[Lewis Ranch]

Must be something to do with snow load??I should compare prices again but when I built my shed a steel frame building was 50% higher then wood pole.

They raised the code here up from 28 lbs per sq ft to 35 after alot caved in 10 yrs?? ago.I had mine built for 50 lb snow load,poles and rafters are 6' apart.

Snow load, what's that? I couldn't tell you what it's rated at as we don't have snow only ice from time to time. It's 16" I beam on 25' centers.

 

[mlappin]

For storage either or, for a shop wood for the simple fact steel is not a thermal barrier. Unless you had every inch of the metal building frame and purlins spray foamed they are a lot harder to get as well insulated as a pole building. I've seen a lot of steel buildings that used fiberglass on the roofs instead of that crap foil bubble insulation. Only issue there is when they lay the fiberglass on top of the purlins then screw the roof down you just compressed the fiberglass down to nothing.

 

[ttazzman]

For storage either or, for a shop wood for the simple fact steel is not a thermal barrier. Unless you had every inch of the metal building frame and purlins spray foamed they are a lot harder to get as well insulated as a pole building. I've seen a lot of steel buildings that used fiberglass on the roofs instead of that crap foil bubble insulation. Only issue there is when they lay the fiberglass on top of the purlins then screw the roof down you just compressed the fiberglass down to nothing.

on wood buildings the only option over the purlins is bubble due to the 29ga metal.....with metal up to 4" of insulation can be compressed over the steel purlins due to 26ga metal (more if you strip it back at the purlins)........no over the purlin system is especially effecient....over wood due to lack of thickness of the whole system is crap....over steel due to the compression at the purlin less than a 5% loss area wise the balance of the system is efficient..

under the purlin systems both on wood and steel are very similar in cost and efficiency

in a low R system obviously the wood does not provide the thermal path that steel does...which is good since the wood purlins typically represent about 16% of the roof contact area....vs Steel purlins that represent about 3-4% of the roof contact area

 

[Hayjosh]

on wood buildings the only option over the purlins is bubble due to the 29ga metal.....with metal up to 4" of insulation can be compressed over the steel purlins due to 26ga metal (more if you strip it back at the purlins)........no over the purlin system is especially effecient....over wood due to lack of thickness of the whole system is crap....over steel due to the compression at the purlin less than a 5% loss area wise the balance of the system is efficient..

under the purlin systems both on wood and steel are very similar in cost and efficiency

in a low R system obviously the wood does not provide the thermal path that steel does...which is good since the wood purlins typically represent about 16% of the roof contact area....vs Steel purlins that represent about 3-4% of the roof contact area

I'm not following what you're trying to say, but fiberglass bat insulation (maybe you're not talking about bat??) requires air to insulate. If you smash it, the R value becomes almost nothing. For that matter, at temps below 40 the R value begins to drop by about half.

Steel buildings also should not be spray foamed.

 

[JD3430]

Under 50 years old (especially with kids interested in farming) steel
Over 50 years old (with no kids interested in farming) wood

Just had my first building spray insulated. I was impressed by how tight and quiet it made the building, but the cost was 2-3x batt insulation.

 

[ttazzman]

I'm not following what you're trying to say, but fiberglass bat insulation (maybe you're not talking about bat??) requires air to insulate. If you smash it, the R value becomes almost nothing. For that matter, at temps below 40 the R value begins to drop by about half.

Steel buildings also should not be spray foamed.

putting it a different way.....when you do a thermal picture of a steel building with 4" of fiberglass insulation compressed over the purlins ....you will see a well insulated roof with very small strips of crap insulation ........on a wood building since all you can up is bubble wrap the whole roof is crap ...

the below the purlin systems for both wood and steel perform equally if you thermally scan the building if the insulation thickness is the same..

i was trying to directly respond to mlappin's statement of "they are a lot harder to get as well insulated as a pole building".......i would contend the opposite of that statement supported by years of thermal audits of various buildings

.

 

[swmnhay]

I'm not following what you're trying to say, but fiberglass bat insulation (maybe you're not talking about bat??) requires air to insulate. If you smash it, the R value becomes almost nothing. For that matter, at temps below 40 the R value begins to drop by about half.

Steel buildings also should not be spray foamed.

Most new steel buildings are spray foamed here for insulating

 

[slowzuki]

Spray foam cost here is astronomical, likely due to demand.

Wood framed here, strap bottom of trusses, ceiling tin, blow in cellulose or fibreglass. R60 for cheap cheap cheap.

 

[r82230]

Steel buildings also should not be spray foamed.

It's done here in my area of Michigan. They put up a plastic wrap (similar to what you see on outside of houses before siding is installed), then the steel siding. The foam isn't touching the steel per se, which allows the steel to expand/contract with fighting the foam with the change in outdoor temperatures, is what I have been told.

Larry

 

[Hayjosh]

My entire second floor of my house is spray foam...4-6" of closed cell foam in the wall cavities and ceiling angles, and 8-10" open cell in the ceiling joists. Every square inch of external surface is foamed. We had an energy audit with a blower door test done before and after the insulation and the extent to which it tightens your house up is phenomenl. But I have over $6k in insulation up there too and I think it is worth every dollar.

The company I was talking to about a steel building (General Steel) definitely did not recommend spray foam insulation on steel buildings, but that may have been without the plastic wrap?

 

[swmnhay]

My entire second floor of my house is spray foam...4-6" of closed cell foam in the wall cavities and ceiling angles, and 8-10" open cell in the ceiling joists. Every square inch of external surface is foamed. We had an energy audit with a blower door test done before and after the insulation and the extent to which it tightens your house up is phenomenl. But I have over $6k in insulation up there too and I think it is worth every dollar.

The company I was talking to about a steel building (General Steel) definitely did not recommend spray foam insulation on steel buildings, but that may have been without the plastic wrap?

the only draw back I've heard is if you spray foam directly to the steel if you have to replace the steel because of damage from hail etc you would have to reinsulate as the foam is stuck to the steel.

 

[PaMike]

I spray foamed the walls and ceiling of my shop. Its amazingly tight. Which can be a downside at times. Spray some carb cleaner or another chemical and you call often still smell it in the shop 24 hrs later..

 

[carcajou]

the only draw back I've heard is if you spray foam directly to the steel if you have to replace the steel because of damage from hail etc you would have to reinsulate as the foam is stuck to the steel.

We did a hail job for a customer last here and tinned right over after removing the screws. Worked well and after a year no visible signs of issues. Only way to do it as the whole building was a wood structure spray foamed inside.

 

[slowzuki]

I've seen spray foamed steel for sale locally that was clearly pried off purlins, looks like a pain in the rear to work with. Seller was asking 1$/ft2 claiming is was a great deal.

 

[Farmineer95]

You won't get hail damage on steel it the foam is right on the steel. It is hard. Might have paint issue.
Mine is on the steel, down side is it looks weird on the outside, like it shrunk and pulled the steel or something.
How often have I ever pulled a sheet off a building? Never, just saying.

 

[r82230]

Foam doesn't expand and contract like steel. Here is a formula for how much steel expands/contracts with temperature change:

Use a thermometer to measure the change in temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. For example, if the original temperature was 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the final temperature was 75 degrees Fahrenheit, you would have a temperature increase of five degrees.

Multiply the temperature change by 7.2 x 10-6, which is the expansion coefficient for steel. Continuing the example, you would multiply 0.0000072 by 5 to get 0.000036.

I think it would be about an 1/8" on a 16' piece of steel with a 90 degree temp change.

Larry

 

[mlappin]

Some guys are using house wrap under the tin then spraying to the house wrap just for easy sheet removal later. Seen this on another forum.

 

[Diythomas]

What's the pro's/cons of building an all steel building (I'm talking about the ones with the large I-beams comprising the main structure) and a post-frame building?

Been toying with a 50 or 60x80. The steel buildings are cheaper in materials and look to be faster to go up, but you need a concrete pad, which would add $20k+ to the cost.

I wish I went with a pole barn. With a steel building, I am limited to a few companies to buy replacement panels. If I need a replacement panel, I will have to order it online and delivery of such a bulky item isn't cheap. I ordered a quonset hut kit and I wish I hadn't. I have photos of my progress at: diysteelbuildingkit.org

 

[Sambro]

When comparing all-steel buildings to pole barns, each has its pros and cons.

Steel Buildings are durable, low-maintenance, and fire-resistant, making them a long-term investment, although they may require a higher initial cost due to the concrete foundation

Pole Barns, on the other hand, typically have lower upfront costs and offer flexibility in design, but they require more maintenance to prevent issues like rot and pest damage

Ultimately, the choice depends on your budget and specific needs, including aesthetics and long-term plans. For a detailed comparison, you can check out more on resources like Building Elements and Outdoor Options.

 

[gicodof]

Well my plans have changed and looks like I might be rebuilding part of one of my original barns. It was the first barn added to the property, a pole barn with 8 foot sidewalls, 30x48. No trusses, they used rafters so there is not a clear span. 10' concrete aisle 6" thick down the center but the 10' to each side is left dirt where the stallmats were, with the exception of where a 10x10' wash stall and tack room are, which are also concrete.

In the late 90's the next owner built on to this and elongated it to a total of 80', same width, also a pole barn. Except that part of the barn has 12' sidewalls, but still no trusses. That barn has a hayloft but I don't put much hay in there because it wasn't built properly to hold that weight. ALL the weight would be supported by 9D nails!

My long term plan has been to tear down the first part of the barn and build to the same height. It leaks real bad and is just a piece of crap. Wiring is a disaster. Then it would be a drive through barn and I could pull hay wagons in and leave them.

Yesterday tearing out the stalls in the old part of the barn, one of the stall posts was rotted out at grade and just snapped off. Problem is, one of the 4x6 posts that is supporting the rafter in the middle of the span I can see is also rotted at the bottom. If there's anything I can be SURE of is that the original owner would not have built this barn properly with the help of globalsteelconstruction, even though they did use 5" ring shank nails to build the stalls, which metal cutting sawzall blades will not cut through by the way (gone through 3 blades so far), and even my cat's paw pry bar is now busted. What a PITA but I digress...

The steel company called me today in response to my online quote request and I had changed my request to them on the fly--will now be requesting quote for 30x50 steel barn with 12' sidewalls to replace this one, and tie it in to the existing addition. At least 1/3 of the concrete (and then some) is already poured so would only be 5-6k by my estimation to pour the remainder.

A 30x50 barn is one of their sales right now for 20-25% off. There is a possibility I could have a pile of steel lying in my lot in the not too distant future, to be erected next spring.

Hello. Trying to figure out which metal building company is the best for the money. Including financing, and installation. I'm now retired at 55 by disability. I can do a little but I have to take it easy, so I been wanting a small garage with room for a lift. I will be staring dirt work soon, and have a guy ready to do the concrete work. What i need is recommendations on a metal building supplier/ installer that also does financing. I have a limited amount of cash to work with so financing is a must. The biggest I can afford is the plan. I'm hoping to have enough room for a 30 deep by 40 long. Two 10 x 10 doors in the front with a man door on the side. Any help would be appreciated.