How to Ventilate Steel Buildings

Steel buildings have many benefits, but some of those benefits have another edge. Their custom engineering makes them nearly airtight, which is a bonus when it comes to heating and cooling, but it also makes metal buildings very susceptible to condensation. That makes ventilation an important consideration when you erect a steel building. Without proper air movement, moisture could build up on the inside walls and get trapped between the outer walls and insulation. That kind of moisture buildup is an invitation to mold and spores that could create an unhealthy atmosphere indoors. Luckily, providing proper ventilation for your metal building isn’t a difficult prospect, especially if you choose a supplier or manufacturer of steel buildings that can supply you with everything you need to make sure the air keeps moving inside your building.

How Much Ventilation Do You Need?

You’ll need more or less ventilation depending on a number of different factors. The building’s size, location and even the use of your building will help determine how many vents you need for your metal building and what type of vents you should provide. If you’ll be using the structure strictly for storage, for example, you won’t need to provide as much ventilation as you would if people or livestock will be inhabiting it or using it a lot. That’s in part because the very presence of living beings increase the moisture inside the building and in part because you’ll need to make sure that the air is healthy to breathe.

That’s part of the reason it’s important to let your steel building supplier know what use you intend to make of the building you’re buying. The architects and engineers who help design the tolerances and structure of the building will know where and how to place ventilation shafts, fans and louvers to help keep the moisture content down inside your building.

Types of Ventilation for Steel Buildings

There are three main types of vents used to ventilate metal buildings: ridge vents, circular vents and louvers. Generally, a 2,400 square foot building can be adequately ventilated by a single ten-foot ridge vent, unless you’re intending to use the metal buildings as barns or office space. If that’s the case, you may need to provide additional ventilation. In addition to the ridge vent, which traverses the roof, you may also need to provide louvers or vents near floor level to make sure that there is enough cross ventilation to keep the air moving.

For smaller steel buildings, you may get enough ventilation from a few strategically placed louvers. You can place the louvers on any unobstructed wall surface, but you’ll have to decide where you want them during the design phase of your building.

A reputable and experienced manufacturer of steel buildings can give you the kind of professional advice you need to make sure your building is properly outfitted with vents, as long as you provide him with the information he needs about the building’s intended use.