Before embarking on any project whose product would be with you for many years to come, it is but fitting that you invest a lot of your time in making preparations to guarantee its success.
This is true when investing in metal buildings. Before the construction of your pre-engineered metal building goes on the way, there are a few things you must accomplish beforehand. These steps are crucial in ensuring that you get the best pre-engineered metal building for your needs.
First on this list is finding the right pre-engineered metal building supplier – one you can easily work with. Your supplier will be assigning a representative for you to confer with regarding the design and specifications of your pre-engineered metal building. Now, you must take time to discuss the details of your pre engineered metal building as these specifications will practically make or break your structure. This is because the technical people involved in design and engineering will be using your specifications as their basis for your pre-engineered metal building. When these details are settled, your pre-engineered metal building’s members are ready for the next phase – manufacturing.
Note that the first step is the single most important task of the owner, more than the supplier. This is because the preliminary discussion with the supplier will define the outcome of your pre-engineered metal building project. It is the responsibility, therefore, of every owner to know the following information in order to outline your pre-engineered metal building project:
First, you must define your building dimensions. Pre-engineered metal buildings are popularly known to be storage solutions. This means that size matters because it defines the space at your disposal. Hence, it is important to note what your pre-engineered metal building is for – is it a warehouse or a workshop? You must define three dimensions – length, width, and height. Now, length and width are familiar concepts. However, height in this case is actually the eave height. Usually the building’s height is the floor-ceiling clearance plus 2 feet.
Second, you must know the roof’s pitch – this determines the steepness of the roof slope. Since it is defined as a slope, it is simply “the rise over the run” – commonly a ratio. For example, a 1:10 roof pitch would mean a rise of 1” for every 10” of horizontal run. Your pre-engineered metal building’s roof pitch depends on the initially defined building dimensions.
Lastly, define the location of your framed openings which are required for doors larger than standard walk doors. Such doors are commonly found in warehouses used to accommodate vehicles and other machinery. Also, it is important to know the dimensions of these framed openings. If you do not define location and measurement in the preliminary discussion with your supplier, you might end up spending more for changes after the design has already been processed. And that defeats the entire purpose of planning and designing, before the pre engineered metal building is fabricated. In the end, you end up spending more.