Accessories for Steel Buildings

Steel buildings offer many advantages. They’re economical, environmentally friendly, low maintenance and durable. They can be used as garages, boat houses, workshops, retail spaces, home offices, storage sheds – in fact, if you can imagine a use, a steel building is probably one of your best options. The difference between a steel shell and a finished steel building that’s perfect for your use is usually the accessories you choose to finish your construction. If you’re considering one of the many steel buildings as an alternative solution to your storage or building needs, it’s important to understand the additional accessories your building may need to make it habitable and usable.

Foundations for Steel Buildings

While some steel buildings require almost nothing in the way of a foundation, others will require a strong, sturdy foundation to meet local building codes. There are two basic types of foundations for metal buildings. The type you choose for your building will depend upon your building’s purpose.

Portable Foundations

Portable foundations are made of heavy-duty 14-gauge steel and bolted to a concrete perimeter with anchor bolts. Portable foundations offer a few important advantages: they provide mobility, require less time and are easier to construct and require a smaller concrete footer.

Permanent Foundation

Most steel buildings for residential properties use a concrete slab foundation. While you can pour the foundation yourself, many metal building manufacturers strongly suggest hiring a professional contractor to lay the concrete. Even if you’re planning on assembling the building yourself, you should consider hiring a professional to be sure that the concrete foundation is perfectly flat.

Doors

The base price for steel buildings usually does not include the cost of the doors, in part because there are so many choices for door types. If you’re planning on driving equipment in and out of your building, you should install either an overhead garage door or sliding doors to allow access. Pedestrian doors are also popular accessories for metal buildings because they allow easy access in and out of the building without having to open the entire front or back.

Windows and Skylights

Skylights and windows provide natural lights, and, depending on their location and the way the building is situated, may also help with heating the building. Your windows and skylight locations should be part of the planning for the building because they can change the stress points in the structure and affect the engineering. Skylights are particularly popular in steel buildings because they reduce energy costs and provide attractive, natural light.

In addition to these standard accessories, you should also consider the best types of insulation for your metal building. Steel buildings, because of their tightly fitting construction, can have a problem with condensation. Insulation limits the condensation issue and keeps your building snugger and dryer.