Promoting Ventilation in Steel Buildings

According to the World Health Organization, more than 40 percent of the world’s buildings provide unhealthy air quality for occupants. A major part of the problem, especially in steel buildings, is poor ventilation. While ventilation is important in any kind of structure, it’s especially important for steel buildings.

Why Good Ventilation Is Essential in Steel Buildings

Pre-fabricated metal buildings are custom-engineered to fit very tightly together. The best steel buildings are weather-tight and practically airtight. That means that air transfer between the indoors and outdoors is nearly non-existent. Healthy air quality is dependent upon good ventilation to remove impurities and refresh the air inside the building. Since the buildings themselves allow so little air transfer, it’s essential to provide devices to promote good ventilation and air movement in steel buildings.

Air Circulation Systems for Metal Buildings

There are many ways to promote ventilation inside a steel building They include air conditioning, fans and other electrical ventilation systems that force air through a filter, remove moisture and re-introduce it into the building. Fans and air conditioners use a lot of energy, however, and can quickly become prohibitively expensive. In addition, unless they are properly maintained and the filters changed on a regular schedule, air conditioning units can become as much a problem as they are a solution.

There are, however, a number of ways to promote natural ventilation and air circulation inside steel buildings.

Design for Ventilation

High ceilings and open interior spaces allow for more air circulation than smaller, more enclosed spaces. Buildings can be designed specifically to promote air circulation, and including accessories whose primary purpose is ventilation.

Windows

Don’t overlook the obvious when considering ventilation for your metal building. Windows are the most common and simplest method to provide both natural light and air circulation, at least when the temperatures allow for them to be opened. Your metal building supplier will generally offer a wide range of window styles from which you can choose.

Louvers

Louvers and louver fans are designed to encourage and promote ventilation inside metal buildings. The louvers can be designed to operate automatically or via manual operation, or with a combination of the two. The engineers that design your building will ensure that the louvers are placed in the optimal positions for maximum air circulation and interior ventilation.

Ridge Vents

Vents placed in the roof of a steel building will allow hot air and moisture to escape. When combined with louvers and vents placed lower in the building walls, ridge vents provide an excellent means of ventilating steel buildings.

By using a combination of vents, fans and other devices, you can promote ventilation and good air circulation in steel buildings, ensuring that the air quality remains healthy and breathable.

Doors, Windows and Other Accessories for Steel Buildings

When you purchase a steel building, your purchase price generally includes the basic components to build the exterior framework of your structure. Most steel buildings also include a trim package to make your building look finished, but in most cases, you’ll have to purchase things like doors, windows and insulation separately. Most suppliers of steel buildings do provide the accessories you need to finish your metal building properly, however. These are a few of the accessories you’ll need to consider when buying a steel building.

Steel Building Trim Packages

The trim package for your metal building will likely be part of your basic contract. Most trim packages include:

-          Ridge Roll, which seals the joint where two roof panels meet and finishes the roof neatly

-          Rake Trim, which seals the joint where the roof meets the end walls

-          Corner Trim, which seals the joints where the end walls meet the side walls

In addition, trim packages for some steel buildings may include eave trim if the roof panels meet the side wall evenly and gutters to provide runoff for water on the roof.

Doors

The style of doors you choose will depend greatly on the use you intend for your steel building. Garages and utility sheds, for example, will generally require roll up doors for vehicle access. Sliding barn doors are ideal for barns, as well as for RV garages and other buildings that are meant to house large equipment.

In addition to vehicle access doors, most owners include walk doors in their steel buildings to allow people to enter and leave without having to open a roll-up or barn door. There are many different styles of pedestrian doors for steel buildings, including Dutch doors that open top and bottom separately, acoustic doors for sound-proofing and metal doors with high-security locksets.

Windows

Windows allow natural light into your metal building and can provide ventilation. They also add style to the exterior of your building, which can be an important factor if you’re building in a residential neighborhood.

Skylights

Skylights are another method for allowing natural light into your steel building. In fact, they provide more natural light than conventional windows. Some skylights that are designed for steel buildings also help reduce heat transfer and add to the energy efficiency of your new building. While most skylights require a flat roof panel for installation, there are skylights designed for curved roofs so you can even install them in a Quonset building.

Choosing the right accessories for your steel building can help you customize it and give it character. If your supplier doesn’t provide the accessories you want, be sure that you supply the building manufacturer with the specs for your windows, doors and any other accessories that will need to be installed in the building walls.

Who Do You Buy Steel Buildings From?

When you start shopping around for a steel building, you’ll quickly find that there are a number of different ways to buy steel buildings. There are a number of different types of suppliers that sell steel buildings. The type of supplier you choose will make a big difference in the type of buying experience you have. Specific types of steel building suppliers are better options for different types of buyers. The more you know about the process of buying and erecting steel buildings – and about your own needs – the more likely it will be that you’ll get the kind of building you need and the type of supplier that will be best for your needs.

Essentially, there are three types of businesses from which you can buy a metal building: steel buildings manufacturers, brokers of steel buildings and general contractors. Here’s what you can expect from each type of metal building supplier.

Manufacturers

As you might expect, manufacturers actually design, engineer and fabricate all the components of steel buildings. Most manufacturers sell their buildings through brokers or contractors, but some deal directly with consumers. If you’re not experienced in the construction industry and have never bought a metal building before, dealing with a manufacturer may put you in over your head unless you’re working with a manufacturer used to working with laymen. The advantage of working with a manufacturer is money. When you deal directly with a manufacturer of steel buildings, you cut out the cost of the middleman, which can be quite considerable. If you’re going to erect the building yourself as many people do with steel garages and barns, look for a manufacturer that works directly with consumers.

Steel Building Brokers

Most of the businesses that sell steel buildings online are steel building brokers. They’re distributors who work with many different manufacturers. Because they frequently work with consumers directly, metal building brokers are a good choice for people who want to buy smaller steel buildings – storage buildings, garages and the like – and handle the building erection themselves. If you want to buy from a broker but don’t have the capacity to put up the building, most brokers can put you in touch with general contractors in your area.

General Contractors

Some cities or communities require that you work with a general contractor if you’re putting up a steel building. Buying your building through a general contractor can make the entire process simple for you. The contractor will handle all the paperwork and arrangements, help you make decisions about the design and structure of your building and handle all the necessary permits. It’s the easy way to buy a steel building, but it can be more expensive. If you’re planning to put the building up yourself, you’ll want to buy from a broker or manufacturer.

If you’re shopping for steel buildings, it helps to understand what to expect from the different types of suppliers. Once you know what you’re looking for and how much work you intend to handle on your own, you can make an informed decision about the type of supplier to buy from.

Steel Buildings: Increase Your Productivity with a Home Office

While small residential steel buildings are commonly used as garages, many homeowners put them to far more creative uses. Among the best uses for a custom-engineered steel building is a home office where you can pursue your business without infringing upon your family’s living space. If you’ve never considered the advantages of using steel buildings to provide room for your home-based business, think about these benefits of creating a home office starting with a pre-fabricated steel building.

Steel Buildings Are a Cost-Effective Construction Alternative

Steel is one of the most economical building materials available – and unlike wood or stone construction, when you purchase a pre-engineered steel building, you’ll get everything you need to erect the framework of your building delivered in one shipment. Because they’re pre-fabricated, you don’t need to pay a construction crew for the time it takes to measure, cut and drill building materials, saving you money on construction costs, and most metal buildings only require a simple poured concrete slab foundation, saving you even more money. Once your building is up, you’ll save even more money in ongoing maintenance and energy costs.

Metal Buildings Come in Many Attractive Styles and Colors

Unlike the old-fashioned Quonset buildings, today’s steel buildings are available in many attractive styles that fit comfortably into residential communities. Most steel building manufacturers provide steel building components in powder-coated steel in most traditional home colors as a standard option, so you don’t have to pay extra if you choose a steel building that matches your home in color unless your home is painted a non-traditional color.

Having a Separate Home Office is More Professional

One of the most difficult parts of working in a home-based business is meeting with clients in your house. If you set aside a room in your home to use as an office, you’re taking up space that your family could be using for living. Worse, unless you have a separate entrance for your home office, you have to bring clients through your home to get to your office and risk looking unprofessional. When you house your home office in a separate steel building, your home and work are completely separate. Your clients won’t infringe on your living space and your family will be less likely to infringe on your work life.

If you work at home in nearly any type of business, a home office can help increase your productivity and your professionalism. Talk to a supplier of steel buildings to find out how a pre-engineered, pre-fabricated steel building can fill your needs for a home base for your business.

Preparation Advice for Do-It-Yourself Steel Buildings

One of the most attractive features of steel buildings is the fact that they’re easy to erect. The pre-engineered and pre-fabricated panels are delivered to your building site ready to assemble, and only need to be bolted to a foundation and bolted together. If you’re considering a steel building for your property and planning to erect it yourself when it arrives, these tips can help you ensure that your new storage building or home office goes up as quickly and easily as promised.

The Foundation is Key

The foundation for your steel building is the most important factor in making sure that your new structure is stable, safe and even. In most cases, smaller steel buildings, such as garages, barns and storage buildings, only need a cement slab foundations, and some of the smallest structures need no more than a poured concrete pier foundation. However, because getting the foundation – and the placement of the anchor bolts – right is so important to erecting your building safely, many manufacturers highly recommend that you hire a professional contractor to pour the slab foundation and secure the anchor bolts in place. Make sure you supply your contractor with the technical drawings for your new metal building so that he can get the anchor bolts properly placed.

Clear the Way

In addition to preparing the building site for your new steel building you’ll also need to clear a space for the building components to be placed when you offload them from the delivery truck as well as making sure that the truck can get to your building site. If you’re planning to put your new steel building in the backyard, for example, the truck will need to be able to get as close to your staging site as possible.

Have Help Available to Offload

The delivery driver for your steel building components generally contracts to transport the pieces. More often than not, his job is done when he pulls into your job site and you unload the truck. Make sure you coordinate with the steel buildings supplier and the delivery company so that you know exactly when to expect delivery of your metal building and arrange to have help there to unload the walls, supports and other steel building components. As you unload, tick off each piece against your contract and examine it for any obvious defects. You’ll need to notify the company immediately of any problems or you may not be able to get replacements for missing pieces.

 A reasonably skilled home handyman should be able to assemble smaller steel buildings with the help of a few friends and some power tools, as long as you’ve done the preliminary preparation adequately. It’s an affordable way to get the garage, storage or home office building you want and need.

What to Expect from a Supplier of Steel Buildings

The market for residential steel buildings has exploded over the past decade. Today, it’s typical for metal buildings to be used for garages, barns, storage buildings, home offices and home workshops, among other things. The Internet has made it easier than ever for the typical homeowner to source and purchase a steel building for his property. Unfortunately, it’s also made it easier than ever for unscrupulous dealers to take advantage of unwary purchasers who may not know what to expect when they order a steel building. If you’re shopping for steel buildings online, here’s what you should expect from a metal buildings supplier.

Direct, Knowledgeable Answers to Your Questions

You’ll have a lot of questions about pricing, available options, styles and the entire process of ordering and taking delivery of your steel building. A reputable steel buildings broker will have dealt with your questions before and should be able to answer your questions directly and in language you can understand. If you’re not getting answers to your questions or if you feel like you’re getting the run-around, you probably are. Look for a supplier who has the answers you need to get the building you want.

Questions About Your Local Building Codes

Every region has its own building codes and standards to which steel buildings must adhere. Before you place an order or get a quote for a metal building, the supplier will ask you about the building codes in your area. If the salesperson doesn’t bring it up or if he assures you that the building you want will meet the codes in your area, step back from the deal and find another supplier. There is no such thing as a national standard, so there’s a good chance that you’ll end up with a building you can’t erect on your property.

A Clear and Detailed Quote

When you reach the point of getting a quote for your steel building, you should get a clear, detailed quote that lays out exactly what you’ll be getting and how much you’re paying for it. The quote should define the delivery method and schedule, how much the delivery charges will be and exactly which building components will be included in your order. You should be aware that most steel buildings do not include items like windows and doors, and you’ll have to order them separately. In fact, the best suppliers of steel buildings will already have asked you about the doors and windows you intend to install so that the building shell can be manufactured with the appropriate openings for them.

If you’ve never purchased a steel building before or if you’re not familiar with the construction trade, you may do better to source your building through a broker who is used to dealing with residential customers. A steel buildings broker with a lot of experience working with residential customers will be able to guide you through the process and help you make the right decisions for your needs.

Four Tips for Choosing Steel Buildings

Once you’ve decided that a steel building is the right choice for your building project, you’re still faced with an array of choices to make before you can place your order. Steel buildings come in many different sizes and styles, and are available from dozens of suppliers, manufacturers and brokers. The decisions you make before you place your order for a metal building will make the difference in how well your new building meets your needs. Consider these tips for choosing and ordering steel buildings before you make your final decision.

Check with Your Local Building and Code Office

Every region has its own standards and codes for steel buildings and other structures. Before you set your heart on a specific style or type of steel building, check with your local building and code office to find out what codes and standards your building will have to meet. In fact, some communities don’t allow steel buildings at all. The last thing you want is to put a non-refundable deposit down on a steel building only to find out that you can’t erect it on your site because of local codes.

Measure Your Building Site Carefully

Using the building codes you got from the building and code authority, carefully measure the site where you want to build. Make sure that you take into account any easements or frontage requirements that your city or community requires. Once you’ve deducted the square footage you need to provide between buildings and between properties, you’ll have a good idea of the largest size your new steel building can be.

Decide Between Working with a Fabricator or Broker

You can buy a metal building directly from a fabricator or manufacturer, or you can place your order through a broker or distributor. There are benefits and drawbacks to each choice. If you order directly from the manufacturer, for example, you’ll cut out the costs of the middleman, but you need to be knowledgeable about the manufacturing and ordering process. If you work with a broker who is used to working with inexperienced buyers, you’ll get the benefit of the company’s knowledge and assistance throughout the ordering process.

Get an Experienced Contractor

If you’ve never put up a steel building before, you may do better hiring an experienced contractor to do the work. Even if you plan on doing the actual assembly yourself, consider hiring a contractor to pour the concrete slab for your building. Getting the slab right is essential to getting your metal building erected properly.

Steel buildings are the smart choice for garages, barns, storage buildings, home workshops and nearly any other type of home expansion or construction project. Take advantage of the experience and knowledge of brokers and manufacturers to make sure you get the perfect metal building for your needs.

Ecological Benefits of Steel Buildings for Storage

Here’s a pop quiz question: which are more ecologically friendly: wooden barns or steel buildings? You might be surprised to learn that steel buildings are actually far more earth-friendly than most wooden structures. In fact, there are a number of reasons that a metal building is much kinder to the earth than a similarly sized plastic or wooden building.

Earth-Friendly Materials

Nearly all the metal used in steel buildings today is post-consumer recycled steel. That means it’s already been used and your new building doesn’t require any more materials taken from the earth. By contrast, the typical wooden building requires dozens of trees to  be cut down and plastic buildings use chemicals and minerals taken from the earth.

Recyclable Materials

At the other end of the life cycle of steel buildings, nearly all the materials used to erect a metal building are recyclable themselves. When a steel building is torn down, the detritus takes up less than 10 percent of the landfill room that a similarly sized wooden building would take up. Even better, in many cases, the metal building can be deconstructed and put back together on another property, which leaves behind no detritus at all.

Smaller Carbon Footprint

Steel building components are generally fabricated at one factory and delivered to the work site in one shipment, considerably reducing the amount of carbon used in transporting them. By contrast, the materials for a wooden storage building come from many different factories and are each transported separately to the stores and warehouses where you buy them. You can reduce the carbon footprint even further by ordering your metal building from a fabricator that is located close to your building site.

Energy Efficient Construction Methods

Erecting a steel building is considerably less complicated than building any other type of structure. That means you spend less time, less energy and less equipment putting them up. You need fewer people to put them up and less fuel to run the machinery needed to erect a steel building

Energy Efficient Structures

Finally, precision engineering allows steel buildings to be incredibly energy efficient. Unlike wood, which expands and contracts depending on the weather and allows drafts and heat transfer through the seams and cracks in the walls, steel buildings fit together tightly and are airtight and weather-tight. That means that your heating and cooling budget goes a lot further – and you use a lot less energy to heat and cool your steel building.

If you’re considering a storage building and are concerned about the planet, consider the ecological advantages of choosing steel buildings above other types of structures. You’ll be kinder to the environment and reap many other benefits of building with steel as well.