Category Archives: steel buildings
How to Create the Ultimate Man Cave
There’s a lot going on in the world. Everyone could use some designated personal space to hide away from the responsibilities and pressures of daily life. If you’re a man, you get the luxury of a cool, specific name for this retreat: a Man Cave. A place where you can relax with a cold drink in your hand while watching Sports Center, or run your power tools without worrying about the decibel level, or gather your friends to play games (video games, billiards, Dungeons & Dragons … pick your poison!) all night long.
The appeal of an at-home getaway is clear. The practicality of making it happen? Sometimes less so. If you think you don’t have enough space, or can’t quite decide what you’d want from a man cave, no worries. Worldwide Steel is here to help you conceptualize, design and build your own ultimate man cave.
Step One: Find the Right Space
If you’re lucky, you have some extra empty space that you don’t know what to do with. Might be a detached garage, might be a semi-finished basement, might be a bonus room. If so? Voila: man cave.
If you don’t have an extra room just waiting to be transformed (and let’s be honest … most of us homeowners don’t), you can build your own. Lucky you! The best man cave is one you design from scratch. That means you can choose everything from the location to the size to the functionality of your space.
We recommend a prefab metal building kit as the foundation for your perfect man cave. Worldwide Steel Buildings are fully customizable, so you can choose exactly the square footage and features of your space. If you’re looking for a quick-start guide, many of our customers start with designs that are typically used for metal garage kits. They’re just about the right size for a man cave and are easy to customize with all the elements you want.
Step Two: Walls and Floors
Don’t consider yourself an interior design expert? That’s alright: a man cave isn’t a showroom, and you’re probably further ahead than you think. Here’s where the intent of what you’ll do in your man cave starts coming into play.
A space that’s primarily going to be used as a home theater, for watching movies and games in a recliner, should be comfy. You’ll probably want carpet or engineered hardwood floors, and a neutral paint color that feels warm and inviting. If you’re adding windows to your design (which we always recommend), you’ll want to consider blackout curtains to reduce the risk of glare on your big screen.
A game room, whether that’s arcade games, consoles, pool, board games, card games or video games, probably needs more light. Carpet might be a good idea, since anything you drop is unlikely to roll as much as it would on hardwood. Dark wood accents can add richness to this type of man cave.
If you’re planning to use your man cave as a workshop, whether for woodworking or oil painting or vintage car repair, you’re probably best off sticking with a less finished interior. Sure, you’ll want insulated walls for temperature control, but poured concrete floors will do just fine.
If your idea of a perfect man cave is less a personal sanctuary and more a hangout destination, where you can have some drinks and shoot the breeze with your buddies, we recommend an engineered wood floor (they’re easy to clean in the event of a spill).
Step Three: Pick a Theme
Okay, so “theme” goes a bit beyond “purpose” — once you know what you want to do in your man cave, take that idea and make it your own. The easiest way to start creating the theme for your space is to find one idea or object to focus on and let the rest fall into place around it.
Are you the world’s biggest Red Sox fan and would love a baseball-inspired environment that you can watch the games in? Make sure there’s room to hang your Sox memorabilia on the walls. Maybe you have a vintage pool table, jukebox or trophy case that you want to make the focal point of the room: think of man cave ideas that will make your focal point pop.
Step Four: Furniture
When you’re deciding the square footage of your space, make sure you’re considering the furniture you’ll want in your man cave so you can utilize the space properly. Again, this comes back to what you think you’ll do in there most often.
Watch movies and games? You’ll definitely want a flat screen tv, plenty of comfy places to sit, and a coffee table to set your drinks and snacks on.
Hang out with friends? Maybe you’ll want a dart board (cork backing highly recommended), a foosball table, a poker table or a pool table. Plus chairs that can be moved around easily, depending on what you’re doing that night.
Build the newest unofficial neighborhood bar? You’ll need a home bar (wet bar, preferably) with bar stools, a mini fridge, maybe a kegerator … or a wine cellar if vino’s more your drink of choice.
Step Five: Accessories
We hate to stereotype, but unless they’re single, men aren’t usually the ones doing the decorating in their own home. Once you have a man cave? That’s your chance! The possibilities for accessorizing your cave are endless. Artwork, sports memorabilia like jerseys, album covers, road signs … go nuts. It’s your own personal space: act like it.
Build Your Ultimate Man Cave With Worldwide Steel Buildings
Ready to start on that man cave right now? We don’t blame you. And we’re here to make sure you get exactly what you want, the first time. Start by testing your design ideas in our 3D Building Designer, then give us a call at (800) 825-0316. Our experts love talking man caves and will be able to give you some ideas and things to think about that you might not have considered. We’ll also talk to you about the benefits of building with Worldwide Steel (like that industry-leading 50-year structural warranty).
10 Benefits of a Steel Building
When the average person thinks of a steel building, they probably think about a garage or a workshop, a storage shed … maybe even an airplane hanger. But steel construction doesn’t stop there. There is so much more to steel buildings than meets the eye. You can create nearly any type of room or building that your mind can imagine, like a guest house, a man cave, a riding arena, or even a distillery. And why would you want to? The reasons are nearly endless … but we’ve narrowed down the top ten for you.
Get ready to explore Worldwide Steel Buildings’ top ten benefits of steel buildings:
1. Durability and longevity
The steel used in our metal buildings can withstand even the most severe of weather conditions. Large balls of hail, lightning strikes and high winds are no match for steel structures. Not only do the construction materials used in metal buildings hold up well in all types of weather, they also stand the test of time and will last decades without showing much (if any) wear and tear.
Steel buildings in general are known for being long-lasting, and their roofs are a great example of that. We make our roofs from tough, U.S. manufactured steel. They are pre-treated to withstand the harshest of weather. The typical shingled roof has a life expectancy of around two decades. A metal roof has a minimum life expectancy of over 40 years. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors estimates metal roofs have a life expectancy up to 80 years.
2. Ease of maintenance
When you invest in a steel building, you’re investing in years of low-maintenance functionality. Our steel is pre-treated at the factory to be rust and corrosion resistant. Metal walls, roofs, and beams maintain their structural integrity through the toughest of elements. Our buildings have withstood decades of rain, heat, and snow. That means you won’t have to worry about replacing the roof shingles every fifteen years, monitoring slowly deteriorating exterior materials, or scrubbing hard-to-clean surfaces on a steel building — all things that come along with caring for traditional construction. A simple hose-down periodically will keep your steel frame building clean and looking excellent. Who doesn’t want less maintenance?
3. Simplicity
There are few materials involved in the steel building construction process, and the structure itself is deceivingly simple. Your steel building kit will be easy to put together in a short amount of time because of its simple nature. On a prepared slab, a 1200 ft. structure can go up in as little as a few hours.
4. Flexibility and versatility
You can build and customize nearly every aspect of a steel building. Add doors of any type, windows, porches, even incorporate luxury interior finishes. When you work with the building specialists at Worldwide Steel, the sky’s the limit.
Plus, steel buildings grow with your needs. Metal buildings are easy to expand, so if you outgrow your building, you can order additional material and install an expansion with minimal disruption to your life or business.
5. Affordability
Looking for the best bang for your buck? That’s just another one of the advantages of steel. The materials used to create a steel building are far less expensive than the concrete, lumber, brick, etc. needed to construct other types of structures. Construction costs are lower, because the process is so simple and can be completed by beginners with just some simple equipment. And you’ll keep saving money throughout the life of the building, because pre-engineered steel buildings require so little upkeep. As a bonus, property taxes and insurance premiums tend to be lower on a steel building than on traditional construction.
6. Easy to handle
Safety precautions are always a necessity on a construction project, but overall, there aren’t many pieces to a steel building that are difficult to handle. The steel tubing is not as heavy as you may think, and the sheet metal can be easy to deal with. Most of our customers find their first Worldwide Steel building project to be even faster and easier than expected.
7. Fire resistant
Steel doesn’t burn, so your building and the valuables within it are protected from any potential blaze. The fireproof qualities of steel makes your new building a great place to store historical or expensive cars, to work on crafting projects, and more. In areas where summers are hot and wildfires are common, this makes for excellent peace of mind.
8. Energy efficiency
Designing your building with sustainability in mind? The environmental benefits of steel start with the manufacturing process and continue for decades. The energy efficiency of metal structures contributes to their eco-friendly nature. Steel buildings can be insulated with a spray insulation that is very energy efficient and the insulation can also seal up leaks or spaces, keeping the needs for cooling and heating to a minimum. An insulated building will save you money on your energy bill and keeps people comfortable. If you choose a low-profile roof and an energy-saving color, you will save even more money.
9. Bug-proof and moisture-resistant
Owners of a steel building won’t ever have to worry about structural damage due to an infestation of termites or other bugs eating away at the building materials … simply because there are no bugs that can eat through steel. And while wood will eventually rot, steel is resistant to moisture, corrosion and rust.
10. Inexpensive Repairs
Metal building systems are less likely to be damaged than other buildings, but accidents can happen. If your building is in need of repair for one reason or another, you can simply patch the damaged area with an additional panel of sheeting. If the damage is larger or you’d like to invest in the aesthetics of your building, it is inexpensive and simple to replace the entire section of metal panels.
Let’s get started
There are so many benefits to prefabricated steel buildings, and even more uses than there are benefits. Ready to save money on your new building project? Reach out to the experts at Worldwide Steel Buildings! Call (800) 825-0316 to learn more about our 50-year structural warranty or request a quote online.
Is Your Steel Building Strong Enough For Where You Live?
When you’re getting ready to construct a new building, one of the primary things you should concentrate on is the structural integrity of the building material you choose. You want to ensure your building can withstand weather of all types, including very strong winds.
Based on where in the country you’re building, there are various wind ratings to contend with. There is a concentration of extremely high wind zones in the midwestern region of the country, based on the destructive winds that can often come sweeping through the plains. Many of these states are subject to tornadoes as well. And according to FEMA, even in parts of the county where there are significantly lower chances of high winds, there are “special wind regions” that can experience strong winds. These strong winds often accompany tropical storms, and, of course, unpredictable weather along the coasts can lead to unpredictable wind speed. The southern and eastern coasts in particular are also hurricane-prone areas, at regular risk of experiencing hurricane-force winds throughout hurricane season.
No matter what area of the country you are in, Worldwide Steel Buildings have proven time and time again to withstand not just the test of time, but the tests of winds and weather as well. Our buildings are set to the highest standards for wind loads (and snow loads) and have proven to sustain minimal, if any, wind damage in the most severe conditions, as long as they have been properly maintained.
And the weatherproofing benefits of high-quality metal buildings go beyond wind: They are also fire-resistant and, properly sealed and finished, hold up well to heavy rain.
Steel is a cost-effective and very strong material that is well suited for all types of extreme weather. In areas where such weather is more common, the building design you choose for your steel structure can further protect.
We offer several designs of building kits that you can consider, based on your location and the wind and weather conditions that may come your way.
- Rigid frame – This frame is also referred to as an “I‐beam” or the “red iron” and rigid frame buildings are typically built for commercial or industrial use. This frame can be great for any type of condition, but you’ll want to consider the type of shallow roof zoning required for your area first.
- Open Web truss –This type of building has a higher roof pitch than the rigid frame and is often used in residential areas. With an extremely heavy weight, these have incredible strength in any condition that almost no other building can beat.
- Quonset Hut – These are commonly called “arch buildings” because of their curved nature. They were once used primarily for military purposes but are now used often in agriculture and farming. These buildings tend to be open and only used as a basic covering or shelter. Enclosing and insulating them can be inconvenient and costly. These are better used in areas that do not have high wind or snow load requirements.
Worldwide Steel constructs our buildings unlike any other steel buildings with a strong and solid frame that beats the design and standards of our competition. In fact, our strongest buildings have 4-5 times the strength against wind compared to most other steel buildings. The buildings are designed to beat Mother Nature and withstand the worst of weather.
Before choosing your building, be sure to consider your needs, weather conditions, and zoning and building codes in your area to avoid any unforeseen issues.
Ready to get started on your metal building? Give us a call at (800) 825-0316 to begin the conversation, learn more about our industry-leading 50-year structural warranty, or get a quote on the project you have in mind. Our team looks forward to working with you.
