Equipment Shed Designs that Make Sense
When you invest in personal belongings, whether that includes hobby materials, agricultural supplies, automobiles or just a push lawnmower for your yard, you need to make sure you are investing in ways to protect those belongings. Equipment sheds might sound like something agricultural or commercial enterprise needs, but when you can design the storage shed plans yourself, you can make even a simple backyard shed into exactly what you need.
Sure, one-size-fits-all particle board storage sheds can often be found premade alongside metal garage kits at your local big box home improvement store, but they’re rarely the best solution. Not only are they unlikely to fit the particular needs of your equipment and property, but they’re not even cheaper or much easier to get onto your property (if you want anything long-lasting, anyway).
For Ultimate Customization, Look for Metal Equipment Shed Designs
Worldwide Steel Buildings offers truly DIY design and build capabilities from everything to garden sheds to farm sheds to larger commercial equipment sheds that are an affordable and easy-to-install solution to all storage needs. These buildings can be installed in any shape or size with a wide variety of different amenities that make it simple to customize the storage shed to your particular requirements.
Not only do you control the square footage of your shed (that’s length, width and height), you control the materials list and the building components. There are nearly endless options for what you might want to customize on your DIY shed. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
- Size: Design your building plans to represent not only what you need from a shed today, but what you might need in the future. Have a growing small business? You’ll probably need more room a year from now. Retiring soon? You’ll probably have more time for your passion projects, whether they’re woodworking, auto restoration or gardening (hey, you’ll need somewhere cool to store your garden tools). Maybe you want a shed that’s just tall enough to fit your equipment but not tall enough to eclipse the treeline or violate your HOA. Maybe you want a two-story building, either for clearance or to add a lofted second floor for additional storage.
- Purpose: If you just need storage space for wood pallets or tools that aren’t affected by the elements, you probably don’t need to worry much about adding HVAC or electricity to your building plans. But if you’re going to use power tools in there, or even have it double as a tiny house, definitely take those things into consideration.
- Roof: Everything from the color to the pitch of your metal roof can impact its functionality. Many of our customers opt for an extra-large overhang on at least one side of their shed, to add some additional outdoor storage. If you know your shed will be placed in an area that’s prone to standing water, you can add extended eaves to keep water away from the building.
- Doors: Some sheds can probably get away with a sliding barn door or manual double doors. Others, like those designed for farm equipment storage, will need a roll-up garage door (customizable to whatever width you need).
- Windows: Let in as little or as much natural light as you need. A farm shop may benefit from more, a storage building for antique cars may benefit from less. And you can put our windows wherever you need to: one closer to the foundation can easily double as a door for hens in a chicken coop!
Don’t think you know how to build a shed? You can do it, we promise. Many of Worldwide Steel’s happy customers were true beginners to at-home construction when they received their first metal building kit. Our precision-engineered, pre-punched trusses and easy-to-install girts make it simple. Imagine how proud you’ll feel, being able to say you truly built your own shed.
Why Choose Steel For Your Shed
There are lots of reasons to build with steel. First, it is very versatile. Steel is roll-formed into uniform and precise shapes that will allow whatever design is necessary for a building. This means that steel can easily be manipulated to fit a certain height to house larger equipment, and can be used to fit in any property space. This gives metal equipment sheds an advantage over wood sheds due to the strength of steel. Wood sheds are going to be cumbersome and limited in flexibility and building options.
Second, it’s incredibly durable. Steel components don’t bend, warp or twist. The durable materials stand up to the test of time, providing long-term security and safety to your equipment without wearing down from weather and use. And since steel doesn’t shrink or expand like wood does, your steel equipment shed is a lot less prone to leaks than a standard wooden shed would be. This is what makes all the difference when you are comparing equipment shed designs. Plus, Worldwide Steel is so confident in its buildings that it offers an industry-leading 50-year structural warranty on anything you design, from the smallest of small sheds to the largest of large sheds.
You invest a lot in your belongings, whether that includes machinery, agricultural equipment, or personal hobby equipment. Whatever you are looking to store, you need to make sure that you are putting your belongings in an equipment shed that will protect them completely. Designing your own equipment shed, from blueprints to paint colors, is the only answer.
For more information about customized metal equipment sheds, get in touch with Worldwide Steel. Give us a call at (800) 825-0316, test out your shed design ideas in our 3D Building Designer or request a free quote online.
The Truth About Steel Building Durability
When you look at an old home, the design and architecture are probably the first things that jump out at you. The intricate detailing and now-quirky components are often beautiful, sometimes strange and occasionally just baffling. But sure enough, the durability and lifespan of the property are always what we find most impressive. After all, if the structural integrity of the building wasn’t there, the beautiful details would have disappeared decades ago. It’s the historic construction and solid building material that allows these buildings to stand the test of time.
You’ve heard people say “They don’t make them like they used to,” I bet. Changes in our economy, technology, priorities and culture have led to definite differences (read: low-quality workmanship and cheap construction materials) in many of today’s mass-produced buildings. And it’s sad but true. Traditional construction today compared to traditional construction 100 years ago is certainly lacking. Is it still possible to erect a beautiful, thoughtful wood building today? Absolutely. But it won’t be quick and it definitely won’t be cost-effective. But don’t give up! There are new building techniques and building designs available that are always durable (even backed by a one-of-a-kind warranty that guarantees them to stand strong for 50 years, even when put up against harsh working conditions and extreme weather) and attractive, and are also quick to build, cost-effective and low-maintenance.
We are speaking, of course, of metal and steel buildings. Unfortunately, some people are wary of the durability and strength of steel structures, primarily due to their ease of construction and low cost. They assume that because steel framing can be erected quickly and relatively inexpensively, it’s likely to fail just as quickly. But the exact opposite is true — metal structures give you the best of all worlds. You get the strength of steel combined with the value and ease of prefab, precision-fit framing systems.
Steel buildings are made of the strongest metals on earth, and are designed in a way that allows the building to stand up to absolutely anything you could throw its way: they’re fire resistant, impermeable to termites and other pests, not prone to corrosion or water damage, dependable in the face of high winds and natural disasters, and provide excellent energy efficiency. When all these benefits combine, they add up to a building that can last just as long as the antique homes we admire today.
At Worldwide Steel, we’re strong, vocal proponents of this and many, many other benefits of steel buildings. And why wouldn’t we be? The more proof of quality you have, the more confident you can be. Seeing these buildings in action is enough to calm any nerves. This is why our steel and metal building kits come with a 50-year structural warranty directly from the manufacturer. It is our promise that your building will be designed and manufactured to meet your specific building codes and withstand the test of age, whatever that may include.
Metal buildings also offer better sustainability than wood framing materials (yep, really!) and unmatched versatility, perfect for everything from outdoor storage to residential homes. Steel buildings are ideal for all sorts of needs, from barns and stables to garages, workshops and commercial buildings. The steel buildings are available in a wide variety of sizes and designs, functioning as commercial and residential properties just as easily as an airplane hangar.
Whatever building projects you’re considering, a metal or steel building kit can meet your purposes and meet them well. When you opt for a metal building, you know you are finding a budget-friendly solution to your building needs—one that will last a lifetime without issue.
For more information about Worldwide Steel building systems, construction processes and midwest-manufactured materials, give us a call at (800) 825-0316 or request a quote online.
Heavy Snow Load and Steel Buildings
The headlines are in. For most of the country, 2016 started off as one of the harshest winters to go down on record, with record snowfall that meant most of the Northeast was stuck under several feet of snow for days on end. While the year’s opening blizzard only shed snow on a handful of states, the harsh winter weather is not as limited. From coast the coast snow has fallen, and the farther north you go the more severe that snowfall becomes. Even the southern United States received a light layer of snow, accompanied by harsh winds and icy temperatures that don’t usually fall that far south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
What Snow Means for your Building Needs
This high level of snow fall means a lot of different things, including the potential for ice on the road that can mean incredibly dangerous driving conditions. One risk that is particularly stressful to many people throughout the northern states is the build-up of snow on the rooftops, as this can create a heavy pressure that puts your building under undue stress.
If your building isn’t strong enough to stand up to the snow, then you could be facing a roof cave-in or even greater structural damage.
The good news is that steel and metal buildings from Worldwide Steel are built with what it takes to handle the heavy and harsh snow pile-ups required in each area of the country. In fact, it is found that metal and steel buildings may actually be better suited to handling higher snow loads than traditionally framed homes.
When the snow does fall, you want to rest assured that you have the strongest building in the business. This is what Worldwide Steel can offer for you. From small garages to massive work equipment sheds, you can get the confidence you need that you have a solid building that will stand up no matter the weather.
Snow is the heaviest and most dangerous when it is compacted. If you live in a climate where compacted snow could develop, then it is important to take weather precautions under consideration when building your structure. Compacted snow is heavy due to the layers of ice that form in between the layers of snow. Be educated about the weather risks in your area and know what you need your building to stand up against when making your choice of materials. Steel and metal buildings can be used for garages, workshops, and residential and commercial needs, and are easily insulated to make the inside just as comfortable as the outside is sturdy. For more information about metal buildings, contact us.
