Why Metal is the Best Building Material
Why Metal is the Best Building Material
When choosing which building material to use for your next construction project, there are many factors that come into play. However, when comparing different types of materials side by side, metal is the one that comes out on top. There are many reasons why metal is the best building material, but we have narrowed it down to the top five. Metal is:
- Cost-efficient
- Durable
- Easy to Install
- Versatile
- Eco-Friendly
Below, we go into further detail about why you should choose metal for all of your construction needs.
Cost-Efficient
Metal is the most cost-efficient building approach available. First, metal is a recycled material, which means there is decreased waste. Since all scraps are re-used, the cost to produce metal products is heavily reduced. Metal buildings are also widely known for having little-to-no maintenance, which can result in thousands of dollars in savings over the lifetime of your building. Unlike other building materials, metal buildings do not fade, which means you will never have to worry about paying to repaint the building. Metal roofing also gives the customer a guarantee of no leaking or having to replace shingles. Metal paneling is much more durable than shingle roofing, and can last for up to 3 times as long.
Metal buildings are also energy-efficient. The insulation inside the structure helps protect the interior of the building from sweating, which keeps heat inside during cold winters and lowers your heating bill. However, they can also stay cool during those brutal summers. With cool metal roofing and reflective exterior panels, the interior of metal buildings can stay cool before having to use the HVAC.
Over time, some customers may decide that their building is not large enough. Metal buildings are by far the easiest type of structure to expand. Unlike most building materials, where it takes months to expand the building, metal building expansions can be ordered, delivered, and installed with ease. Although we will be discussing durability and installation later on in the article, these aspects also help keep the price of metal buildings low.
Durability
Metal buildings are the most durable buildings around and can withstand almost anything. When building with most other materials, weather conditions are always a concern. Metal buildings can survive whatever Mother Nature decides to bring. We have all seen those horrifying pictures of roofs collapsing after a heavy snow fall. Metal roofing will never collapse, no matter how much snow is piled on top of the building. Our buildings can even be certified for heavy snow loads. In addition, other weather hazards such as tornados, hurricanes, and even wildfires can be major issues. Although metal buildings are light and portable, they will withstand these conditions and natural disasters better than other building materials. Metal buildings can be anchored in several different ways to your foundation to resist high speed winds, and metal is naturally flame-resistant.
When choosing to use metal as your building material, you will never have to worry about the frame rotting or warping like buildings made from wood or other materials. Metal framing is also safe from bugs, termites, and other pests that will attack wood and other building materials. With metal buildings the worry of a leak is also eliminated. The metal roofing and walls are waterproof, ensuring that all of your valuables will stay dry and safe. Most metal building last for over 50 years with very little maintenance required, making them an investment that will be around as long as you are.
Easy Installation
Pre-engineered metal buildings are easily the quickest and simplest type of building to install. Most metal buildings are made to order and fabricated at the manufacturer. Once the structure has been created, the components of the building are fit together quickly, without requiring any heavy duty on-site equipment. Most metal buildings take only a week or two to manufacture, and then only a day or two to install. Some buildings can even be installed solely by the customer using a hammer, drill, tape measure, and other common tools. Other traditional construction methods can take weeks or even months to complete. In addition, traditional building projects always require heavy machinery and intense labor to complete. Even though timber frame buildings can be manufactured to also be put together quickly at the installation site, the process takes much longer and will require many workers to complete. The ease of installation not only allows the customer to quickly have their building, but every metal building from Elephant Structures comes standard with FREE delivery and installation!
As mentioned earlier, metal builds are also incredibly easy to expand, should you decide that you need more storage space. Due to the uniformity of the wall and roof panels, most buildings can be expanded in just a few days’ time. Rather than looking like an unnatural extension of your home, a metal building addition seamlessly adds space to your building while looking as though it was there from the beginning.
Versatility
Metal buildings can be used for almost anything you can imagine. Most people use them for carports, garages, or personal storage, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. While they do make great carports and garages, our buildings can also be used as a shelter for outdoor activities, an auto repair workshop, a home gym, a man-cave, and much more. The metal roofing will protect your vehicles and other expensive equipment from all weather conditions. Rain, snow, ice, and even the harsh sun can cause wear and tear on your vehicle and significantly decrease its life expectancy. Our buildings provide strong and reliable protection from the elements.
Metal is also the perfect material for building barns. Metal will protect your livestock and farm equipment, while lasting twice as long as a traditional wooden barn. The versatility of metal construction means that you can add lean-tos on the side of your structure to create horse stables or extra storage space. This type of structure also adds flexibility for your interior design – you can add interior walls, or construct a loft for an office or storage area. If you do not need a barn, metal buildings also make for a great get away cabin for you and your family, or a guest house for friends and relatives. Metal buildings not only last longer than other traditional buildings, but can serve a wide variety of functions.
Eco-Friendly
Although it may not seem like it, metal is actually the most environmentally-friendly building material around. In the United States, any steel item (the most common type of metal used in construction) that you buy is required to be made from a minimum of 28% recycled material. Unlike other construction materials, steel is continuously recyclable, meaning it can be reused over and over again, without losing any structural strength. In addition, recycling old steel reduces the energy needed to make new steel by up to 75%.
Imagine that you need a new garage or storage building for your property. After taking a look at your foundation and weighing how much storage space is needed, you determine that your building must have at least 1000 square feet of storage space. Using metal, this building would only require the steel from three scrapped cars. In comparison, if you decided to build using wood, you would need to cut down 25 full grown trees to produce the proper amount of timber needed. Not only is this more eco-friendly, but recycling old material reduces the amount of waste in junkyards and landfills.
Elephant Structures
We stand strongly behind metal as the best building material around. At Elephant Structures, we can provide you with the perfect metal building for all of your personal or project needs. We offer metal buildings in the forms of carports, garages, barns, safe rooms, and much more. Purchasing one of our metal buildings is a one-time investment that will give you more than your money’s worth. Our metal buildings are cost-efficient, durable, easy to install, versatile, and environmentally friendly. We even offer a feature here on our website, called ‘BuildID’, which allows you to customize your metal building and receive instant pricing updates depending on the dimensions and accessories you choose. Elephant Structures offers the best quality metal buildings money can buy.
Contact us today to learn more about our metal buildings!
