The Many Reasons that Steel Buildings Are the Right Choice

Are you considering a steel building for your residential or industrial use? Over the past few decades, steel buildings have grown in popularity in just about every segment of the construction industry. While metal buildings are extremely budget-friendly, economy alone doesn’t account for their widespread adoption as garages, barns, retail buildings, warehouses, workshops and so many more types of spaces. These are just a few of the many reasons that steel buildings are so often the right choice for nearly any kind of building project.

Versatility

Perhaps the biggest factor in making steel buildings so popular is their versatility. They can be built in any size from storage shed to aircraft hangar, and in many different styles and colors. Even more important than their exterior flexibility, though, is the wide-open interior that’s provided by most steel buildings that use clear span or arch construction.  The completely unobstructed interior of many pre-engineered metal buildings allows for nearly any floor plan desired by the owner.

The versatility of a steel building – which can range from a simple Quonset building to a multi-story architectural work of art – means that it can be adapted for many different uses, including office spaces, theaters, skating and sports arenas, storage buildings, garden sheds, home offices – even in-law apartments and home additions.

Affordability

For many buyers, affordability is the major deciding factor in choosing a metal building. Steel is nearly always a less expensive building material than wood or masonry, and depending on the options you choose for finishing, steel buildings can save you even more money. You’ll generally save money on construction costs and the cost of a foundation – and once your building has been erected, you’ll save on maintenance and upkeep because steel buildings require almost none at all.

Sustainability

Green is the new black when it comes to construction – and few types of construction are greener than steel buildings. While steel doesn’t seem environmentally friendly, the fact that most metal used in construction today is recycled makes a big difference. In addition, because everything is engineered and fabricated in one place, then shipped together to the final destination, the carbon footprint of the typical steel building is considerably smaller than those of most other types of construction.

There are many other reasons that people choose steel buildings above other types of construction, but these are the top three. If you’re considering putting up a new building or structure for any use, take a look at all the benefits offered by steel buildings.

Don’t Get Fooled Into Buying Substandard Steel Buildings

If you’re planning to buy a steel building chances are you’ve been shopping around online and comparing features and prices. You’ve probably seen the flash websites that tout cheap steel buildings as the perfect solution to all of your storage needs. By now, you know that steel buildings make great garages and barns, wonderful home offices and carports, outstanding airplane hangars and excellent churches. In fact, there’s so much hype online about steel buildings that it can be hard to pick the right one for your needs. While no one can promise that the metal buildings you buy will be perfect, these tips can help you avoid buying the wrong steel building for your use.

What’s In a Price?

Keep in mind that you really do get what you pay for. The very cheapest steel buildings available are nearly always the poorest quality metal buildings. Many of them are made from substandard metal that will buckle and crumple, or aren’t properly finished with weather and rust resistant coatings. Other sellers will quote you a price for a “complete” package without making sure you know what other expenses you’ll incur in erecting your new steel building Always read the quotes carefully to see what’s included in your metal buildings, and choose the highest quality materials you can afford.

If you see a spectacular price on a steel building though, don’t dismiss it out of hand. There are some genuinely great deals on steel buildings available. Research the seller before signing a contract, and if the reputation is good and the building offers the features you need, take the chance.

Can You Really Do It Yourself?

A lot of websites will tell you that putting up your own steel building is easy as pie. This is only half true. There are certainly many small metal building kits that are relatively simple to put up – if you’re relatively handy and have a few strong – and experienced – friends to help. Buildings that are larger than a garden shed of small garages, on the other hand, should probably be put up by an experienced contracting crew. In some cases, your local community may not even allow steel buildings that are erected by non-professionals, so be sure to check with your code office before proceeding.

Are You In the Zone?

Speaking of local building codes, it’s vital that you check yours before you get too far along in your plans. All communities have building standards that your metal building will have to meet, and some of them ban steel buildings entirely. Your manufacturer’s team will need the local building codes to make sure that the building they design for you meets all applicable codes and standards in your geographic location.

These three basic tips will help you narrow down your choices among the hundreds of steel buildings on the market today, and eventually choose the metal building that’s perfect for your needs.

Do It Yourself Steel Buildings

Steel bulldings are among the best options you can choose if you need extra storage space for any reason. Need someplace to park your car out of the weather? Steel buildings make great garages. Does your lawn mower need a home of its own? A steel building is the perfect option for a garden house or storage shed. Want somewhere to do your woodworking or stained glass work? There’s no better choice for a home workshop than a pre-engineered steel building. Metal buildings are durable, attractive, easy to put together and, best of all, affordable. Thanks to all those advantages, steel buildings have become the most popular choice when homeowners want to build storage sheds, garages, home offices and home workshops.

You’ll find many sites that sell steel buildings online. Some of the companies that sell steel building kits are manufacturers that sell their products directly to the end consumer. Others are brokers that arrange for the manufacturing of the steel building components and its delivery. There are advantages and drawbacks to either kind of seller, and the one you choose will depend on a lot on your needs. The most important factor is to buy your metal building from a company that has knowledgeable sales people who can provide you with answers to all your questions, before, during and after the sale.

And you should be prepared to ask questions, especially if you’ve never bought a steel building before. Putting up a steel building may sound easy, but actually completing the work can be far more complicated than the instructions make it sound. In fact, just getting from choosing your steel building to having the metal building components delivered to your site can involve a lot of steps and complications. It’s always easier if you have an experienced person on the other side of the sale who can explain to you exactly what you need to do each step of the way.

Steel buildings offer so many advantages over structures made of other materials, though, that the complexity is more than worth it. Every building is custom-engineered, pre-cut and pre-drilled so that you don’t have to worry about cutting pieces to the wrong size or putting holes in the wrong places. Even if there were no other advantages, that simple fact would make assembling garages, workshops and sheds from metal building kits far easier than building a wood garage or shed.

Whether you need a place to store your car or a workshop where you can pursue your passion, steel buildings are among the best options you’ll find. Before you hire a contractor to build a wood storage shed, check out the advantages of metal buildings for your needs.

Some Basic Information About Steel Buildings

You’ll find steel buildings available for sale in a wide assortment of models and colors suited for just about any need you have. They’re especially popular for use as garages and barns, but also make great workshops, home offices and backyard storage sheds for residential use. Commercial uses for steel buildings are even broader. They may be used for anything from gymnasiums to airplane hangars. If you have a need for more storage or living space, a metal building could be precisely the solution you need.

Why Choose Steel?

Steel buildings are built to last – and the manufacturers know it. You’ll find online vendors of metal buildings who offer warranties for as long as 50 years on the building structure and 20 years on the powder-coated color coating. As you might guess from the warranties, steel buildings require very little in the way of routine maintenance. Unlike wood buildings, you won’t have to paint or reseal the building every few years to keep it looking great. All you need to do to keep your metal building looking fresh is give it a good hose-down once or twice a year.

In addition to those obvious benefits, pre-engineered metal buildings also provide many other benefits. For starters, steel is generally the least expensive building material available, so you start off with savings over other types of construction. Pre-engineered steel buildings are stamped, cut and pre-drilled so they arrive at the worksite ready to assemble. That reduces construction time substantially. Small buildings – storage shed size, for example – can often be erected by a reasonably handy homeowner with the help of a friend or two and a set of basic power tools.

Picking a Vendor for Your Steel Building Needs

Finding the right vendor to supply your steel building can take some time and research. There are dozens of websites that sell metal buildings. Some of them are brokers, dealers who work with many different manufacturers. Others are manufacturer websites. It may not always be obvious at first glance which are which, but reputable sites will make it clear whether they manufacture the buildings they sell or broker deals for manufacturers. Either way, you’ll want to check on the reputation of the dealer before signing a contract or placing a deposit to hold a steel building.

Whether you need a building for commercial or private use, in any size or style, you may find what you’re looking for among the selection of steel buildings available for sale. Take the time to do some research and you’re certain to find a building that will perfectly suit your needs.

Lower Insurance Costs for Steel Buildings

One of the ways that steel buildings save money for their owners is in the form of lower insurance premiums. While it’s not a 100% foolproof statement, the owners of metal buildings generally enjoy lower insurance rates for a number of reasons, including the fact that steel is relatively resistant to fire and damage from pests. In addition, because they meet at least the minimum safety standards in your geographical area, they’re less likely to be severely damaged by various weather events, and are even less likely to be damaged by pests like termites.

Even though your steel building is already likely to get lower insurance rates than other types of structures, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your insurance premiums even further. Some of them can be added on as an aftermarket modification to your new metal building. Others should be worked out in advance with your steel buildings manufacturer.

Exceed the Local Standards

Every geographic area has minimum building standards that every construction project must meet. Many of these standards exist to provide a minimum safety level for building occupants and neighboring properties. The standards will include the amount of weight the building can bear under different circumstances, as well as fireproofing requirements and locations for exits, ventilation and other structural elements. Steel buildings that exceed local safety standards are often eligible for lower premium rates because they are even safer from weather events, fire and other hazards.

Add Fireproofing Agents

Metal buildings are already classified as non-combustible, qualifying them for lower insurance premiums than those offered to owners of wood-frame buildings. You can make them even safer from fire by opting for fire-resistant coating or spray on the building panels and supports and choosing paints that retard the spread of fire rather than feeding it. The result will be even lower insurance premiums that reflect the extra safety factors you’ve built into your structure.

Choose Burglar-Proof Doors and Windows

Part of your insurance premium goes to protecting you from the effects of vandals and burglars. One way to reduce your premium is to reduce the risk of burglars or vandals gaining entry to your property. The site where you locate your steel building will account for part of that, but you can also reduce insurance costs by burglar-proof steel doors and high-quality windows with burglar-resistant features.

Steel buildings nearly always qualify for lower insurance premiums than structures made from other materials. The choices you make in the construction phase can lower your insurance costs even further.

The History of Steel Buildings

Steel has been used as a building material for more than a century, but in most cases, steel has served as skeletons for office buildings and skyscrapers. There were a few notable exceptions to that rule. In the 1890s, as pioneers and gold-diggers flocked westward to find the gold in them thar hills, at least one New York manufacturer found gold in the smelting pots much closer to home. He sold “portable steel houses” that consisted of four walls and a roof that could be transported flat in a wagon bed and assembled into a sturdy shelter in the gold mine shanty towns.

The second major exception to the “steel buildings are skyscrapers” rule were Quonset buildings or huts. These were modeled on hoop houses, but instead of fabric covers, the steel hoops were covered with steel. These steel buildings were portable, easy to assemble and easy to disassemble. They were put to good use by the military in the field during the two World Wars. After the wars ended, when the Quonset buildings were no longer needed to house troops overseas, they were sold as Army surplus, mostly to farmers who appreciated their affordability and flexibility.

In the meantime, steel buildings had become popular as industrial and commercial structures – skyscrapers, office buildings, shopping malls and strip malls were al built on steel “bones”. Eventually, though, the affordability, versatility and other benefits made steel buildings a favorite choice for workshops, garages, barns, workshops and greenhouses.

Why Steel Buildings?

Steel is generally the most affordable of building materials, so cost is often a factor in the decision, but there are other reasons as well. The most important of these for many home gardeners and hobbyists I that steel buildings are relatively easy to erect. Most people who have modest DIY skills can put together a small – storage shed or garden shed size – metal building with the help of one or two friends and only basic home power tools.

If you’re tired of storing your gas grill beside your lawn mower in front of the shelves of potting soil all tucked in beside the car in your garage, take a look at the many styles of steel buildings that are available for your needs.

Choosing Skylights for Steel Buildings

Steel buildings may have a reputation as being bland and boring, but these days, metal buildings can be among the most stylish and attractive structures on the block, whether that block is a residential neighborhood or an office block downtown. While steel buildings are naturally environmentally friendly and energy efficient, there are ways to make them even more so. One favorite energy efficient addition to many steel buildings is a skylight.

Why Choose Skylights for Steel Buildings?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, skylights can reduce the amount you spend on lighting by as much as 80%. That can bring your overall energy costs down by as much as 33%. If the metal building you’re putting up is an office building or factory, you’ll find that the natural light streaming in through the skylights improves employee job satisfaction, reduces absenteeism and increases productivity.

Choosing the Right Skylights for Steel Buildings

There are a number of considerations you need to think about when choosing skylights for metal buildings. They include the location of the skylight, the orientation, the materials and the ease of installation. Each of these factors will affect the lighting efficiency, heat gain or loss and longevity of your new skylight.

The design of your steel building will help determine the best location for one or more skylights. A correctly located skylight can almost completely eliminate any need for artificial lighting during the day. It can also help improve heat transfer, which can result in further energy savings.

The angle, or orientation, of your skylight will also make a difference in the amount of light and heat it can provide. A southern exposure, for example, will let in more light over the course of the day, which will in turn provide more passive solar heat for your building. If you locate your skylight on a west-facing roof, you could unintentionally drive up the cooling costs for your building during the summer.

Always opt for the best quality materials when choosing skylights for steel buildings. Good materials will improve their efficiency and their sturdiness. Consider paying extra to get electrically operated louvers to protect your windows in harsh weather.

Installing a skylight on your steel building will also add to the resale value of your building in the future, or in the case of steel buildings on residential properties, increase the resale value of your entire property. If you’re looking for a way to add real distinction to a metal building, consider installing one or more skylights.

Tips for Erecting Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are the most cost effective option for nearly any type of building project. They become even more affordable when you opt to do the erection of your new metal building rather than hire a construction company to do it for you. This quick overview can help you decide if you have what it takes to put up your own steel building or if you should bring in a contractor to do the job.

Site Preparation

Before your steel building arrives, you should have the cement foundation prepared and ready to build on. In most cases, even the experts agree that this is the one phase where you should bring in a contractor who is experienced in pouring concrete slab foundations. They call it a foundation for a reason – your entire building depends on it being done right. Unless you’ve got a lot of experience pouring foundations, let the experts handle this part.

While you’re considering site preparation, keep in mind that you’ll need a way for a big truck to get close enough to the building site to unload the materials, and you’ll need room to unload and stack all the building components.

Unloading the Truck

When the truck arrives, you’ll be responsible for unloading it – the driver just drives. You’ll need a crane or forklift to manage the unwieldy components, and a friend or two to help with the job. You’ll also need to check everything as it comes off the truck to make sure it’s all there, and it’s all in good condition. You’ll have to notify the manufacturer and the driver of any problems immediately, or you may be stuck with it.

Erecting the Shell

The main frame of your metal building goes up first. Once the frame is up, you’ll attach the girts and the purlins, frame the doors and the windows and attach the exterior sheeting to the frame. Finally, you’ll fit the doors, windows, vents and the trim. Your entire shell is now complete, but your building is far from complete.

Finishing the Interior

Once your building shell is standing, it will be time to finish the interior. Most steel buildings require insulation to make them habitable, for example. If you intend to wire your building for electricity or add plumbing, this is the time to add it. Again, unless you are a licensed plumber or electrician, it’s probably best to hand that part of the job off to a pro. In fact, in some parts of the country, the law may require a licensed electrician or plumber to inspect the job before your building will be approved.

If you know what you’re doing, steel buildings are the most affordable and best option for most construction projects. If you’re not sure whether you can manage the construction yourself, there are many contractors who are experienced at erecting metal buildings.