Expert: Daniel Humphrey - 12/22/2008

Question
Good morning Daniel.

I am looking to build a steel outbuilding in Colorado on the order of 5-8000 square feet, using a clear span type building. The building will need to be insulated and heated as it will be used to store supplies that cannot freeze. Problem is I have no idea who to start with as far as a supplier. What questions would one want answered to know whether or not the construction quality of a given builder would be superior to any of the others? The obvious questions would revolve around warranty periods, thickness of steel, etc. What other important factors are there to the equation?

thank you in advance!

Answer
Anthony--

I've put up steel buildings from different manufacturers, and they are very, very similar. One way to see a variety of large metal buildings is to go to your local small airplane airport and check out the hangars. Keep in mind that the quality of construction can vary greatly with the builder. Ask around locally to see which supplier and contractor there is most recommended. You can get a basic idea of suppliers by going on line, which you probably have. There are only a handful of manufacturers in the country, supplying different brands with metal frames; the packages differ mainly in the skins and doors.

Metal buildings are notoriously difficult to keep heated, since most of them have 3 inches of insulation at most. Where the insulation crosses over the metal framing, there is maybe a half inch of insulation. The best heat for a metal building is in-floor heat, since the floor can be kept above freezing when places higher up are colder.

They are also very expensive to make habitable, since basically another frame must be erected inside to hold insulation and sheetrock. For commercial applications where a finished wall is needed in places, it is usually best to build wood frame to begin with.

Finally, make sure you have a first-rate foundation, with exacting details to the plan; this makes a huge difference in how the building goes up. Keep in mind that erecting a metal building this size is not really a do-it-yourself project, since you'll need to hire a high lift forklift, possibly a small crane, and at least two experienced helpers to handle and install the materials.

I hope this helps.

--Daniel