How To Make Steel Buildings Look Less Steely

Many people who are considering steel buildings hesitate for one reason – appearance. The myth of the ugly steel building is strong despite the wide availability of attractive metal buildings. That may be in part because there’s also a proliferation of cheap steel buildings available. The cheap and ugly steel buildings – often sold by inferior companies – stand out like a sore thumb, while the attractive steel buildings blend into their surroundings. In fact, these days it can be impossible to pick out a steel building from its neighbors. So exactly how do you got about making steel buildings look less.. well.. steely? Here are a few ideas that can help you build metal garages, barns and workshops that don’t look like buildings made of steel.

Style

Quonset buildings – the half-hoop steel buildings born of convenience and efficiency during the World Wars – are difficult to disguise as anything but steel Quonset buildings. If you’re determined to make your metal building fit into a suburban setting seamlessly, you’ll probably want to avoid this style. There are straight-sided steel buildings that are much easier to disguise as a conventional building, including metal buildings with pitched roofs.

Color

Over the past decade or so, manufacturers of pre-fab metal buildings have really stepped their acquaintance with color. Not too long ago, the variety of colors offered by steel building manufacturers ranged from unpainted to gray to an unappetizing biscuit color. Today, most manufacturers of steel buildings offer a selection of standard colors you can choose from at no additional cost. The selection usually includes all the most popular exterior house paint colors, including white, blue, green, red, tan and yellow. That makes it much easier to match your new metal building to the existing structures on your property.

Trim

Properly finishing your metal building will also improve its appearance. The standard trim kit that comes with most steel buildings includes trim for the seams and roof, as well as gutters. You can make your new building more attractive by adding conventional doors and windows, complete with shutters, if desired. Consider adding eaves, overhangs or a porch to make your building look more like a traditional house.

Exterior Finish

Finally, you can finish off steel buildings with nearly any type of exterior, including stucco, stone and wood. Just talk to a facing company in your town to find out about the different types and styles of exterior facings they can apply to steel buildings.

Frankly, most contemporary steel buildings are attractive enough that you shouldn’t have to camouflage them, but if you’re determined to hide the strength and beauty of your new metal building, the above tips can give you some ideas.