7 Surprising Reasons People Choose Steel Buildings

It seems these days we can never have enough room for all our belongings and are always looking to grow. Perhaps your business needs more space. Or are you obsessed with cars and need more space to accommodate your hobby? The ideal solution in those cases might be a steel building.

Steel buildings that are pre-engineered often provide savings up to 50% of the cost of conventional construction and only take half the time to build. If this is your first time building a steel structure, you might not be fully aware of all the benefits and you are probably not aware of the difference between a high-quality and a cheap-quality steel structure. The following 10 reasons will go into more detail about why pre-engineered steel buildings is a great option for first-time builders who are building homes, workshops, garages, commercial buildings, etc.

Surprisingly Environmentally Friendly

“Going green” is very popular today and steel buildings are as green as you can get. Steel is fully recyclable! After the steel is made, you can melt it down and reuse it in other items like furniture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that to get trees mature enough for logging takes 20-40 years. If you are building with wood, it will take 20-40 years to replace that wood. Even though trees are planted regularly, people still chop them down every day. Armstrong Steel Building Systems are popular for optimizing their material usage. They use an internal team to design their buildings, which eliminates waste. You only buy the amount of steel you use, but there is lots of waste when using lumber. Furthermore, it is possible to apply for extra Federal income tax credits when you use energy-efficient products that are built into your steel structure.

Simple to build

You might imagine a regular construction site when your project starts. You might picture the workers carrying tools, wearing hard hats and working on various parts of the building. That picture would be correct when constructing a wooden building; however, it is different for the construction of a pre-engineered steel building. Prior to delivery, the manufacturer pre-cuts and pre-drills all the components of the pre-engineered steel building. Onsite changes are minimal and there aren’t any welding or major fabrication problems on the construction site. Therefore, an expert construction specialist isn’t required to build your structure. A 40’ x 60’ building can be built with just a small crew and a contractor isn’t needed. Just follow the simple instructions and use some typical tools.

Clear Spans

A clear span design is used in the design of pre-engineered steel buildings, which makes them very flexible and adaptable structures. Your steel building could be used as a barn for storing tools, feed or large farming equipment such as a combine or reaper. Do you need a hangar for an airplane? A steel building is an ideal solution. A clear span isn’t only needed for storing big items. Churches and recreation centers are also great uses for pre-engineered steel buildings. Having some members of a congregation straining to see around poles isn’t the ideal option for a pastor. Perhaps you are constructing your dream home. With the open floor plan that a pre-engineered steel building offers, you can let your creativity run wild. You have the ability to do this in steel building since there are no cord systems or bulky trusses involved. Make full use of your steel building space. It isn’t necessary to forgo the roof space due to bulky truss systems.

Simple to upgrade

Your steel building will expand with your future needs. It is simple to expand your small business if required. To get more space, you have the options to expand side by side, extend the end walls or insert a mezzanine system. If you plan to expand in the future, be sure to let the manufacturer know so that they will include a clear spanning moment-resistant frame when they are designing your steel building. You have the option to extend your steel building to suit your future needs with the clear spanning moment-resistant frame. Furthermore, the designers will inform you of the proper building codes and advise you if the expansion of your current building is possible or not.

Energy efficient

As per the U.S. Green Building Council, you will use 30-60% less energy when you construct your pre-engineered steel building using the LEED standards. When you use less energy, you also reduce your long-term cost of operating your building. How do you conform to the LEED standards? Adding green energy systems such as solar, wind or geothermal is one way to conform. You could further reduce your energy costs and usage of your pre-engineered steel building by including HVAC systems, insulation and motion sensor lighting. Talk to the project manager about including LEED standards into your building and start saving money from the beginning.

Various finishing options

There have been amazing advancements in steel building technology throughout the years. If you think a steel building has to look like a boxy warehouse, think again. Designers can include fake brick, stucco or wood finishes. Pre-engineered steel buildings these days could look like a regular house externally while gaining all the advantages internally.

Cost

New construction could turn out to be expensive, but first-time builders should establish a budget and have the chance to choose how much they want to spend. The correct choice will eliminate a number of expensive construction elements. For example, when you purchase directly from the manufacturer, you cut out the middleman costs. Your steel building supplier provides drawings when you lock in the price, so you don’t need any extra drawings from an architect. There is no doubt that architects add value, however, if you really don’t need one, it is a cost you can avoid. Is erecting the steel structure going to be a DIY project? This is feasible! When you buy directly from the manufacturer, these are just a few of the costs you can avoid. When you include everything, keep in mind what you’ll be paying over the life span of the building. With your steel building, you will never have to replace warped boards or chipped panels as you would have to with a wooden building.