Advantages and Disadvantages of Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are growing more popular for storage, home offices, agricultural uses and even residential uses. Buildings made of steel offer many advantages and a few disadvantages. Understanding what you can expect from a steel building can help you decide whether a metal building is the right choice for your needs.

Economical

Steel buildings are more affordable, both in up front costs and in long term maintenance. This is especially true of small steel structures that can often be erected as a DIY project by the homeowner and a friend or two. While the up front costs are typically comparable to a similarly sized wood frame building, the reduced costs of construction and maintenance quickly make steel buildings the more economical alternative.

Sustainable

For those concerned with sustainability, steel buildings are a very green option. Most steel building kits are made with recycled steel, giving them a green edge over buildings made from wood, one of the earth’s slowest renewable resources. At the end of its usable life, a steel building can be disassembled and sold or melted down and recycled yet again, reducing the waste that ends up in landfills and the waste stream.

Durable

The usable life of a steel building easily tops 50 years. Many of the old-style Quonset steel buildings erected shortly after World War II are still in use around the country, and today’s manufacturing methods make modern steel buildings even more durable and long-lasting.

Low Maintenance

The typical steel building requires very little in the way of maintenance. Most are delivered with a protective powder coating in the color of your choice, generally with a 20-year guarantee. A wooden building will need repainting up to five times during that same time period. Steel buildings are also usually treated to be rust and corrosion resistant, and don’t attract insect pests the way that wood buildings do.

Noisy

Steel buildings can be noisy because steel doesn’t absorb sound as easily as wood and other materials. That can be easily ameliorated with insulation and interior fittings, though. With added sound-proofing, in fact, steel buildings make excellent sound studios and practice rooms for musical artists and bands.

Drafty

Because steel buildings often feature wide-open floor plans, they can be drafty and cavernous. Just as with the noise factor, however, this can be ameliorated with interior fittings, such as insulation and wall panels. Proper design will take draftiness into consideration to reduce and lessen the tendency.

Steel buildings can be the ideal solution to storage needs or provide additional space for a home office or workshop. Get to know the characteristics of a typical steel building to decide if it’s the right choice for you.