Should You Consider Steel Buildings for Your Next Home?

We’re all familiar with steel buildings used for storage, garages, barns and industrial uses, but there’s a growing trend for new homeowners to choose steel buildings for their residential needs. From storage containers to beautifully designed and constructed architectural marvels, metal buildings are making a huge splash on the residential market. Why would anyone want to live in a steel building Here are just a few of the reasons that steel buildings make great homes.

Affordability

Steel is one of the most affordable building materials available, but that’s only where the savings start when you choose to build a steel home. Depending on your local building codes, a metal building may not require a full basement and dug foundation, which will greatly reduce your building costs. In addition, the cost of your home will be directly related to the length of time it takes to erect it – after all, your contractor will base his fees on the number of hours he has to pay his workers for building. Steel buildings arrive in component parts that are pre-drilled and ready to assemble, cutting the construction time from months to weeks, and in some exceptional cases, days.

Environmental Concerns

People tend to think of sustainable building as homes that look as if they grew in place – but that kind of environmentally friendly building is only skin deep. In fact, because most steel used in building is recycled, steel buildings are among the most environmentally friendly types of structures you can build. When you decide to build a steel home, you’re building the only type of home with a 100% recyclable building frame. And because everything is pre-engineered for you, it’s really easy to add energy-saving features, like solar panels, green roofs and skylights, to your home plans.

Safety Considerations

Steel buildings are among the safest types of construction. Every metal building must meet all local building standards, including those that will make them resistant to earthquakes and floods and sturdy under the weight of heavy snow loads. In hurricane- and tornado-prone areas, the building codes include high wind tolerances, making them very safe in those natural disasters, as well. And, of course, steel buildings are non-combustible, so there’s a lower risk of fire, and considerably less damage in case of fire.

Maintenance Costs

Unlike traditional wood homes, steel homes require very little in the way of ongoing maintenance. Steel buildings won’t rot and aren’t susceptible to termites, mold and other infestations. And since most steel buildings are colored with long-lasting powder coatings, you won’t have to repaint for decades.