Are Steel Buildings Really Green Buildings?

You may have heard that steel buildings are a greener choice than most other types of construction, but found it hard to believe. It’s true, though. According to a report based on the U.S. Green Building Council Continuing Education program, steel buildings are sustainable, heave low impact on the environment, reduce solid waste during construction, reduce energy use in all types of climates and improve the air quality and water efficiency in the building and its surroundings. That’s quite a list of green benefits there, and it’s coming from a source that understands green buildings.

Most people still think of Quonset buildings when they hear “steel building”. The Word War II era barracks buildings dotted the landscape throughout the agricultural landscape for decades after the war and colored our perceptions of metal buildings. While you can still buy Quonset buildings, today’s steel buildings are virtually indistinguishable from any other type of construction. The design options for metal buildings are nearly unlimited, and the newest technologies and advances allow for buildings that are energy efficient and green in many different ways.

Sustainability and Design in Steel Buildings

Pre-engineered steel buildings offer a solution for property owners who need safe, attractive, energy efficient buildings that can be delivered and erected quickly. Metal building manufacturers use advanced engineering practices that allow them to make the most efficient use of raw materials, reducing the amount of steel used and eliminating waste through the use of advanced computer modeling. These techniques often reduce the weight of the structures while still meeting building codes, which in turn can reduce the footprint of the building and the size of the foundation needed. Thus, well-designed steel buildings reduce the use of raw materials and the impact of the building on its surroundings.

In addition, steel is the gold standard in creating sustainable buildings. It’s 100 percent recyclable and reusable. Steel buildings take less energy to heat and cool, which reduces utility costs. They require less maintenance over the course of their lives, which further reduces the cost of owning a steel building.

Pre-engineered steel buildings are the ideal choice for industrial and manufacturing uses, as well as for agricultural and residential uses. They make great garages and home workshops, barns and retail stores, office buildings and sports arenas. If you’re considering building a new structure for your personal or business use, consider the many advantages of steel buildings when making your choice.

Should You Consider Steel Buildings for Your Project?

Whether you’re planning a greenhouse, a garage, a storage building or a workshop, chances are that you’ve considered the advantages of steel buildings for your construction project. If you’re undecided about what type of construction is best for your home building project, consider these advantages of steel buildings for small residential home workshops and garages.

Professional Design Services and Assistance

When you buy your building from a reputable steel buildings manufacturer or broker, you’ll have the benefit of professional architectural design services to create the blueprint and plan for your building. The manufacturer’s architect and designers will supply you with all the plans and building diagrams you’ll need to apply for permits from your local building office. The price of engineering and design services are built into the pricing of most steel buildings.

Everything You Need Delivered When You Need It

When you choose to erect other types of buildings, you need to buy all the components separately and hope that they all arrive at close to the same time. Many construction projects are held up waiting for the arrival of one particular part or tool. Other times, you’ll get the parts of your building “kit” only to find that you need to purchase all sorts of extras – like the wood! That’s not an issue with steel buildings. Steel building kits include everything you need to actually erect your structure except for the foundation and the tools, and everything will be delivered at once so you can get started and work through until your building is completely set up.

Easy to Expand

One advantage of arch-construction steel buildings based on Quonset building design is easy expandability. These buildings consist of a hoop steel frame and a metal “skin”. The frame can be made in nearly any length desired and the building finished with end caps at either end of the structure. Expanding a building like these is usually a simple matter of removing one end wall, adding on to the arch frame and replacing the end wall.

Simple Foundations

While large steel buildings – for warehouses and factories, for example – may need dug foundations, most smaller steel buildings can be erected on a simple slab foundation or even on pier footings. The ability to avoid digging a full foundation makes steel buildings more economical and faster to construct.

Whether you need a garage, a storage building or a garden shed, consider the advantages of steel buildings for your project before making a final decision. A metal building makes more sense than a wood one on many different levels.

FAQS and Misconceptions About Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are among the most popular solutions for many different uses. They’re commonly chosen for retail outlets and garages, manufacturing facilities and workshops, barns and storage buildings, agricultural and personal use. With hundreds of manufacturers and brokers that deal in steel buildings, finding the right metal building for your use can be intimidating. It shouldn’t be. There’s a lot of information about steel buildings available online that can help you make a choice. These are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about buildings made of steel.

Do I Need an Architect to Design My Steel Building?

If you choose a steel building kit or a standard steel building from a reputable supplier, you won’t need an architect of your own. In fact, the steel building supplier will handle most of the design work. You will need to supply the manufacturer with the building codes for your area or region, however. Given the specifics for your area, the company’s architect and engineers will create the blueprint and specs for your steel building and supply you with the plans and documentation you need to get approval from your local building code department.

Steel Buildings Are Only for Agricultural and Industrial Use, Aren’t They?

While steel buildings are popular in agricultural and industrial structures – barns, warehouses and factory buildings, for example – they’re also among the most popular choices for residential and retail uses. They’re often the best solution for garages, storage buildings and home offices on residential properties because they’re affordable and relatively easy to erect.

What Kind of Permissions and Site Preparation Will I Need?

Generally, you’ll need to check with your local building codes office to find out which permits you’ll need to erect your building. You’ll probably have to have your building plans approved before you can start building. It’s always important to check with your planning office before ordering your building to make sure that you’ll be allowed to build it. In some residential areas, for example, steel buildings are simply not allowed.

As far as site preparation goes, that depends on the complexity of your project. For small projects, such as storage sheds, garages and small home offices, you may not need to do anything beyond building a cement slab foundation. For larger projects, the site planning and preparation will be much more complex.

If you need more storage space on your property, from a storage shed  to an all-out barn, take a look at the many options for steel buildings available on the market. Chances are you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.

Debunking the Myths About Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are popping up all over the country lately, but unless you’re looking for them, there’s a good chance you won’t even notice them. Despite the persistent myth that steel buildings are unattractive, boxy and plain, today’s metal buildings can look just like any other structure in your community or neighborhood. The belief that steel buildings are ugly is just one of the many myths about metal construction that have survived long past their expiration dates. It’s about time these myths got a thorough debunking.

Myth #1: Steel Buildings Are Ugly

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a modern steel building that fits the old stereotype. Today, metal buildings come in a range of colors and styles and can be faced with just about any type of surface material. It’s almost impossible to distinguish garages and storage sheds made of steel from the other buildings on the properties on which they are built.

Myth #2: Steel Buildings Are Expensive

Steel is actually one of the least expensive building materials in use today. Most of the steel used for pre-engineered steel buildings is recycled, reducing the cost of sourcing the materials both financially and ecologically. Because the building is delivered to the work site in ready-to-assemble components, it takes much less time to erect a steel building than it does to construct a wood building of similar size. That reduces your costs even further. And because they require little maintenance and are generally safer than other types of construction, metal buildings tend to cost less over the course of their usable lives.

Myth #3: Steel Buildings Are Hot in Summer, Cold in Winter and Drafty Year-Round

A properly built steel building is more energy efficient than nearly any other type of structure. Most are fitted with energy-efficient roofs, usually painted with a reflective coating to reduce the absorption of the sun’s rays. They’re engineered with tightly fitting seams to reduce heat transfer, keeping them cooler on hot days and warmer on cold days. Steel buildings are easy to insulate, making them even more comfortable. Depending on the climate, they may require vents to reduce moisture build-up inside, but aside from that, metal buildings are extremely weather-resistant.

Myth #4: Steel Buildings Are One-Size-Fits-All

When you order a steel building, the manufacturer will ask you to supply the building codes for your region. Your building will be specifically engineered to meet the codes in your area. If a manufacturer or broker tells you that he has a bargain price on a building that was ordered but not accepted for delivery, be suspicious.

Today’s steel buildings are not your daddy’s metal buildings. While many of the mare based on Quonset buildings, you’d be hard-pressed to trace their lineage unless you know what you’re looking for. If you’ve crossed metal buildings off your list because you think they’re ugly, cold and drafty, take another look. The steel building industry has grown up and is putting out some sophisticated and attractive buildings.

What You Should Know About Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are an ideal construction solution for many different applications. On residential properties, they’re often used as garages and storage sheds, or to house boats and other recreational vehicles. Steel buildings are a popular choice for those who want to add a home office, workshop or other addition to their home. In industry and commercial use, steel buildings have always been popular as warehouses and factory buildings, but in recent years, steel buildings are cropping up as community centers, sports arenas and retail spaces. If you’re considering a building project of any sort, here’s what you should know about steel buildings to help you make a choice between steel and other construction materials.

Appearance

Today’s steel buildings are a far cry from what most people think of when they hear the words. Even those based on Quonset buildings design come in a broad range of styles and offer many different finish options. You can choose from many different colors, including the most popular residential house colors, so that your building fits in on your property. Owners of steel buildings can also choose to finish them with stucco, rock or nearly any other popular type of finish.

Cost

The price of putting up a steel building is generally comparable to or less than other types of construction. When pricing steel buildings, however, keep in mind that the prices quoted generally only include the walls, roof, frame, fasteners and anchors. Unless windows and doors are specifically noted in the quote, you will pay extra for them or have to buy them separately. You should also factor in the cost of permits, a foundation and construction.

Advantages of Steel Buildings

Generally, pre-engineered steel buildings are cheaper than comparably sized buildings made of wood or concrete. They use fewer materials and generally require less labor and less time, reducing the price further. For small residential buildings, such as workshops and garages, you may even be able to build them yourself and reduce construction costs still further.

If time is a factor, a metal building is the obvious choice. With fewer components and simpler construction, it takes about half the time to put up a steel building as it does to put up a traditional structure. This can be especially important with commercial construction, because the sooner you can get into your building, the sooner you can start making money.

The overall cost of ownership for steel buildings is less than other types of buildings because metal buildings require less maintenance over time. They’re more energy efficient, so cost less to heat and cool, and need little more maintenance than a good pressure washing every few seasons.

When you’re planning new construction, consider the many advantages offered by steel buildings for your project. By any measure, steel buildings offer sustainability, cost and long-term advantages that traditional structures can’t match.

Why Steel Buildings Make Great Garages

Do you need space for garaging a car – or three? If you’re in need of a new garage, there are many excellent reasons you should be looking at steel buildings. In fact, steel buildings offer a number of benefits for use as garages. Here are just a few of them.

Steel Buildings Are More Affordable Than Other Types of Construction

Steel is one of the most affordable construction materials available. From start to finish, you can save money when you choose steel. Steel garages require less maintenance, save you money on insurance and often have lower construction costs than other types of construction.

Metal Buildings Hold Up to Harsh Weather

One major reason for building a garage is to protect your car from the elements. Steel buildings are the ideal choice for protection against weather extremes because they’re designed and engineered to withstand the most extreme weather conditions. When they’re designed to meet local standards, they’ll withstand hurricane force winds, stand up under heavy snow loads and even remain standing through earth tremors and earthquakes. How’s that for protecting your car?

Steel Garages Are Low Maintenance

Who wants to scrape and repaint the garage every couple of years? Steel buildings come in a wide assortment of colors, but they won’t need repainting for decades. The color is usually applied via powder-coating, which doesn’t flake, chip or peel. In addition, steel buildings are usually treated with corrosion resistant coatings to keep them from rusting and corroding so they’ll look good for decades.

Steel Buildings Go Up Fast

One of the reasons that steel buildings are cheaper than most other types of construction is that they’re easier to construct and go up much faster. That means you pay a construction crew for far less time – or, if you have some experience and a few friends, you can save even more by putting up your own steel garage.

Steel Garages Have Plenty of Room for Your Cars

Steel buildings are generally constructed with arches or using clear span methods. That leaves the entire interior space open – no support beams or posts to get in the way. You’ll have plenty of room to park a car or two, and depending on the size you choose, you may even be able to turn your vehicle around inside.

If you’re considering adding a garage or carport to your property, contact a supplier of steel buildings to find out how a properly engineered steel building can serve your needs perfectly.