Tag: custom engineer certified

Tips to Consider Before Purchasing a Metal Building

Posted on October 12, 2018 by - ASI, Blog, Informative, Lifestyle, Steel Structures

Metal sheds and garages are perfect for storing belongings and getting rid of clutter. In addition to serving those and many other functions, metal buildings come in a wide array of options and appearances that look great on any property. When acquiring a shed, you want to make sure that you choose the most effective option for your purpose and space. These tips will help you get the most out of your new structure.

Consider Your Purpose – Before jumping into sizes, you should think about exactly how you will use your metal building, both now and in the future. Are you looking for a storage area, a garage, or perhaps a workshop? The use will determine the size and type of structure to fit your needs. We offer many varieties of steel buildings that are excellent for many purposes. For example:

  • Garages are a fast and economical way to house vehicles and toys.
  • Workshops come in a range of sizes and are great for craftsmen and builders.
  • Mini storage units are useful investments for those who live in neighborhoods and need more than garages for storage. Such storage units are small enough to keep in your backyard and, with a permit, can be installed wherever you desire. Additional storage for items such as bikes, fishing gear, and pet food frees up space in your garage. To make for an even more attractive structure, you can add a small porch and even hang plants from the roof.

Think Durability – Very few regions experience little change between the seasons. Indeed, many climates deal with long periods of extreme heat or cold and all manner of weather phenomena. In order to choose the best metal building, you need to consider your environment. Metal buildings can be specifically constructed to withstand snow, heatwaves, wind, and other conditions.

Make It Easy – Metal buildings don’t need to be complicated or difficult to understand. Although we sometimes go over the top regarding customization, manufacturing a standard building is easy. Remember that every single one of our buildings can be customized to serve your exact needs and likes, no matter how simple or complex.

Safety First – If you live in a windy area, then we highly suggest purchasing our 90-mph wind warranty. Depending on the surface of your installation site, we have packages that will help your metal building withstand those strong winds. Whether we use mobile home anchors or concrete anchors, we will make sure that your building stays sturdy for a very long time.

Choose a Good Site or Solid Foundation – Choosing a level area for your metal building will improve its appearance and keep it sold and sturdy for years to come. Also, be sure that your construction site is dry; this will prevent the foundation from shifting and stop mold and mildew from growing. For optimal performance, your building should be placed on a solid concrete foundation; however, that feature is totally optional.

If you really know what you’re looking for and follow the right procedures to get it, then owning a steel building can be a great experience. When you begin your next big investment, keep these important facts and tips in mind to ensure that you’ll spend the following decades enjoying your ideal metal structure.

Simple is Enough

Posted on October 10, 2018 by - ASI, Blog, Carports, Steel Structures

If you’re in the market looking for some type of protection for your vehicle(s), look no further! American Steel Carports is here to take care of your needs! With more than 20 years of experience in the carport industry, we know how to build long-lasting metal buildings. Whether you’re looking for a simple carport or a custom metal garage, if you can envision it, we can build it!

A simple and standard carport is enough to provide shade for your vehicle(s), letting you use your attached garage for storage. Maybe this 19’W x 26’L x 8’H standard carport can give you an idea of what we’re trying to say:

This carport comes with a gable end in full white; the gable might not seem like a big deal, but it will make your carport stand out from the rest.

You can customize this carport according to your needs and preferences! Maybe 19’ wide is not big enough for your vehicles, or perhaps you’d prefer a different roof style. Want to enclosed the carport and make it a metal garage? The decision is yours. Give us a call now and let one of our experts help you customize the metal carport of your dreams! Don’t forget to ask about our financing options. Also, we now offer rent-to-own!

Steel Garages Make Life Easier

Posted on October 8, 2018 by - ASI, Blog, Buildings, Lifestyle, Steel Structures

Metal garages are something we’ve long strived to perfect, because with the perfect metal garage, you’ll have plenty of storage space. You can put your lawnmower, weed eater, farm tools, and other equipment in a safe, dry space and still have enough room to park your car. And that, folks, is what makes metal garages and steel sheds among the most valuable additions to your home or workplace. They make life easier. Here’s how.

The right metal garage gives you easy access to just the right kind of storage space. This is especially true if you have a load of household possessions in need of storage and no place to put them. The perfect metal garage lets you store everything with confidence, where you know it will be dry and you know it won’t be subjected to weather damage or theft.

But how do you find the right metal garages? For a high-quality solution to your storage needs, metal garages from American Steel Carports provide lasting peace of mind. Take a look at this 30′W × 25′L × 9′H:

  • Vertical Roof
  • 12-Gauge Galvanize Tubing
  • 9’x7 Roll-Up Door
  • 16’x7′ Overhead Door
  • 36″x80″ Walk-In Door
  • 2 – Windows
  • L-Brackets

The steel construction is designed and engineered for long-lasting protection against rain, snow, sleet, and hail—not to mention damaging wind and rain. With the right steel garage, even pollen and debris are things of the past. You’ll save countless hours when you don’t have to wash your car of all the natural elements that might harm your perfect paint job. Metal garages provide shelter for your valuable vehicles and storage space for anything you can’t bear to see damaged by the hazards of nature.

You can customize the size and color of any metal building to your needs. Give us a call at 866-730-9865, and let our experts assist you in customizing the BEST structure within your BUDGET. Remember, delivery and installation are INCLUDED on your level land or concrete pad!

 Sustainable Building

Posted on October 4, 2018 by - ASI, Blog, Informative, Lifestyle, Steel Structures

Sustainable building has become an important factor in construction today.

Metal buildings are proving to be a good choice in this important aspect of building and have long incorporated a number of sustainable building practices. Steel is the primary building material, and it is the most recycled and recyclable building material available. Metal buildings often use recycled steel in all parts of their primary and secondary framing, metal roofing and wall panels. At the end of its current use, this steel is 100 percent recyclable. According to the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), structural steel has a recycling rate of 98 percent. The steel that is used today will, whenever it has completed its job, be used again, lessening the environmental impact in the future. More information is available at the SRI website, www.recycle-steel.org.

The MBMA Life Cycle Analysis quantifies the importance of recycling, as it indicates that the upstream production of steel—extraction of raw materials and delivering the materials to the production facility—has the single most significant input driving the environmental impacts of steel used in metal buildings. Waste – or the lack of it – is another attractive aspect of metal buildings. The building materials used for the primary framing, secondary framing, and metal roof or wall cladding are custom engineered and produced for each building project to exacting specifications. During the fabrication phase, the amount of steel and other materials used in a metal building is optimized. Any excess materials used in the fabrication plant is reused or recycled. On the job site there is minimal waste to recycle, which may just include the shipping dunnage.

Many metal building providers have multiple production facilities around the country, so regionally-sourced materials are often available. And because the building materials are produced specifically, for each job, job site preparation can be focused, and disruption minimized. Once the materials are at the site, construction times are often faster than with traditional techniques and materials, keeping costs and environmental exposure to a minimum. Compared to other roofing materials, metal roofs have extended life spans, typically 40 years or more, and are completely recyclable when they do need to be replaced. These are a few, but certainly not all, of the benefits of metal building systems that also help to make them sustainable.

 

References: MBMA 2017

Lighting & Metal Buildings

Posted on September 27, 2018 by - A-Frame Horizontal, A-Frame Vertical, Agricultural, ASI, Barn, Blog, Buildings, Carports, Custom, Customer Builds, Garage, Informative, Lifestyle, News, Questions, RV Carports, Spotlight, Standard, Steel Structures, Workshop

Are you worried that your metal building might attract lightning? We’ve all been there. Fortunately, I’ve got good news and great news.

Here’s the deal:

The common myth is that out of all types of structures, metal buildings are the most prone to lightning strikes. In other words, metal buildings and metal roofs are basically lightning magnets. Makes sense, right?

Wrong.

A ton of other crazy myths are also still floating around—including that being outside in a lightning storm is safe as long as you’re not wearing metal jewelry and that wearing metal cleats or carrying something with metal makes you more prone to getting struck by lightning.

Also wrong.

I bet you’re thinking, “OK, but then what is lightning really attracted to?”

Long story short, lightning is not actually attracted to specific materials. Lightning can strike anything. Overall, “lightning occurs on too large of a scale to be influenced by small objects on the ground, including metal objects.”

That’s the good news.

Ready for the great news?

Because metal buildings are not especially prone to lightning strikes, you can easily take precautions to ensure that you and your steel structures are safe!

Most people know that counting the seconds between the flash of lightning and the following crash of thunder gives the approximate number of miles between you and the storm.

So, instead of worrying that lightning may have it in for you or your building, here’s what you need to know:

As it turns out, steel is not a lightning magnet! Lightning does not care about the small amount of metal that you might be wearing or carrying.

Instead, lightning is most attracted to targets that are higher off of the ground.

On the slight chance that a steel building or roof is struck by lightning, both are less likely than other types of building and roofing materials to spark a fire. A metal building and roof will usually survive a lightning strike with minimal damage.

In fact, a properly grounded metal building actually creates a more secure way for lightning to travel. Should your metal roof or building be grounded? The answer is a definite yes!

Why a Metal Roof?

Posted on September 25, 2018 by - A-Frame Horizontal, A-Frame Vertical, Agricultural, ASI, Barn, Blog, Buildings, Carports, Custom, Customer Builds, Garage, RV Carports, Standard, Steel Structures, Workshop

Metal roof systems have always been known for their long lives, but exactly how long they last has been a subject of debate.

According to a 2014 study conducted by the Metal Construction Association and the Zinc Aluminum Coaters Association, the projected service life for GALVALUME® standing-seam roof systems is a minimum of 60 years. This is the longest service life of any commonly used roof system on the market. Interestingly, this was calculated using a conservative estimate of the expected lifespan of the butyl sealant used in laps, flashings, and penetrations. In a 2015 study, the National Coil Coating Association reviewed data on pre-painted PVDF fluoropolymer metal panels subjected to exposure testing in South Florida. They concluded it was reasonable to project a minimum service life of 40 years for these.

As with any roofing material, proper design, detailing, installation, and maintenance are critical to achieving the best performance and service life. However, all roof systems, including metal ones, eventually need to be replaced or re-covered. What happens then?

As a roofing professional, building owners will turn to you for advice on whether to replace or re-cover their existing metal roof systems. When considering the re-cover option, there are several elements to keep in mind to maximize the longevity of the new roof system.

Replace vs. Re-cover

There are two types of metal roof system: structural and nonstructural. Structural systems’ panel profiles can generally carry significant wind and snow loads over framing members spaced at intervals up to 5 feet. Structural panels are typically characterized by significant rib dimensions to provide the necessary strength, and they are used in metal building system applications. Nonstructural metal roof systems require a structural deck or substrate to support the new roof and loads. This article focuses on structural systems because these are more common.

According to the Metal Building Manufacturers Association’s historical shipment data, there are billions of square feet of structural metal roofing currently on buildings that are more than 40 years old.

The advantage of replacing a roof system is that it allows vinyl-faced insulation, which may have deteriorated over time, to be removed and replaced. However, this can present some challenges, as the process also exposes the building and its contents to the elements, and this exposure can be prolonged if other structural elements must be added.

The advantage of re-covering a roof is that the original materials can remain in place to protect the interior during installation of the new materials, allowing the building’s normal operations to continue. Re-covering takes full advantage of the existing insulation with the option of easily adding more, increasing the building’s energy efficiency. Keeping the original roof system in place also provides a safer work surface than open framing for the workers installing the new system. In addition, re-covering reduces landfill waste and the need for a large laydown area for temporary storage of old roofing materials. All these factors can lead to a lower cost for re-covering than for replacement.

Many conventional roof systems have inherent excess capacity because their structural systems are not amenable to optimization. However, metal roof and metal building systems can be highly optimized for design load requirements so that materials can be used more efficiently. Because of this, the materials used during a re-cover installation must be lightweight (less than 3 pounds per square foot) so structural modifications are not needed or are kept to a minimum to carry the added roofing materials.

 

  1. Lee Shoemaker, Ph.D., P.E., is director of research and engineering for the Metal Building Manufacturers Association;

Vincent E. Sagan, P.E., is senior staff engineer for the Metal Building Manufacturers Association;

Your Custom Workshop

Posted on September 24, 2018 by - ASI, Blog, Garage, Lifestyle, Steel Structures, Workshop

Need a workshop where you can work on your vehicles? Want to add your own personal touch or your own features? If the answer is yes, then you’ve come to the right place! With 20 years in the industry, American Steel Carports knows exactly how to customize and install metal buildings to provide you with a great experience!

All year round, your vehicles are subject to natural elements that wear them down. Throughout the summer, the beating sun bleaches their color. During the winter, they are hit with cold snaps, harsh winds, and heavy snowfall. Our steel buildings are perfect for handling adverse weather conditions, and our goal is to provide you with a strong building that will last for many years.

Customization is key to the ideal metal building. The color, size, and additional features that we offer play an important role for our customers. Remember that all of our metal buildings can be customized according to your needs and preferences. Did you know that we can also do frame-outs (openings)? As we discussed in our previous blog (click here to read it), you can always add on to your metal building, including different types of windows, walk-in doors, roll-up doors, etc. The only drawback of this is that any warranty your metal building has will be voided.

Take a look at this fully vertical 26’W x 43’L x 12’H metal workshop:

This building comes with two (2) 12’ x 10’ roll-up doors (on the side), two (2) walk-in doors (on the side), and eight (8) custom window frame outs.

Want something similar to this workshop? Contact us now and let one of our experts help you customize that metal workshop that you’ve been looking for! Remember that delivery and installation are included in the price! Call us now! Your future metal building can be just one call away.

Ready for the fall?

Posted on September 17, 2018 by - ASI, Blog, Carports, Informative, Steel Structures

We’re transitioning from green, blossoming, and sunny weather, to colder weather with leaves everywhere. Fall might be many people’s favorite season, but for those who don’t like leaves on their vehicles, it might be pretty annoying. Why not keep your vehicle protected from the dust, leaves, and other natural elements with a steel carport that will stand strong against the beauty of nature?

Our company has been dedicated to building long-lasting steel structures for over 20 years. These light and portable metal buildings can be used to protect your vehicles, RVs, or any other belongings that are exposed to nature. Don’t think that the fact that these structures are light and portable means they are flimsy and cheap. In fact, we provide the exact opposite! Our metal structures are engineered with strength and durability in mind.

Take a look at the unique design of this 18’W x 26’L x 10’H partially enclosed standard carport:

Aside from rocking our Earth Brown color, the unique design of the sides of the carport going only 9’ long is very interesting, don’t you think?

Feel inspired? Give us a call today and speak with one of our experts regarding this metal building. Have questions or need a quote? Give us a call! Remember that you can always customize the size, color, and design of this and many other metals buildings we have for display. Need more inspiration? Check out our recent blogs or click here to see recently installed buildings.

The Right Protection for the Right Price

Posted on September 12, 2018 by - ASI, Blog, Steel Structures, Workshop

Triple-wide units offer the space to store your equipment, create your own workshop, or protect multiple vehicles from harsh weather. And did you know that customization plays a big role in most of the buildings we sell? Unlike other materials, steel can be shaped however you like, offering you protection, durability, and versatility.

Did you know we offer skylights?

Our skylights can provide natural lighting inside of your metal building. Although windows can be used for the same purpose, some of our customers prefer skylights.

Take this 30’W x 51’L x 12’H fully vertical metal building:

  • A-Frame Vertical
  • Vertical Sides & Ends
  • 3 – 10×10 Roll-Up Doors (side)
  • 36×80 Walk-In Door (side)
  • 3 – 3×8 Skylights
  • Concrete Anchors w/ L-Brackets

Please be aware that skylights can be installed on vertical roofs ONLY.

Did you know we offer insulation?

American Steel Carports offers insulation that provides your metal unit with a thermal, radiation, and vapor barrier (R Value 16). This means that you’ll have a cool, dry structure in the summer and a warm, dry structure in the winter. Insulation can also be applied to vertical siding units.

This metal building might be the largest size in our flyers, but don’t let that trick you. If you’re looking for something wider, larger, or even taller, we can help you make it happen! Contact us now and let one of our sales representatives help you find and customize the perfect metal building for you needs! Don’t forget to ask about our financing options or click here for more information.