Designing the right metal building for your project

There are several factors that you should consider when deciding on the type of metal building you will purchase so that is best suits your practical and aesthetic needs. There are different types of metal buildings available on the market today that have a wide range of pricing, stability, and features.

STRENGTH: The Rigid Frame straight wall metal building and the quonset hut are the top two strongest building kits. The remaining choices are fabric car ports, Vinyl garage kits and tubular framed building kits. These last three are fragile and cannot stand up to severe weather and are not certified under many building codes. The obvious choice here if you want strength a building that will last decades into the future is the Rigid Frame or Quonset style building.

AESTHETICS: So now that we have narrowed down your choices we have to think about what the building will look like where you plan on erecting it. If you are in a residential area or want a building that look pleasing in it surroundings then the straight wall I beam (rigid frame or continuous frame) building kit. The building has the traditional look of a pitched roof and straight walls. You can choose from a wider selection of colors too. Apply color options to various parts of your kit like roof, wainscot, trim, downspouts etc.

CUSTOMIZATIONS

End wall entrances: Depending on what the building is used for you may need large entrances with roll up doors that are as large as 30’ wide and 28’ high.
Get your floor plan drawn out and figure out what machinery, inventory, feature and accessories will go into the building. Ask yourself what types of vehicles will be entering the building and how high does the entrance need to be. This is a major factor in deciding the size of the building by ensuring there is ample space for all needed entrances. You can customize your end walls too with glass doors, a brick and mortar front to the building, and large roofs or awnings that extend beyond the end of the building.

Height and length: This will be the biggest deterring factor in the cost of the building. The dimensions can go hundreds of feet in length and width. Whatever purpose you will need the building for, Rigid Frame buildings are big enough for just about any business. Several factors come into play when deciding the size of the building. The contents, vehicle movement, equipment needed inside, mechanical operations and infrastructure such as overhead lighting, AC, etc. Keep in mind that the size will not decrease the strength of the building.

Ventilation: Determine what of ventilation any you will need. Turbine vents pull air out of the building and when combined with other strategically placed vents you will create an air flow throughout your building keeping the air fresh and removing fumes or other pollutants. Louver vents eliminate condensation and maximize air circulation and keep the interior cooler.

Lighting: Consider the type of lighting you will need in your building. Interior cieling brackets or framing can be added to suspend overhead lighting and climate control. You can also add skylights or install windows on the walls and roof.

Insulation: Your steel panels can be insulated or not. Most metal building owners prefer to purchase their walls and roof panels already insulated rather than purchasing their own insulation and attaching it themselves.

Steel Gauges: The cladding or panels that are the skin of the building come in a range of gauge steel. The most common is 28 gauge steel. But for a stronger exterior wall panel cladding can be ordered in 26 or 24 gauge. Custom orders also come in 20 gauge steel. The low the number the thicker and stronger the steel is but also the cost goes up the thicker the steel.

Foundation: A monolithic or floating foundation is most commonly used for metal buildings to be secured to. You also have to know your frost line depth in order to have the foundation deep enough so it doesn’t get pushed up which creates a gap beneath it. This can ruin the foundation over time.