildings extremely attractive to cost-conscious buyers. But did you know that a metal building continues to save you money even after you sign on the dotted line to accept delivery? Here are six ways that metal buildings save you money after you’ve already paid for them.
Save on the Foundation
Foot for foot, steel structures are lighter in weight than buildings made of other materials. That generally means that, no matter how big your building is, you’ll need less of a foundation than you would for a similarly sized building of concrete or wood. Some smaller buildings may need no more than a cement slab foundation or even a pier foundation.
Save on Construction Labor Costs
Steel buildings go up faster because half the work is done before your building components are delivered to your work site. All the pieces are pre-cut, pre-drilled and pre-engineered to fit together perfectly. Your crew only has to bolt the major components together and do the finishing work.  That means you’re paying for fewer hours of construction – and a much less complicated build. That translates to considerably lower labor costs.
Save on Waste
Your steel building will be delivered pre-cut and pre-drilled with all the fasteners and essentials needed to erect it. There’s no extra wood left after cutting or materials ruined by mistakes in cutting or drilling. You’ll never pay for materials you don’t use or other waste.
Save on Waiting Time
Even better than the cost savings for metal building construction is the fact that you’ll get to occupy and start doing business in your new structure sooner. If you’re currently renting your space, you’ll get to add the rent to your savings. If you’re opening a business, you’ll get to start making money – and that’s even better than saving.
Save on Insurance
Because steel buildings are so well-constructed and have so many safety features, most insurance companies will offer far lower premiums for a steel building than for other types of buildings.
Save on Maintenance
The savings will continue over the years. Steel buildings need far less exterior and structural maintenance than wooden or concrete buildings. Many manufacturers guarantee paint jobs on steel buildings for up to 20 years, so you won’t have to repaint or refinish the exterior. In most cases, the only exterior upkeep required is a pressure wash once or twice a year.
Steel buildings aren’t just affordable up front. You’ll end up with a far lower lifetime cost because the savings keep piling up.

Assembly Tips for Steel Buildings

If you’ve never erected a metal building before, these assembly tips will come in handy for your steel building project. Keep in mind that, while steel buildings are a relatively straightforward construction project, the size, weight and scope may make it difficult for an inexperienced builder. Hiring a contractor to erect a steel building is far less expensive than you might think. If you have any doubts about your capabilities, your metal building supplier can put you in touch with an experienced local contractor.
Get a Preview
Before you decide to DIY your metal building, visit another steel building project in your area to see the work in progress. Chances are that your steel buildings representative can put you in touch with a project close by. You’ll get a better idea of exactly what’s involved in erecting your metal building.
If you do decide to go ahead and build your project yourself, these assembly tips will save you time and money, and result in a safer building.
Use Trained Workers
If possible, work with people who understand how construction works and have done assembly before. They’ll need less instruction, take safety seriously and work much faster.
Provide the Proper Tools
The work will go much more smoothly if you provide the tools and equipment needed to do the job efficiently and safely. That’s another reason to visit another job site before starting on the construction of your own steel building. You’ll see what’s working and what’s not.
Divide Up the Work
Plan before you dig into the job. Divide the work up into smaller tasks and assign each task to teams of workers. It provides accountability and ensures that everything gets done in the right order.
Bolt Items Together First
You’ll save time by assembling components on the ground and then raising them in one piece. Be reasonable, though – don’t put together more than you can safely raise at one time.
Build in Sections
Assemble the steel framework one section at a time, starting at one end and working your way to the other.
Complete the Heavy Work First
Complete the heaviest work first and put off finish work until after you’ve completed anything that requires the use of expensive lifting equipment. There’s no sense paying for it longer than you need it.
Keep the Site Safe at Night
Construction sites are tempting playgrounds for kids after working hours. Make sure you keep your site secure to avoid vandalism, or worse, a serious injury.
Steel buildings are a popular DIY construction project, especially basic steel buildings like garages and barns. If you decide to erect your own metal building, be sure you understand what you’re getting into before you start. It’s always much easier to hire someone from the start than it is to have someone come in to clean up after you.

Steel Buildings: Reputable Dealers Don’t Use Deceptive Practices

One of the biggest frustrations in the fabricated steel building industry is dealing with the few unprincipled sellers of steel buildings. These metal building brokers give the entire industry a bad name and leave customers confused and uncertain – and, far too often, owning steel buildings that don’t really suit their needs. Reputable sellers know that the more you understand about the product you’re buying, the more likely it is that you’ll end up with exactly the metal building you need.
How do you know you’re dealing with a reputable dealer and not a high-pressure salesman who is more interested in increasing his commission than serving your needs? First, familiarize yourself with these deceptive practices that some sellers use.
It’s Ready to Ship
Any time a salesman tells you that they have an inventory of buildings ready to ship, be very skeptical. Even garden sheds and garages, which come in standard sizes, are nearly always manufactured to order. That’s because all buildings must meet the building codes and standards of the site where they’ll be erected, and of course, your needs. As a general rule, the engineers will not even begin the design process until they have an order in hand. If a dealer makes it sound like he has a warehouse full of metal buildings that can go out on the next truck, chances are he’s pressuring you to buy something that doesn’t yet exist.
Canceled Sales
People do put down deposits on buildings and then cancel the sale or fail to take delivery on the building they’ve ordered. It would be a lie to say it’s never happened. It is, however, awfully unlikely that it happens as often as some sellers would have you believe. Keep in mind that even if the salesman does have a canceled order that has been partially paid with a non-refundable deposit – a common explanation for a LOW, LOW SLASHED PRICE – that building will still have to meet the codes and standards for your building site.
High Pressure Sales Tactics
Just like any other business, the steel building industry has its share of high-pressure salespeople who will tell you anything to make the sale. They may bully, cajole or demand. They may ask you for a credit card number as a “good faith” gesture, or imply that you’re wasting their time if you don’t put down a deposit to show you’re “serious” about buying. They may tell you that the price is only good until closing today, or that they only have one building left in the model you want and – well, you read the cautions above, right?
When confronted with a seller of steel buildings who engages in any of these tactics or deceptions, just walk away. There are plenty of reputable dealers and manufacturers who will treat you with the care and honesty you deserve as a valued customer.

The Origins of the Quonset Hut

During World War I, the U.S. military got a good working look at a style of building known as Nissen huts, which were used by British as barracks. Their unique structure consisted of a ribbed skeleton covered with a thin, flexible metal skin. When fully constructed, they look like a cylinder cut in half and laying on the ground. They were lightweight, easy to transport, easy to put up and easy to break down.
When the U.S. Navy needed a building that was easy to ship and easy to put up without any skilled labor, they turned to the design of the Nissen buildings. The original Quonset buildings were made of steel with a galvanized coating. Later, the military started painting them olive drab or camouflage to make them more difficult for the enemy to see from the air. It wasn’t just the exterior and the strength of the arch design that the Navy liked, though. The construction method used left the interior completely unobstructed because there is no need for support posts, which allowed for virtually unlimited floor plans. Over the course of the war – and others that followed – these versatile steel buildings served as barracks, mess tents, command centers and just about every other purpose possible.
When the war ended, the military was left with hundreds upon hundreds of surplus Quonset buildings, many of which were sold for scrap – but at least as many were purchased by civilians for other uses, such as agricultural uses. The same wide-open interiors that made these steel buildings attractive to the Navy also made them ideal for use as barns, heavy equipment storage, grain storage, airplane hangars and so many other purposes.
Of course, the old-fashioned Quonset buildings weren’t the most attractive structures ever erected, so while farmers and industrial owners adopted them widely, steel buildings were not very popular with the general public – until recently. Today, steel buildings are as attractive as they are function. Many of the styles chosen for use as garages and residential storage sheds are based on the old Quonset buildings, but with modifications, such as pitched roofs and straight walls, that make them more aesthetically appealing.
If you’re in the market for a new garage, storage building or just about any other type of structure, consider the features and benefits offered by steel buildings for your project.

Options for Steel Buildings as Garages

Many older homes were built without attached garages. Steel buildings are an excellent option for those homeowners who want to add a garage to their property to protect their vehicles. If you’ve decided that you want to add a garage or carport to your home, you have many options from which to choose if you decide that a metal building makes sense for your needs. Here are just a few of the decisions you’ll have to make.
Freestanding Garages vs. Lean-tos
The most common choices for garages is a free-standing steel building, but it’s not the only choice. Some homeowners who prefer an attached garage so that they can exit their car and go into their house without getting wet in the rain might prefer a lean-to style of steel building. With a lean-to, the house provides one of the building walls. They’re an especially popular option when the homeowner decides on an open carport rather than a full-scale garage.
One-Car, Two-Car, Three-Car More
Steel buildings can be built in a wide range of sizes so you can build your garage to park as many cars as you want. Generally, you can build a metal building in widths from 10 feet to 100 feet wide, and the length is only limited by the amount of land you have on which to build. A 100-foot steel building would give you the space to install 5 separate standard-size garage doors – if you put the doors on the front or back of the building. That’s not your only option, though. You can also opt to install the doors on the side of the building, which gives you even more choices for garage configurations.
Classic Styling Available
Steel buildings don’t have to be ugly. When it comes to residential garages, most people want a metal building that fits the style of their home. Luckily, steel buildings can fit just about any style of architecture you want them to match. Most steel buildings sold as garages have straight sides and pitched roofs, but are built using arch-frame construction similar to Quonset buildings. That combines the style and space available in typical buildings with the economy and strength of Quonset buildings.
To make it even better, steel buildings now come in many colors, including the most popular house colors in different parts of the country. When you choose a metal building for your car storage needs, you’re making a choice that is economical, durable, safe and attractive. Who could ask for more than that in a garage?

DIY Steel Buildings for Home Workshops and More

Why are steel buildings the perfect choice for so many uses? There are so many ways to use a metal building that they’re almost impossible to count. Steel buildings make great workshops, garages, home offices, storage buildings – in-law apartments and, for those who really want to benefit from the safety, economy and comfort of a steel building – homes.
Why Choose Steel Buildings?
Steel buildings are ideal for many residential building applications. They’re easy to customize, engineered to meet all the safety codes in your area and provide years of low-maintenance use. Best of all, they’ll save you thousands of dollars on construction costs, whether you choose DIY assembly with a metal building kit or choose a local contractor to erect your building.
How Can You Use a Steel Building?
You can use steel buildings in any way you’d use any other type of construction – but a whole lot more economically and easily. Build a home workshop for your woodworking or pottery hobby, set up a music studio in your backyard or add a storage building to your property to hold all of your lawn and garden equipment. Turn a metal building into a mother-in-law apartment or set up a small steel building as a professional office without compromising the privacy of your home.
Best Features of Steel Buildings
Steel is strong and lightweight. It’s stronger than wood, but a steel building weighs less than a comparably sized wooden building. Every steel building can be (and must be, actually) custom-engineered to meet or exceed all of your local building codes. A metal building won’t warp or sag. The paint won’t chip or crack, so it looks new longer. High quality steel buildings feature a powder-coated paint job that resists corrosion and won’t fade in the sun. Steel garages, barns and storage buildings look new and fresh far longer than a painted wood structure.
Because metal buildings are engineered to your local building codes, you can expect them to stand up to the worst weather and environmental events your region will throw at it. Your new building will deal with heavy snow loads, high winds and even earthquakes without structural damage – and you’ll never have to worry about termites and other pests that love to munch on wood and cellulose.
In short, no matter what kind of building you need on your property, steel buildings are nearly always the best solution. Check out the options available for metal buildings in your area.
Some Fast Facts About Quonset Steel Buildings
Today’s steel buildings are descended from the well-known Quonset buildings developed for use by the U.S. military during World War II. The arched building design offers a combination of strength and efficiency that is nearly impossible to beat. Quonset buildings – named after Quonset Point, Rhode Island, where they were originally manufactured, these steel buildings have a long history of reliable service.

Why Farmers Choose Steel Buildings as Barns

It’s not a new phenomenon, but it’s definitely growing. More and more farmers are choosing steel buildings when they build barns, equipment storage, grain storage and livestock housing. They have some excellent reasons for choosing metal buildings over more traditional forms of construction. Steel buildings come in many shapes and sizes, and they can be further customized to suit even the most finicky of applications. In fact, steel buildings are among the most customizable types of construction on the market today. Here are just a few of the benefits that farmers get when they choose steel buildings as barns and other functional structures on the farm.
Durability
Prefabricated steel buildings are durable. The combination of the strength of steel and computerizing engineering ensures that every metal building will stand up to the types of extreme weather often seen in the central farmlands. They’ll withstand heavy winds, hold up under heavy snow loads and refuse to buckle to earthquakes.
Fast Construction
Back in the day, farmers gathered all of their neighbors to erect barns in a day. Today, steel buildings make that a fairly practical expectation. The components of metal buildings are fabricated and assembled offsite at the factory and delivered ready to assemble. Depending on the complexity of the building plans, it’s quite possible to assemble a new steel building on site in just a day or two.
Affordability
Steel is a very affordable building material – far more affordable than wood and concrete, especially when you consider the fact that you probably won’t need to build a full foundation. Most simple steel buildings only require a poured concrete foundation or pier footings if you prefer an earthen floor.
Low Maintenance
The vermin and insects that infest wooden buildings aren’t terribly interested in steel. Farmers don’t have to worry about termites and carpenter ants, or about dry rot. In addition, steel is not combustible, and most steel building components are coated with anti-corrosive solutions to reduce the likelihood of rust and corrosion.
Flexibility
Steel buildings are among the most flexible types of construction available. Most of them, especially Quonset buildings and other types of arch construction, need no interior posts at all, so there’s plenty of interior wiggle room for heavy farm equipment, animal stalls or even a riding arena.
Farmers who are looking to replace old wooden barns, grain silos and other farm buildings would do well to consider the many advantages and benefits of steel buildings for agricultural uses. From cost to durability, metal buildings can’t be beat.

Making the Right Decision About Steel Buildings

Once you’ve made the first and most important decision – to opt for a steel building, you’ll have a lot of other decisions to make. Steel buildings are very versatile and flexible. That’s a good thing, of course, but it does mean that you’ll have to decide among the many options for steel building design and utility – not to mention the choice of steel building supplier. Here are a few of the factors to consider when you’re getting ready to buy a metal building.
Locale and Laws
Before you set your heart on a steel building, check with your local building codes office. Some municipalities prohibit certain types of buildings, particularly steel buildings. If you belong to a homeowner’s association, check with the bylaws there, too. Some communities have an unreasonable bias against steel buildings. If you’ve already got your heart set on the metal building of your dreams, you may be able to get a waiver to permit your project, but you can’t do that if you don’t know that you need one.
Supplier or Manufacturer
Choosing the right steel building supplier will make all the difference in the world in your buying experience. There are two basic choices for buying steel buildings: direct from the manufacturer or through a metal buildings broker. There are advantages to either choice: working directly with a manufacturer can save you money and may offer you options you won’t have with a broker. Brokers, on the other hand, represent many steel building manufacturers and can shop around to help you find the best deal. More importantly, brokers are generally more familiar with customers who are outside the industry and may make your life easier by using layman’s language and offering more explanation that you’d get from most manufacturers.
Style
Steel buildings come in many styles, ranging from the iconic Quonset buildings with their hoop supports and dome shape to buildings with straight sides and gambrel roofs that are indistinguishable from traditional construction. The best choice for your needs will depend on a variety of factors, and appearance is only one of them. Quonset buildings, for example, tend to offer the most floor space and highest clearance at the center point. Buildings with straight walls, on the other hand, give you more usable space along the walls, and tend to fit into neighborhoods and communities visually.
Steel buildings are nearly always the right decision for your storage and space needs. Once you’ve decided that a steel building is right for you, be prepared to make lots of other decisions to ensure you get precisely the building you want and need.

Five Ways to Customize Residential Steel Buildings

Erecting a steel building in a residential neighborhood can present a challenge. It’s not enough to have a sturdy, useful metal building – when you’re building garages or storage buildings in a nice, homey neighborhood, you want steel buildings that look good, too. Luckily, today’s metal building manufacturers offer lots of options for customizing your new steel building so that it fits in with the surroundings – or stands out in a very nice way. Here are five ways you have to customize a steel building so that it isn’t an eyesore in your neighborhood.
Style
Steel buildings come in many different styles, from the traditional Quonset buildings with their distinctive hoop profile to straight-sided models with pitched roofs that look just like any other building in your area. Each style has its own benefits and drawbacks, but if appearance is one of your major criteria, you’ll probably want to choose a steel building with a pitched roof.
Color
Once upon a time, your color choices for steel buildings were fairly limited. For the most part, you could have any color you wanted, as long as it was unpainted galvanized steel or white. These days, most steel building manufacturers offer a range of about a dozen colors as standard choices, including most of the most popular exterior house colors. Most people will be able to match their home color without resorting to custom paint jobs, but if your house is an unusual color, many metal building manufacturers will custom-blend paint for your garage or storage building. Be prepared to pay a pricey fee for that customization, though. Developing the pigments for powder-coating can be expensive.
Trim
Most steel buildings come with a trim kit that includes the roof seam, wall trim and gutters. You can choose them to match or contrast with your building, giving you a few options for customizing your metal building.
Accessories
In addition to the trim, you’ll also want to add “accessories” to your building. In the metal building trade, accessories include things that laymen consider to be part of the structure – doors, windows, vents and louvers, for example. You can choose standard windows and doors, or get fancy with picture windows, skylights, walk doors, half doors and more.
Cladding
You can sheath your steel building in just about any material you want. Some companies that manufacture steel buildings can design your structure with the cladding, or you can have a local company cover the walls with brick, stone, wood, stucco or just about anything else.
Steel buildings can fit right into any neighborhood or community. Talk to a manufacturer or broker to find out about your choices for design and style.

Steel Buildings in Extreme Weather Conditions

The spring and early summer are the seasons when we’re most likely to see extreme storms in most of the United States. We’ve already seen clusters of tornados throughout the Midwest, and over the next few months, we’ll see a series of tropical storms and hurricanes, and maybe even a derecho or two. People with steel  buildings on their property can feel relatively safe in knowing that their structures are among the most likely to withstand the storms. Why are steel buildings a good choice for areas that see extreme weather conditions?
Custom Engineering
Quality steel  buildings are custom-engineered to meet or exceed the building codes and standards in the area where they will be erected. They are designed to withstand high winds, heavy snow and rain loads and even earthquakes. They rely on the combination of the high tensile strength of steel and design that distributes different types of load over a larger area of the building’s structure.
Designed for Your Region
You don’t generally need to worry about hurricanes in Oklahoma, blizzards in Florida or tornadoes in Maine. If you’re putting up a metal building in Maine, however, you’d best be prepared for heavy loads of snow and extremes of temperature, and if you’re building in Florida, you’ll want a building that won’t corrode in the steamy heat and can stand up to hurricane-force winds. When you work with a reliable supplier of steel  buildings, you’ll be assured of getting a metal structure that will withstand the worst that your region has to offer.
Specialty Steel Buildings
In addition to buildings that meet local building codes and standards, there are also specialty steel  buildings that are designed for the most extreme weather conditions of all. After the recent spate of tornados in the Midwest over the past few years, for example, many towns have invested in steel tornado shelters located close to schools or town centers. These custom-engineered steel  buildings are built with extremely high wind tolerances and are meant to allow local residents to ride out the storm safely. In flood-prone areas, some governments are looking to amphibious steel  buildings, which are designed to rise on rising flood waters and float in place, then settle back onto their foundations when the flood waters recede.
If you live in an area where extreme weather is a constant risk, steel buildings may be the best solution for garages, barns, storage buildings and shelters. A high-quality steel building can literally save your life if it’s built to resist the most extreme weather conditions in your region.

Steel Buildings Are the Ideal Solution for Hydroponic Agriculture

Steel buildings are popular in most agricultural circles, but nowhere are they quite as in demand as they are in hydroponic growing. Hydroponic farming refers to growing plants in a growing medium other than soil. It allows farmers to grow crops even in areas where the soil quality is poor, and uses less space than traditional farming. It does, however, require some sort of structure or building to shelter and set up your hydroponic system. Steel buildings are the perfect solution for hydroponic farmers.
Benefits of Steel Buildings in Hydroponic Farming
All the typical benefits of steel buildings apply to hydroponic farming. Metal buildings are affordable, easy to erect and go up far faster than traditional structures. Because steel buildings are pre-fabricated in a factory and then shipped to you ready to put up, your construction costs are greatly reduced. You can choose to hire a third party contractor to do the erection, or, if you have some construction experience, put it up with your own crew. In addition to lower construction costs, there are a number of other benefits to choosing a steel building or several steel buildings to house your hydroponic crops.
Easily Expandable
Start small and add on to your steel building as your farm grows. If you choose Quonset buildings or another arch-frame style, you can generally build on to your structure very easily. It’s just a matter of removing the end wall, adding steel building wall sections and re-attaching the end wall. That allows you to start your farm small and expand as your capacity grows. While most steel buildings are limited to between 50 feet and 200 feet in width, their length is typically only limited by the amount of land you have on which to build.
Eco-Friendly
Steel buildings are the greener choice. Most consumer-grade metal buildings are made with recycled American steel, making them much more eco-friendly than wooden or concrete buildings, which use non-renewable resources. In addition, metal buildings can be recycled when you’re done with them – or be dismantled and reassembled on another site in the future.
Low Maintenance
You don’t want to spend half of your time maintaining the structure that’s sheltering your crops. With steel buildings, that’s not a worry. Steel requires far less maintenance than many other construction materials. You won’t have to worry about termites and other insects, and your painted finish is nearly always guaranteed to last for 10 to 20 years.
Steel buildings are customizable, affordable and easy to maintain. Because they don’t require interior supports and beams, you’ll have the entire interior floor space in which to grow your crops, and you won’t be spending all your time doing maintenance on the building. What’s not to love?

Questions to Ask About Steel Buildings

Are you in the market for a steel building Congratulations – you’ve already made one important decisions about your project, a decision that will save you money at every stage of ownership and provide a safer, more secure building for your project. Steel buildings are affordable, built to your local safety codes and environmentally better than wood or concrete buildings. Before you make your final decision, you should ask a lot of questions. These are some of the questions you should be asking your metal building supplier.

Are You a Broker or Manufacturer?

Typically, you’ll be purchasing your steel building from either a manufacturer or a broker. There are benefits and drawbacks to each type of vendor. Buying directly from a manufacturer, for example, will probably get you lower prices since there’s no middle man to take a cut. Some manufacturers, on the other hand, are more accustomed to working with commercial buyers and contractors, and may not communicate well with individual private buyers. There are exceptions, of course. Some steel building manufacturers employ consultants who are trained to partner with private buyers and help them make the best decisions for a high-quality project.

Do You Use Recycled U.S. Steel?

Steel buildings that are made with up to 98% recycled steel are among the most environmentally friendly construction today. Choosing a company that only uses recycled U.S. steel for major building components is friendlier to both the environment and the economy.

What Kind of Warranty Do You Offer?

The manufacturer or broker may offer structural warranties, as well as warranties on the exterior coating, on the roof and on many other parts of the steel building The warranties range from 1 to 5 years on some parts to structural warranties of up to 50 years on the entire building.

What Kind of Equipment Will I Need to Erect This Steel Building?

Many manufacturers specialize in steel buildings that you can erect yourself using just light scaffolding and basic power tools. Manufacturers who supply metal building kits for garages and small barns generally offer bolt-together buildings that are reasonable for DIY construction. All of the components will be pre-drilled with holes lined up for precise construction. You won’t need to do any drilling, cutting or welding in the field.

Do You Offer Stamped Drawings?

In many cases, you’ll need to provide engineer drawing and concrete stamped prints for your local building office before you can start construction. Most reputable suppliers of steel buildings will provide the paperwork you need at no additional charge, or as part of your original quote.

Can You Buy Steel Buildings on eBay?

You can buy just about anything from baby cribs to cars on eBay, so why not steel buildings? In fact, if you do a search on eBay, you’ll certainly find steel buildings and metal buildings for sale. You’ll find listings for steel garages, steel barns, metal buildings, Quonset buildings, farm buildings and more – but just because you can find a steel building for sale on eBay doesn’t mean you should buy one that way. There are some very good reasons that you should always buy a steel building from a reputable supplier – either a manufacturer or a broker.

Quality

When you buy a steel building from a reliable supplier, you can be assured of the quality of the steel and the building itself. All building components will be made from at least 26 gauge steel, and all parts will be precision engineered. You can’t be sure of that kind of quality when you buy from a vendor on an auction site.

Custom Engineering

Every steel building you buy from a reliable supplier is custom-engineered to perfectly fit your site, meeting all the codes and standards of the region where your building will be erected. Many of the listings on eBay are for existing steel buildings, or metal buildings that have been used and dismantled. They’re not engineered to meet the legal codes and standards in your area. Depending on the laws in your municipality, you may not even be allowed to construct a building you buy on an auction site.

Expert Guidance

When you purchase a steel building from a reliable broker or supplier, you’ll have the benefit of the company’s expertise and experience in erecting similar buildings. The company rep can help you make the right decisions for your needs, guide you through acquiring the appropriate paperwork and even help you find an experienced contractor in your area to lay the foundation or erect your building. Few auction suppliers will be able to provide you with that kind of guidance.

Warranties

Most suppliers of new steel buildings offer considerable warranties for their products. The warranties you can expect with your metal building range from 20 years on the paint job to 40 years on the steel building components. Practically every part of your steel building will be under warranty for years, providing assurances and protections you won’t get from an auction steel building supplier.

Don’t sell yourself short when you’re looking for a good deal on steel buildings. Stick with legitimate suppliers and steer clear of unknown deals on auction sites like eBay.

Do You Need a Contractor to Put Up Steel Buildings?

One of the big selling points of residential steel buildings – small steel buildings meant to be used as storage sheds, garden houses or small garages or carports – is that you can buy a steel building kit and do the actual construction yourself. Erecting your own metal building can save you money – and there’s no denying the pride of ownership that comes with having built it yourself. But is it really that easy to erect steel buildings or should you hire a contractor to do the work for you?

The answer to that question depends on your own abilities and the complexity of the building you’ll be putting up. Here are a few things to consider before you decide that your metal building project is a DIY one.

Getting the Foundation Right is Essential

While smaller steel buildings don’t need a full foundation, they do need a poured cement slab foundation or, at the very least for the smallest projects, pier foundations. Getting these foundations precisely right is vital to the stability of your new metal building. Unless you’re an experienced foundation contractor, you absolutely, positively should hire a contractor to handle this part of the job for you even if you opt to do the rest of the job yourself.

Steel Is Heavy

While steel is considered a lightweight building material – it’s light in comparison to its strength and size – large steel components of your metal building can still weigh a lot. Depending on the size of your building and its component walls and beams, you may need more help than you can gather among your friends to move walls and supports into place.

You’ve Never Done It Before

If you’ve never done this kind of construction before, it can be confusing. While the steel building components will be pre-drilled and clearly labeled, mistakes can add to your construction time and to your frustration level. An experienced contractor – especially one that’s experienced in erecting the type and style of metal building you’ve chosen – can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to get your building up and ready for occupancy.

If you have reasonable do-it-yourself skills, have a few burly friends and the steel building is small enough, you should be able to do the erecting yourself. If any of those factors don’t apply, though, you may do better to hire a contractor with experience erecting steel buildings.

Finding the Best Steel Buildings Online

Steel buildings are the best choice for a number of reasons: they’re versatile, affordable, durable and environmentally friendly. Deciding that a steel building is the right choice for garages and barns is the easy part. Choosing the right metal building or steel building supplier, on the other hand, can be the most difficult part of your project. There are hundreds of companies that sell steel buildings online. How do you decide among them to find the best steel buildings and metal building suppliers online?

Start by Knowing the Differences

There are two basic types of steel building providers online: manufacturers of metal buildings and steel building brokers. They each have their benefits and drawbacks, as well as differences that may make you favor one over the other. If you’re an individual buyer who has never done an involved construction project before, look for a supplier that is used to working with layman. They’ll be less likely to assume you know the ropes and more likely to make sure you understand all the terms of your contract.

Check Reputation

Any company that sells steel buildings online acquires a reputation, either good or bad. If you can’t find a trace of them online aside from their own website, be suspicious that they’re a brand new incarnation. Like many other “trendy” things, online steel building sales have attracted a lot of unscrupulous “entrepreneurs” that aren’t much more than scam artists. Some deliver substandard steel buildings. Others take your money and disappear. Take the time to research each company you’re considering buying from, and only short-list those who have excellent reputations for delivering quality products and quality service.

Avoid Flashy “Big Sale” Signs

The price of steel buildings is very subject to market prices for steel, which only stands to reason. Shop around to get price quotes on the steel building designs that interest you, but stay away from websites with big, flashing banners promising you “the lowest priced steel buildings anywhere” or “half off clearance steel buildings.” In most cases, you’ll be subjected to high pressure sales tactics, and you won’t even get a bargain out of the deal.

Once you’ve narrowed your choices down to two or three, contact each company and ask for a more specific quote. Expect to spend a good deal of time discussing the particulars of your needs – steel buildings come with lots of options, and each one is designed specifically for you, so the supplier will want to know exactly what you want and need in your building before committing to a quote.

These tips can help you find the best steel buildings available online or anywhere, and, more importantly, help you select a metal building supplier you can trust to handle your sale.

Farming In Steel Buildings

Steel buildings have been popular as barns on farms and ranches for decades, but these days, there’s a new way to use them on farms. With the rising popularity of hydroponics for growing food and flowers, many farmers are actually farming inside steel buildings.

Essentially, hydroponics is a method for growing plants without using soil or dirt. This allows farmers to grow crops regardless of the quality of their soil and without spending backbreaking days amending soil to be more hospitable to the crops. Hydroponic growing in steel buildings requires less space, allowing farmers to grow more food.

Steel buildings are the ideal choice for setting up a large-scale hydroponics setup. Quonset buildings and similar structures provide fully unencumbered interior space that can be arranged in any way you want. There are inexpensive options for hanging pipes, fans and lights overhead to provide air and water circulation and maximum growing light. For those who prefer natural sunlight, there are options to add windows and skylights to steel buildings. Some manufacturers will even work with the farmer to create glass, plastic or fiberglass roofs and walls for hoop-frame metal buildings.

Benefits of Steel Buildings for Hydroponic Farming

Many of the traditional benefits of steel buildings translate very well to hydroponic farming. First, they’re far more affordable than any other type of building. Steel is the least expensive building material, and the construction methods used with steel buildings reduce the construction costs to well below what you’d pay to erect a traditional building.

In addition, steel is an ecologically friendly building material. Most steel buildings are created with recycled steel, so you’re not using more of the Earth’s natural resources. Because they’re weather tight, steel buildings are easy to insulate, making them more energy-efficient as well. Since they require little maintenance – no need for repainting for up to 20 years, for example – you’re not polluting the air with paint fumes, and if you should decide to demolish your steel building you can simply take the pieces apart and send them to the recycler, or sell your building so that it can be used by someone else.

Steel structures are structurally stable in the most extreme weather conditions because they are precision engineered to meet or exceed the building standards for the region in which they will be built. They’re also extremely flexible. As your farm and your business grows, your steel building can grow with you. Metal buildings can be easily and affordably expanded.

If you’re looking for the ideal solution to space for hydroponic gardening or farming, consider how much you could grow inside custom-engineered steel buildings. With the right decisions, you could have an entire, profitable farm that fits inside a barn.

Mistakes to Avoid When Insulating Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are highly energy efficient and weather tight, but in environments with extremes of heat and cold, you’ll want to add insulation. The right insulation for steel buildings will reduce your energy costs, improve indoor air quality and help you avoid the hazards of moisture retention. There are a number of common mistakes people make when insulating steel buildings. Being aware of these problems ahead of time can make your insulation project run more smoothly and ensure that your new building is environmentally sound and safe.

Choosing the Wrong Insulation for Steel Buildings

Some types of insulation won’t work well with steel buildings because of the way their constructed. In general, you’ll want to avoid blown-in loose-fill insulation because most metal buildings don’t have appropriate cavities to fill. Spray-on insulation is generally a good choice because it won’t reduce the size of the interior, but rigid foam or fiberglass insulation is a top choice.

Not Joining Seams

Fiberglass insulation and rigid foam panels butt up against each other side-by-side, creating a barrier between the outside walls and the inside air. Many people neglect the final step in installing this type of insulation in steel buildings – taping the seams. This isn’t disastrous when insulating other types of buildings, but steel is a great heat conductor. Cold or heat will find its way between the panels unless you tape them over. The few minutes it takes to apply a strip of tape along each of the seams will pay off in dramatically decreased energy costs.

Blocking the Vents

Vents are part of a steel buildings air quality control. They allow air circulation that reduces moisture condensation and cuts down the risk of mold or mildew growth. It’s important that you avoid covering the vents with insulation when you’re installing it, or you’ll compromise the air quality in your metal building.

Not installing Enough Insulation

As noted, steel buildings conduct heat more efficiently than other types of construction – and in terms of heat loss, this isn’t a good thing. There’s no such thing as too much insulation, so choose a higher grade of insulation and make sure you’re getting the most effect for your work and your money.

Cutting the Insulation Inaccurately

Measure twice, cut once. If you’re installing insulation that needs to be cut to fit, take the time to measure and cut accurately so that the insulation fits the walls without gaps. A smooth fit ensures that your metal building will be fully insulated.

Steel buildings can save you money and provide space you need for storage, garages and other uses. Proper insulation can even make them suitable for use as living quarters. Take full advantage of the potential for your metal building by insulating it properly.

Steel Buildings Down on the Farm

Barns, dairies, riding arenas, equipment garages – there are tons of reasons that steel buildings are a perfect fit for the farm. Farmers and ranchers are certainly not new to the realization that a steel building is often the best choice when they need to replace a barn or build a new equipment shed. They’ve been relying on steel buildings for their needs for decades. There are many excellent reasons that metal buildings are the preferred choice for agricultural uses. Here are just a few of them.

Value

Farmers understand the importance of economy when it comes to building. That’s one of the major reasons that they opt for steel buildings when they need barns, garages, equipment storage buildings, dairy houses and even greenhouses. Pre-engineered and prefabricated steel buildings are the only choice for price-conscious consumers. It’s not just the cost of the materials that makes them so affordable. Steel building components are cut to precise specifications at the factory so that all the pieces fit together tightly, making them weather-tight in just about any weather. All the holes required for assembly are pre-drilled so there’s no chance of mis-meaurement or spoilage. Because all of the early stages of construction and fabrication are completed in the tightly controlled factory environment, steel buildings deliver a higher level of consistent quality that’s vital for farm and agricultural buildings.

Because all of the pieces are cut, drilled and ready to assemble, the actual erection of the building requires far fewer skilled laborers than erecting a traditional building does. Your new barn goes up more quickly, often without even having to bring in outside help. If you do have to hire a contractor to manage the erection of your building, you’ll be paying for far less of his time.

Durability

Steel buildings are constructed of high quality steel components that are precision engineered to fit tightly together. Each building is designed to meet or exceed the building standards in the area in which it will be erected. That means that if your building is going up in hurricane region, it will be engineered with the tolerances need to withstand heavy winds. In a blizzard prone area, steel buildings will be engineered to stand up to heavy snow loads and high winds. Steel buildings can even be built to stand through earthquakes.

Steel buildings are also non-combustible, and steel won’t warp or rot. It won’t attract insect infestations, either, and the paint won’t peel and flake. For all those reasons, steel buildings are safer and cheaper to maintain than wood or masonry buildings – and, as a bonus, will nearly always cost less to insure.

When you consider the many benefits and advantages of steel buildings for agricultural uses, it’s the obvious choice for barns, storage buildings and more on the farm.

Building a Barn or Riding Arena? Check Out Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are nearly always a great choice for just about any building project. They offer so many benefits, from more money in your pocket to higher quality construction and lower maintenance costs. That’s why metal buildings are so popular for use as barns, equipment garages, agricultural storage buildings and riding arenas. If you’re putting together the particulars on a building for your farm, ranch, agribusiness or animal related business, you should be giving a serious look to the advantages and benefits of choosing a steel building for your project.

Riding Arenas Made of Steel Are Affordable

Steel buildings have been the choice of riding professionals and horse trainers for years. Pre-fab metal buildings offer many excellent benefits as riding arenas. Steel is nearly always the most affordable building material on the market, so you start with savings from the very outset. You’ll also pay considerably less for a foundation. Because steel buildings are far lighter in weight and structurally superior to most other materials, they require minimal foundations. Because the metal building components are delivered ready to bolt together, you’ll save considerable cash on construction costs. Finally, you’ll save additional money over the years because steel requires far less care than other types of building materials. You won’t have to worry about repainting for decades, and wood-munching pests like termites have little interest in steel.

Steel Buildings Are Sturdier

Steel is the strongest construction material available. Pre-engineered steel buildings are designed with structural stability and safety in mind. All the components fit together precisely, and are meant to support each other as a whole. Every steel building is engineered to meet local building standards, ensuring that they will withstand the most extreme weather conditions in your area. Metal buildings have remained standing through blizzards, hurricanes, tornados and even earthquakes, because they’re built to last.

Flexible Design and Wide Open Space

The one thing you really need in a riding arena is unobstructed space for riding. No other material beats steel when it comes to flexible interior space. The styles of construction used for steel buildings require no interior support beams or posts, so your floor plan is completely your own to design. You can easily build in the number and style of arenas that you want in your building. Add a training facility, build in stalls and stables – and if you decide to expand in a few years or a dozen years, it’s easy to add on to the size of a steel building.

Before you make any decisions about your new riding arena, consider all the advantages of steel buildings with regard to cost, safety, flexibility and durability. When you do, the choice will be clear.