Metal Barn vs. Wood Barn Pros & Cons
When the time comes to build a new barn on your property, you’ll have a few important decisions to make. You will need to decide where the barn is going to go, how big it will be, and more. In this post, we’d like to take a look at another important choice in this process–the material that you will use to construct the barn. There are two main options available today, wood and metal, and each can offer some nice benefits. Let’s view the pros and cons of a metal barn versus a wood barn.
We sell more than just carports at American Steel Carports, Inc. Our fully customizable structures can be designed to fit your exact needs with our Build & Price tool. Try it today!
A Classic Look
Traditionally, barns have been made from wood. Using wood as a building material was a viable choice long before it was possible to use metal in the same fashion. That said, it makes sense that what you picture as a “classic” barn is a structure made from wood. So, if you are drawn to this traditional look and all the feelings it evokes, you might initially lean toward sticking with wood.
However, as you will soon see, nearly all of the performance advantages you will be looking for in your barn point in the direction of metal. And, once you start to view metal barn designs, colors, and other finishing touches, you might realize that a metal structure can look just as good as wood.
Managing Your Budget
Every project has a budget, and it is likely that you’re concerned with the cost of your new barn as you plan this job. To keep costs under control effectively, go with a metal barn. There are two reasons that a metal barn will cost less than a wood structure. First, the materials are less expensive, since you need less material overall to build a metal barn. Additionally, there is a shorter construction process for this kind of building, meaning you won’t need to spend as much on labor. Between those two points, you’ll keep more of your money in your pocket, while still coming away with a beautiful, functional barn space.
The Savings Keep Going
Speaking of saving money, you’ll keep saving well into the future long after the initial construction of your metal barn has been completed. Those future savings are a result of the low maintenance costs associated with a metal structure. There is less that can go wrong with metal as compared to wood, so you will need to perform less maintenance and repairs as the years go by. Where wood structures can deal with issues like rot and insect infestations, those problems are not an issue when metal is used.
Get It Done
Are you in a hurry to have your new barn completed? If you are trying to beat a specific deadline for this project, like the arrival of winter, it’s a good idea to opt for metal. As mentioned above, building a metal barn takes much less time than building a similar structure out of wood, so you will have a far easier time hitting your completion date when metal is your material of choice.
Depending on the design of your barn, and what you plan to do inside the barn when it’s completed, there might be less site-prep work required for a metal structure, as well. This is a point that depends on the specifics of the project, however, so you’ll want to consult with the appropriate expert before settling on how you will prepare the area for the new barn.
Easy to Customize a Metal Barn
No two barns are exactly alike. You may need certain kinds of access to your barn to move animals or machines in and out, or you might want to add custom elements to achieve a specific look. Whatever the needs of your project happen to be, it will be easy to compose the perfect structure by working with metal. In fact, right here on our website, you can use our Build & Price tool to put together the exact type of barn you would like to own—and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the cost. This kind of flexibility is not offered with wood barns, so you might not be able to get exactly what you want with this material.
Order from American Steel Carports, Inc.
After weighing the pros and cons of a metal barn versus a wood barn, you can see that metal will save you money and will provide you with a number of important performance advantages. To get started on your new barn project, use the Build & Price tool from American Steel Carports, Inc., to design your ideal custom structure.