If you do a quick search online, you are certain to find that one of the top problems with steel buildings is water build up. Obviously, this isn’t only a common problem; it’s also quite a big one for any steel building owner. Steel is still a metal after all. However, poor design and some construction practices are the likely root causes of this problem.
If neglected, especially for a long period of time, water build up can damage steel buildings by causing rust and corrosion. These not only weaken the steel members, but also reduce the overall value of your steel building. This could be a problem if you ever need to sell the structure.
Water build up in steel buildings can also cause health problems. You might notice unpleasant odors, molds, and alleregens permeating your building. Indoor air quality is also likely to deviate from standard levels. Additionally, all these factors make your building ideal for insect infestation.
Now, there are two causes of water build up in steel buildings. One would be leaks from potential external areas such as the roof; another would be condensation, which is more of an internal design problem.
Of course, the best way to avoid both would be to construct the building right the first time. Sometimes, the local weather is not given the attention that it deserves during the conception of the building plan. And as is the usual case, the results of this neglect are given thought only when it’s already as obvious as the sun that something went wrong.
So rather than dealing with the problems as they come, you might as well take time to consider all the possibilities in your environment and present such inputs during the design phase. This will help you eliminate future water build up by 1) identifying the possible pathways of leaks and 2) controling humidity in the building effectively.
It might be helpful to know that most condensation problems have been found on steel buildings constructed under cold weather. During winter construction, propane heaters are often employed to speed up solidification of the concrete slab. And while this may seem logical, this turns out to be very wrong as it causes moisture to be “trapped” within the structure during construction.
Condensation can be generally prevented or controlled by effective indoor air conditioning and ventilation. If you keep humidity levels low and always ensure that the air is moving, you prevent moisture build up. One good way to effectively ventilate a building is to strategically locate windows, vents, and to use fans to increase air flow.
Steel and water don’t go together. Your role as a steel building owner is to ensure that they won’t have to.
Archive for the ‘steel building construction’ Category
Steel And Water Don’t Go Together
Friday, March 22nd, 2013Steel Buildings – Mistakes of Steel Building Buyers III
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010A wise buyer of a pre engineered steel building should focus on the structure’s performance rather than its price. Remember the old saying, “You get your money’s worth”. The cheapest price may turn out to be the more expensive purchase.
A very common example of this situation happens to people who buy the Quonset hut type of steel building just because it is the cheapest kind. Quonset huts are the arched type multipurpose metal structures used during World War II.
To this day, they remain easy to construct and transport. However, a Quonset hut may not be appropriate for your intended use of the steel building because it does not allow for many customization options.
For one, doors and windows can only be placed in the end walls. Limited overhead clearance is another limitation. Most importantly, a Quonset hut is not a flexible solution. So, if you need additional space in the near future, there is a possibility that you have to buy another steel building.
If, however, all you need is a simple garage, a barn or a warehouse for your produce, a Quonset hut is the perfect choice. You don’t need a steel building that has all the works – top of the line insulation, heavy-duty doors, custom finish, etc.
Just like any consumer, steel building buyers often compare prices and that’s a wise move. But don’t just compare the price and the size. You have to look at the details. The cheaper one may not be the right steel building for you.
On the safe side, choose a manufacturer that has a proven track record of providing high quality pre-engineered steel buildings. Most of them even have online designing and pricing utilities in their websites, in order for buyers to get an idea of their building’s price.
Reputable steel building manufacturers are your partners in ensuring that the metal structure you are buying from them is, indeed, the one you really need.
Steel Buildings – Mistakes of Steel Building Buyers II
Monday, July 12th, 2010As a buyer of a pre-engineered steel building, it is crucial that you be aware of common mistakes other people make in order to avoid making them yourself. Learn about the second blunder most buyers make and steer clear of it to ensure that your steel building project will be worthwhile.
True, buying a steel building kit and erecting it by yourself, saves you a lot of time and money. This is probably the primary reason why you decided to build with steel, in the first place. However, your budget should also include the costs of the other vital aspects of the steel building project.
Just like any construction project, building with steel entails a lot more than the cost of the metal structure itself. The expenses for the following should also be included in your budget:
· Concrete foundation – The foundation holds the pre-engineered steel building together. Be it concrete piers or concrete slabs, the foundation’s design is critical in ensuring the steel building’s integrity.
· Doors and windows – Typically, these are not part of the steel building kit because they are considered accessories.
· Building permits
· Land – Of course, you need the land on which your pre-engineered steel building will be erected.
· Delivery of the steel building
· Erection of the steel building – Pre-engineered steel buildings come with an erection manual that is easy to read and follow.
However, if you would like to hire a professional erector to do the job, include the payment for his services in your budget.
· Government taxes on the purchase
Depending on your pre-engineered steel building’s final use, you may have additional expenses for the following:
· Insulation
· Electricity
· Plumbing
· Interior and exterior finishing
· Miscellaneous expenses
In the end, you still get your money’s worth if you choose to build with steel. Savings due to shorter construction time, lower construction and material costs are immediately realized. Savings in the form of low insurance premiums, low building maintenance, and energy efficiency, among others, can be appreciated in the course of the pre-engineered steel building’s long lifespan.
Mistakes of Steel Building Buyers I
Friday, July 9th, 2010If you are planning to buy steel buildings, you must be aware of the common mistakes that buyers make, so that you can avoid them. The most common blunder is ending up with the wrong type of steel building.
Imagine going through the process of designing and constructing your steel building, only to realize that it is not what you really want. To avoid this pitfall, you must first define your specific needs. Remember, the building is there to serve your needs.
Better yet, list down your answers to these questions:
1. What do you really want the building to do for you? This is not the same as knowing what the building is going to be used – workshop, storage, garage, office, church, etc. How will my life improve or how can I benefit from this building?
2. What are the dimensions of my steel building? What is the length? What is the width? How tall should it be?
3. Do I need doors? What door size do I need? How many doors do I need? Where should the doors be placed? Do I need an overhead type door or a sliding door?
4. Do I need windows? How many do I need? What is the size of my windows? Where should I place my windows?
5. Will my steel building need insulation?
6. Do I plan to expand my steel building in the future? If so, will I expand its length, its width or both?
7. Do I need a second floor?
8. What shape should my steel building have? Do I want a square building or a rectangular building? Should it have straight or curved walls?
9. Should the roof be flat or peaked?
10. What will I place inside the building?
11. Will I need a building permit for my building?
12. Do I plan to erect it myself?
13. Do I plan to build the foundation myself?
14. How much is my budget? Will I need financing?
15. What building codes apply to my steel building?
You will realize that after defining your needs, the rest of the questions can be answered with ease. If you cannot define your needs yet, postpone the purchase of your steel building, until the time you have done so.
Steel Buildings – Understanding U-Values of Insulation
Thursday, July 8th, 2010In order for you to determine whether you are over or under insulating your pre-engineered steel buildings, it is important that you understand the terminologies used in the word of insulation. There are three ratings used for estimating heat loss: the R-Value, the U-Value, and the k-Value.
The last post talked about the R-Value, which measures the ability of a material to resist heat flow – the higher the R-Value, the better thermal efficiency. Now, let’s talk about the U-Value.
The U-Value is the rating used to measure the heat flow through a complete building component, e.g. the roof, the walls, or a window. U-Values determine how much heat is transmitted. This means that the lower the U-Value, the higher the insulation value.
U-Values are relevant in both warm and cold climates. For those living in mostly warm weather, the U-Value measures how long the insides of a building can be kept cold. Good U-Values are important measures for determining the sufficient amount of energy needed to keep the indoor temperature comfortable.
Using steel building components that have low U-Values offer a number of advantages. First, it saves you a lot of money because of reduced energy consumption, which in turn helps preserve the environment. Second, good U-Values create comfortable indoor temperature. This is important in maintaining good health for the building occupants.
For external walls and roofs, a U-Value of less than 0.2 is already a good rating. This value can be achieved by installing a thermal insulation with a thickness of about 20 centimeters or more. For windows, a U-Value is less than 1.0 is considered good.
Manufacturers of pre-engineered steel buildings and accessories should know the R-Values and U-Values of their products. If you looking for building components that provide good insulation, just remember these:
The higher the R-Value, the better
The lower the U-Value, the better.
Understanding the R-Value of Insulation
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010The last post talked about how heat flows or transfers from one object to another through the process of conduction, convection, or radiation. Insulation is installed in a pre-engineered steel building mainly for the purpose of maintaining a comfortable temperature inside the metal structure.
Whether you are buying insulation materials from a lumberyard or from a steel buildings manufacturer, you will notice that the materials are labeled with performance ratings called R-Values.
A material’s R-Value is the measure of its ability to resist heat flow. Therefore, the higher the R-Value, the higher the material’s insulating effectiveness or thermal resistance.
The mathematics of determining the R-Value of your steel building’s insulation depends on the type of insulation used – the materials, their thickness and their densities. For example, a 2-inch thick insulation board has twice the R-Value of a 1-inch thick board.
The R-Value of the insulation for a pre-engineered steel building that is installed in a multi-layered style is computed by adding the R-Values of the individual layers. Installing additional insulation in your steel building increases its resistance to heat flow or the R-Value.
The amount of insulation or the R-value that you need depends on your climate, type of heating and cooling system, and the size of the area you plan to insulate.
Insulation reduces unwanted heat loss or gain and can decrease the energy demands of heating and cooling equipments. The equation below calculates heat loss using R-Values.
(Steel Building’s Heat Loss) = [(Steel Building’s Total Surface Area) / (Surface Area R-Value)] x (Temperature Difference)
Temperature difference means the difference in temperature expressed in degree Fahrenheit on the two sides of the steel building’s surface, typically interior and exterior.
The steel building’s total surface area is expressed in square feet. The surface area R-Value is the R-Value of the surface being evaluated such as an insulated wall. Heat loss is expressed in BTU’s (British Thermal Unit) per hour.
It is important to know the R-Value of the insulation material for your pre-engineered steel building because some states require a minimum amount of thermal resistance for roof systems of commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings.
Insulation for Pre-engineered Steel Buildings
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010The rising costs of energy, has made insulation an integral part of pre engineered steel building projects. A properly installed insulation system for your steel building will return more on its investment when compared to any other building component.
Heat Transfer
Understanding the concept of heat transfer is important, for you to realize the value of insulation to your pre-engineered steel buildings.
When there is a difference in temperature in the steel building’s environment, heat will work its way from warmer areas to colder areas until the interior temperature stabilizes. Warmer air rises at the roofline while cooler air is present at lower elevations. Insulation is installed to help stabilize interior temperatures at more comfortable levels.
How does heat transfer occur? In our environment, the transfer of heat occurs from the hotter object to the colder one. Heat transfer occurs in three ways:
- Conduction is the transfer of heat between solid or liquid objects that are in direct contact with each other. The better the conductor, the more rapidly heat will transfer. A concrete example of this occurs when a pot heats up after it is placed on top of an oven’s heated electric coil.
- Convection occurs with the physical movement of gases and liquids in the air, caused by heat transfer.
There are two types of convectional heat movement, natural and artificial. Natural convection occurs when hot air rises and forces cold air to move down. An example of artificial or mechanical convection is when an object such as an electric fan, which physically moves or forces the air to move.
- Radiation occurs when there is a temperature differential between an object and its environment. A concrete example is the heat of the sun that is either absorbed by or reflected by the surface of your pre-engineered steel building.
YOUR STEEL BUILDING’S FOUNDATION
Friday, June 11th, 2010Before even planning your steel building project, you should have clearly defined its purpose because this will be the basis of the type of foundation for the metal structure.
The foundation is the most important part of a pre-engineered steel building because a poorly laid foundation gives rise to problems such as, unsettled or shifting walls which can lead to structural damage over time.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of foundations – the portable foundation and the permanent foundation. Under each type, there can be a lot of variations.
Portable foundations are generally used for portable steel buildings like cabins. The steel building is assembled on top of a base plate, which is then connected to the concrete perimeter using anchor bolts.
The biggest advantage of this type of foundation is that it provides mobility to the steel building. Also, the height of the building remains the same. In addition, building a portable foundation takes less time and is much simpler when compared to a permanent one.
For applications such as homes and industrial buildings, the permanent foundation is the obvious choice because the structures don’t have to be moved. Also, the higher amount of loads for these buildings requires permanent foundations.
It is of primary importance that the construction site, be surveyed by a professional, before pouring the foundation. This ensures that the land is level and that the exact boundaries of the plot are defined and marked. The latter information is very important for the building erector.
After the construction site is surveyed, grading or physical leveling follows. The purpose of grading is to make the land conform to the height and shape of the surveyor’s stakes.
Once the construction site has been leveled, excavation can begin. Included in your drawing package is the proper bolt-setting plan with reactions. Based on these reactions, your foundation engineer will design a suitable foundation for your steel building. You can also consult your steel building supplier’s representative for the kind of excavation your building requires.
Minor excavations are for simple and small steel buildings while deeper general excavations are for the more complex ones.
Labor Requirements for your Steel Buildings
Sunday, June 6th, 2010Steel buildings are extremely strong and durable and can be used for several years without the need of any replacement or maintenance at all. However, what makes steel so attractive is that it offers these qualities at a very reasonable price. In fact, prefabricated steel buildings are one of the cheapest building forms available today. Coupled with the tremendous benefits that these give, steel buildings offer the highest value for money. If economy is one reason why you are opting for a steel building, there are many ways you can save money on your building. One of the best ways is to eliminate or minimize labor requirements.
Labor required for buildings can be quite costly. Since labor is usually paid by the hour, the faster and easier it is to construct the steel buildings, the better it is for your pocket. The good thing with steel is that it can easily be prefabricated. Therefore when you opt for a prefab steel building, you should be able to assemble the whole building yourself. Your steel contractor will ship all the materials required for the construction at your site. You should make sure firstly that all the materials – right from the smallest nut and bolt, have been shipped. Mistakes can happen and your steel contractor might have missed a few items that are essential.
Once you are sure you have all the material, get together your family, neighbors and friends to put together the whole structure. Your steel contractor should have given you detailed instructions about how this needs to be done and about how the whole structure is to be constructed. Follow the instructions carefully. This is quite easy for simple and smaller structures but can get a little tricky for bigger projects. If in the rare case you are unable to get your friends to help you out with the construction, contact your steel contractor and he should be able to help you out with some cheap labor. There is no need of elaborate procedures like welding needed during the construction process and therefore putting together a prefab steel building is relatively easy.