The Many Uses of Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are an efficient and cost-effective way to add extra rooms on your property for your personal needs. From garages to home gyms, metal buildings provide extra space for your household and your family. If you’re looking for ways to increase the living and personal area of your home, take a look at some of the many ways that steel buildings fit the bill.

Garages

Attached garages can be difficult to erect and often require an architect and a full contractor’s crew, along with the attendant costs. Steel buildings are often used as free standing garages for private homes. The weather-tight construction provides all the protection your vehicle or vehicles need at a much lower cost – and considerably more quickly – than standard construction. Besides the cost and time advantages, you also have design advantages. Since every steel building is custom-engineered for your needs, you can build in a workbench or work station for your hobby, and additional storage space for garden equipment.

Living Space

Steel buildings are an excellent option for adding living space to your property. It’s the ideal way to add a mother-in-law apartment, a lounge or a cozy guest bedroom to your home. Need extra space to provide room for a returning adult child or an aging parent? A free-standing metal building is a great way to provide privacy for both the homeowner and the returning family member. Whether you want a guest house or a bedroom for an older child, check out the possibilities provided by steel buildings.

It’s surprisingly easy to turn the steel shell of a standard steel building kit into a stylish, comfortable home. Just add contemporary lighting, plumbing and attractive furniture – along with insulation, flooring and interior walls – and you’ll have a lovely room to entertain guests or house family members.

Home Gymnasium

Get that heavy workout equipment out from underfoot and put it into an attractive, spacious room of their own with a steel building Steel buildings allow you to design an interior space that can house all of your dedicated workout equipment and give you your own space. Instead of putting a treadmill beside your bed and an exercise bike in the basement, you can put everything together in one space so that you can actually put a good workout all in one place that’s convenient to you in both time and place.

Those are just a few of the ways that steel buildings can help you add living space to your property. No matter what type of room you need for your family, a steel building can be adapted to fit it perfectly.

Why Smart People Choose Steel Buildings

A few decades ago, people who needed garages, barns or storage sheds simply bought the materials they needed and built their structure. At worse, they might have needed to apply for a building permit and have the wiring and plumbing inspected. Beyond that, though, small structures were pretty easy for DIYers to put up. That’s no longer true. The building codes in most areas have gotten so strict that it’s difficult for anyone but a professional contractor to meet them. That’s just one of the reasons that steel buildings have become one of the most popular options for people who want to upgrade, replace or building garages, storage buildings and other small structures on their residential properties.

The fact is that steel buildings and pre-engineered steel building kits are economical to building, quick to erect and meet all the codes and safety standards of the regions where they’ll be erected. As long as you supply the building codes for your municipality or county, the engineers who design your metal building will make sure that it meets all those requirements, or exceeds them. In addition to that, steel buildings offer other benefits that make them very attractive for homeowners who want more space on their properties.

Quality

Steel buildings are made of high-grade recycled steel. The most common grade of steel used for metal  buildings is 26-gauge steel, which offers an excellent compromise between light weight and strength. Steel doesn’t warp, rot and twist as wood does, and it won’t crumble like concrete. It maintains the same strength throughout its entire life cycle, unlike wood which is weaker when wet and prone to rot and pest infestation.

Steel Building Components

Every part of your metal building, including the bolts, screws and fasteners, is fabricated to meet exacting standards and ensure the safety and strength of the structure. You can be assured that every piece of your steel building will fit exactly as it’s meant to fit – and that the fit will ensure the strength and stability of your building for decades to come.

Build Code Adherence

Every municipality and county has strict building codes for new structures, often dependent on the use for those buildings. The structures must meet specific standards for load bearing and wind tolerance to ensure that they won’t collapse under the weight of a snow-covered roof or blow away in a hurricane or strong wind storm.  Steel building designers and engineers will design your structure to meet or exceed all of the building codes required by your town, city or county.

Considering the benefits of steel buildings, it might come as a surprise that steel buildings are also among the most economical of all structures to build, especially when it comes to smaller structures such as garages, small barns, workshops and residential storage buildings. If you’re planning to add a building to your property, contact a reputable manufacturer or supplier of steel buildings to find out what other benefits a new metal building will provide for you.

Five Benefits of Using Steel Buildings for Agricultural Structures

Ever since the Army surplus Quonset buildings started popping up all over the Midwest, steel buildings have been among the most popular options for use as agricultural structures. They make great storage sheds, granaries, barns, garages for equipment and animal shelters. As many farmers replace older wood structures, steel buildings are growing in popularity because of the many benefits they offer

Strong and Durable

Steel is the strongest commonly used construction material. It has a high tensile strength and can support larger loads than wood or concrete without the need for additional reinforcement. That means you need less material – and place less weight on the ground – when you choose a steel building for your barns or storage buildings.

Weather Resistant

The shape and construction methods used to erect steel buildings make them more flexible and durable than other types of construction. Not only are metal buildings stronger than wood or concrete buildings, their rounded dome construction means that they’ll withstand wind, storms and even floods better than other types of buildings. The arch construction used for most agricultural steel buildings is also ideal for high-snow areas because the roofs are designed to shed snow rather than letting it pile up and collapse the building. And since each steel building is engineered to meet local building codes and standards, you’re always assured of a structure that will stand up to the worst your region has to offer.

Easy Building

Engineered steel buildings are designed to be easy to erect – concept that’s certainly not foreign to farmers with a tradition of old-fashioned barn raisings. Every pre-engineered steel building arrives with everything you need to put it up, including fasteners and bolts. All you need to supply is a foundation, some labor and a few power tools. With a handful of helping hands and some experience in construction, you’ll be able to put up your own barns, garages or storage buildings in the space of a couple of afternoons.

Pest-Resistant

Anyone who has dealt with wooden barns knows that you can spend far more time than you have ridding the building of termites and other insect pests and repairing rotted joists and beams. Those are two problems you won’t have with steel buildings. Pests and vermin aren’t attracted to steel and can’t make a meal of it. Nor is wood attractive to mold and mildew.

Low Maintenance

Powder coated steel buildings retain their color and good looks for years longer than wood, vinyl or even metal siding. You won’t need to repaint it for decades, and it won’t crack in the sun or rust as long as you give it a good hosing a couple of times a year to remove any debris or dirt.

The biggest benefit of all, though, is the cost. Overall, steel buildings are the most cost-effective and affordable choice for utility structures. To learn more about the benefits of steel buildings, contact a broker or manufacturer with your questions.

Residential Steel Buildings a Growing Share of New Homes

The statistics are in and they show that more and more people are turning to steel buildings when choosing materials and construction methods for their new homes. There are a number of reasons that new homeowners are increasingly turning the steel as their construction material of choice.

According to a recent home builders survey, about 25 percent of people purchasing new homes say that the quality of construction is their primary concern. Another 25 percent were most concerned about the appearance and aesthetic design of their new home. Ten percent cited both concerns. Steel buildings shine in both of those areas.

Quality Steel Buildings

The quality of any product is affected by the quality of the materials used in its construction. When it comes to construction, steel has been the construction material of choice for decades, and with good reason. Today’s steel building materials are created in a quality-controlled environment and meet very strict standards and tolerances. Steel has a better strength-to-weight ratio, which results in lighter, stronger buildings. And because steel buildings are precision-engineered, the connections are stronger and the construction is tighter.

Better Quality Construction Leads to Better Quality Living

Steel buildings don’t warp, twist, shrink or crack like wood can. Those symptoms of houses “settling” cause air leaks, which can seriously affect your energy bills. You can say goodbye to drafts and high energy bills when you choose steel as your home construction material. You can also say goodbye to termites and many other pests that love wood houses but avoid steel like the plague. And as an added bonus, steel doesn’t promote the growth of mold and is non-flammable, giving you added peace of mind when it comes to your family’s safety.

Steel Buildings Can Look Like Anything You Want

People have a preconceived notion that steel buildings and pre-fab homes are unattractive, or at best, unremarkable. In fact, steel offers remarkable flexibility for architects and design professionals. Even if you choose a standard steel building design, you’ll have your choice of a wide range of designs that will fit comfortably into any residential neighborhood.

Metal Buildings Are Eco-Friendly

It may seem counter-intuitive, but steel buildings are among the most eco-friendly structures you can build. They are made with more than 65 percent recycled steel and are 100 percent recyclable. A steel building contains about one-tenth the waste you’ll find in a wood building, and the Healthy House Institute recommends steel framed houses for the best indoor air quality.

Considering all these benefits of steel buildings, is it any wonder that they are becoming very popular as homes?

10 Reasons Steel Buildings Make Great Garages

If you’re planning to replace your garage, a steel building may be your best option, especially if you want to build it yourself. Steel building garage kits are among the most popular steel buildings sold today. Why are so many people turning to steel building kits when they need a new garage? You’ve probably heard some of these reasons before, but they bear repeating.

Steel Buildings Are Durable

Unlike wood garages, a new steel garage will not warp, twist, crack or rot. It is precision-engineered to fit together perfectly and still be standing decades from now.

You Won’t Have  to Worry About Termites

Metal buildings are impervious to insects like termites and carpenter ants. Imagine how much you’ll save over the years if you don’t have to be eternally vigilant against the little wood-munching critters.

Steel Garages Aren’t Susceptible to Mold and Mildew

If you’ve ever had to power-wash a wood garage to remove mildew stains, you’ll appreciate the fact that steel buildings don’t mildew and don’t promote the growth of mold. That’s a nice little health bonus for your family.

Metal Buildings Are Not Combustible

And because it is fire-resistant, your insurance company is very likely to give you lower premiums on your homeowners’ insurance.

A Steel Garage Is Lighter in Weight Than Most Wood or Concrete Block Garages

That means that you generally won’t need a dug foundation under a steel garage.

Steel Building Kits Go Up Faster Than Other Types of Garages

Cut down the amount of time your garage is out of service. When you choose a metal garage building kit, you’ll get your garage built faster and be able to use it.

Steel Buildings Are Eco-Friendly

No trees were harmed for the materials for your new steel garage. In addition, steel garages have smaller carbon footprints because all of your materials are delivered on one truck.

Your Steel Garage Is Recycled

Most metal buildings are manufactured from high quality post-consumer recycled steel. You’re not using any additional nonrenewable resources.

No Trips to the Dump or Landfill

There’s very little waste in a metal building kit. You won’t have tons of waste materials to take to the landfill, reducing the amount of garbage clogging up the planet.

Garages Made of Steel Are Very Affordable

Steel buildings are among the most affordable construction available today. If you build it yourself from a metal building kit, you’ll save even more.

Steel buildings are the wave of the future for the home DIY maven, ideal for use as garages, home workshops and small storage buildings – and that’s just a start. Contact a metal building manufacturer to learn more about the benefits of building with steel.

Choosing Wall Accessories for Steel Buildings

When erecting steel buildings, the accessories you choose can make the difference between the steel building of your dreams and a nightmare that is barely livable. This is especially true of roof accessories, which can seriously compromise the integrity of your metal building if you choose the wrong ones. Wall accessories are a little more forgiving. If you pick out the wrong ones, it will be mostly aesthetics that are affected. The differences the right wall accessories can make to your steel building, however, can’t be understated. Depending on the ones you choose, wall accessories for steel buildings can increase the natural light inside, make your building more accessible and improve ventilation. Here’s a quick look at some popular wall accessories for steel buildings.

Translucent panels can replace some of the metal panels in your walls, providing natural light for the interior. They are designed specifically to allow the light in without compromising your privacy. When you place translucent panels high on the walls, they can significantly change the ambient light in your entire building.

The big difference between translucent panels and actual windows is that windows can generally be opened while wall panels are fixed in place. In some cases, you can buy windows for your steel building from the manufacturer, though some don’t offer windows and doors for sale. If you buy the windows separately, it’s important that you choose them before the plans for your building are finalized. This will allow the engineers to include the appropriately sized openings in your walls for each door and window you choose.

The same holds true of the doors you choose for your building. There’s a wide variety of door choices available for steel buildings. Many people opt to have both man doors and service doors for their structures so that people can walk in and out of the building without having to roll up an overhead door or other garage type doors. Just like windows, it’s important that the manufacturer know the styles, brands and specific measurements of all doors and windows as well as the locations where you want them in the building.

Do you need to provide easy access to the interior for heavy equipment? Overhead garage doors are only one of your options. One of the most popular options for large door in steel buildings is the rolling or sliding barn door. They’re widely used on barns and sheds in agricultural uses and on aircraft hangars and other buildings where access for large equipment is important.

It’s also possible to designate an area of the exterior walls that you want left open, where perhaps you want to use a different exterior finishing system for design or architectural reasons. You just have to let the engineers know so that they can calculate the tolerances and ensure that the building is structurally sound.

There are many ways to personalize and customize steel buildings, and various types of wall accessories are only a few of them. Just keep in mind that you need to make most of these decisions before the architectural and engineering plans are finalized so they can be taken into account in the finished building and fabrication plans.

Tips for Buying Steel Buildings

Steel buildings have become extremely popular with industrial, manufacturing, agricultural and residential customers over the past several years. They offer a number of excellent features that make them a great choice for just about any use. Buildings made of steel make great garages, barns and storage buildings. They also are an excellent choice for other uses, such as community centers, churches, factory buildings and warehouses. The best steel buildings offer affordability, durability, strength and curb appeal all rolled into one.

The very popularity of steel buildings, though, has brought unscrupulous suppliers and brokers out of the woodwork. That means that buying a metal building can be a bit tricky. These tips can help you navigate the purchase of your steel building more easily and surely.

Consider Your Needs Before You Start Looking

Before you start shopping around on websites that sell steel buildings, take the time to figure out exactly what you need and how you’ll use it. It’s much easier to find the right metal building if you know exactly what you’re looking for.

Comparison Shop for the Best Prices

…but don’t overlook quality. Often, the cheapest steel buildings are made of low quality materials. Comparison shop for good prices, but don’t sacrifice quality to get a cheaper deal. Be suspicious of any building with a price that’s far higher or far lower than the rest.

Check Your Local Code

Your city or county will have specific codes and standards that any building you erect on your property will have to meet. Before you order your building, visit your local code department to find out whether you’re allowed to erect a metal building on your site. Get a copy of the building codes and standards for a steel building in your city so that you can share it with your steel buildings broker. Your building will be built to code, but it’s up to you to make sure they know what those code standards are.

Read Your Purchase Agreement Carefully

Once you’ve found a steel buildings supplier that you trust, you’ll have to sign a purchase agreement with your broker or supplier. Make sure that you read the agreement carefully so that you know exactly what you’re agreeing to do, and what you can expect from the steel building supplier.

Steel buildings are the answer to many problems. Understanding the ins and outs of purchasing a steel building can make it easier for you to find the best metal building for your needs.