Are Residential Steel Buildings the Wave of the Future?

Steel storage buildings have become a familiar sight throughout the country. It’s not unusual to see steel buildings used for storage or as garages, and they’ve always been popular in agricultural areas for grain and equipment storage. Steel barns and riding arenas are not unusual, nor are steel buildings used as churches. Now, homeowners are beginning to realize that all of the things they love about steel buildings for utilitarian uses are equally as advantageous for residential steel buildings.

If steel isn’t the first building material that comes to mind when you think of building a house, maybe it’s because you’re not aware of the many benefits of steel buildings. These are just a few of the reasons that a metal building may be a great choice for your next home.

Cost Benefits

Affordability is one of the primary benefits of steel buildings. Not only are they generally less expensive to build, metal buildings also nearly always cost less to maintain over time. If you choose to live in a home built of steel, you’ll save money in at least five ways:

Lower materials cost: Steel is one of the most affordable construction materials on the market.

Lower construction costs: Since all of the parts of your steel building are prefabricated and ready to bolt together, your construction crew spends much less time working on site. That translates to lower construction costs for your building.

Lower energy costs: Steel buildings are easy to insulate and feature energy-efficient roofs. The tight fit of the joints and seams increase weather-resistance and make them easier and less expensive to heat and cool.

Lower insurance costs: Because steel buildings are naturally fire-resistant and less prone to damage from insects and weather events, insurance costs are nearly always lower than they are for other types of buildings.

Lower maintenance costs: The ongoing cost of ownership for steel buildings is a bargain. Powder-coated steel doesn’t need to be repainted, nor is it prone to damage from insect and animal pests. Because steel buildings are built to meet all the applicable local building codes, they’re less likely to need repairs after storms or suffer damage from heavy snow loads.

But What About the Looks?

If you’re concerned about living in an ugly house, you haven’t looked at steel buildings lately. Today’s metal buildings come in a wide range of styles and colors, and can be customized further to meet community standards and appeal to any aesthetic.

Living in a steel house may not be for everyone, but residential steel buildings are a growing trend. If you’re considering building your own home, check out the possibilities of choosing a steel building as the framework for your new house.