From time to time, every business, organization, or family finds itself in need of more space. When you’re in the market for a new building, you’ll find a lot of different options available. Each has some advantages, but no option is a more cost-effective choice across the board than a pre-engineered steel building. Look at these important characteristics of steel buildings that set them apart from wood, masonry, and other types.
Efficient, Affordable Assembly
Site-built structures require a lot of measuring, cutting, and assembly. This not only requires more time for the contractor who puts it together but also leaves a lot of waste material to dispose of. Metal building contractors, for example, would try to get the job done as quickly as possible, however, the drawn-out building process also creates more opportunities for the rain to move in and impede progress.
Steel buildings are fabricated to your exact dimensions and completely planned for assembly. This allows crews to get the building under the roof and completed quickly and efficiently, minimizing labour costs, eliminating wasted materials, and allowing the project to avoid inclement weather.
Open Floor Plans
When you’re in need of space for storage or work, you probably have a specific layout in mind. The supports needed for a wood-frame roof can seriously cramp your plans, making it tough to create layouts for shelving and equipment. Forklifts and pallet jacks may be tough to manoeuvre past support columns. You’ll find the design of the building determining the layout you use instead of the other way around.
The clear-span roof offered by steel buildings gives you total independence, allowing you to set things up inside the space in whatever configuration is safest and most efficient. You’ll be able to manoeuvre people and equipment quickly and safely, saving money and time.
Low Maintenance Cost
The construction cost of a building is just the beginning of its impact on your bottom line. Over time, you can run into significant costs maintaining shingled roofs, painting wooden components, and taking care of siding or other exterior coverings.
Steel buildings are steel inside and out, with a durable external covering that will withstand decades of your area’s harshest weather with just an occasional washing. With no concerns about rust, chipped paint, or rot, you’ll have years and years of carefree use that will keep your budget on track.
Energy Efficiency
Perhaps the biggest operational cost for any type of building is energy. This is a particular challenge with larger buildings. When you are investing in a new building, it should be a high priority to think about how much it will cost to heat it.
Steel buildings offer superior performance in this area. The thick exterior steel provides durable protection against cold winter winds, and the fiberglass insulation installed throughout the structure is the final step in maintaining warmth. The same holds true in hotter climates where air conditioning is needed.
Weather Resistance
Shingle roofs and wooden structural members have a bad habit of developing leaks after high winds hit or after a load of heavy, wet snow sits on top for a few days. The result is a big bill for repairs and potential damage to the building’s contents.
Steel buildings are engineered to withstand the specific type of weather events likely in your area, ensuring that the walls and roof don’t develop expensive leaks. They are also less susceptible to damage from fire and earthquakes, making them much more affordable to insure.
The decisions you make at the very beginning of a construction project will affect its cost efficiency for the life of the building. Good choices on design, construction, durability, and operating costs will always steer you toward a steel building.