Metal homes for residential housing are becoming the wave of home developments. Many contractors are using steel in residential housing developments because it has proven to be more cost-effective and durable. Plus consumers can custom design them usually without the need for an architect. Read on to learn more!
These benefits of steel in residential housing are especially enticing for people buying a home for the first time.
Why Steel Instead of Wood for Your Home?
Some of the benefits that you will find with steel for home construction are:
- Metal is specifically engineered for any regional climate changes.
- Metal is a greater fire-resistant material which results in lower insurance rates.
- Wood is not a cost-effective material for the future expansion of a home.
- Metal is not susceptible to termites or wood rot.
- Customizing metal can be done by the homeowner without consulting without hiring an architect and engineer.
- The sheeting, paint, and roof materials of a wood home are not covered under the home warranty.
- Metal buildings create additional space in the roof area compared to pole barn homes.
Is Steel Affordable?
If a homeowner chooses to build a steel home, right from the beginning of the process the engineering of the project is a built-in cost. This means that there is no additional cost to hiring an engineer to complete these tasks over the course of the project.
Additionally, homeowners have choices in custom design they would not have with a wood-structured home. Usually, homeowners that are building their own house may be able to choose fixtures and countertops and a few other additional items to complete their house. With a steel home, not only can homeowners choose all aspects of the home from the beginning of the project to the end, but they do not have to hire an architect to help with that process. These two aspects will create savings that the homeowner will have right from the start.
There are also costs over time that need to be considered for anyone building a home. With wood material, a homeowner will need at some point to maintain it over a period of 5, 10, 15, and 20 years if they choose to remain in the same home for that long. Also, asphalt roofs usually need replacement every 10-15 years. If you have a wooden house, there is a consistent need to repaint the home. Some estimate about every 5 to 8 years to refresh the look of the home.
What about Warranties and Insurance for Steel Housing?
Metal Building Warranties
Most steel manufacturers offer a variety of warranties to choose from on steel residential homes from 20, 40, and even 50-year structural warranties. This covers all aspects of the structure including the roof.
Insurance for Steel Buildings
Steel is a material that gives a homeowner built-in insurance savings. Because it is a non-combustible material, it can hold up under extreme heat. Also, if power lines were to fall on a steel home, they would be far less likely to start a fire. It also has extreme durability under high winds and with an approved foundation, can withstand earthquakes as well.
Can Steel Be Customized?
Steel homes can not only be customized but homeowners are not forced to hire an architect or engineer in order to accomplish this. A homeowner can also design for themselves all aspects of a steel home. From how it is placed on a property, the dimensions, and all of the features of each room.
They can even design a steel home to appear to be a wood home. This way they get the quality of a steel home with a more traditional look of a wood home. Sometimes the housing community will have style requirements.
Customizing the Layout
There are dozens of steel home floor plans to choose from which a homeowner can pick and choose certain layouts to coincide with their own unique ideas of how they want the interior of their home to be created. If you are interested, here are some steel home floorplans.
Do I Need Insulation for Metal?
Steel homes are required to have some form of insulation. So every steel home project has this built-in cost. It is important because it will alleviate any condensation occurring between the roof and the steel and the walls themselves and the steel structure.
In a steel home, insulation is needed under the roof material as well as the walls. In areas where there are dramatic changes in climate, this is especially important. Think of mounds of snow that will accumulate all winter against the walls of your home. Without insulation, this will breed condensation that could lead to rust.
Evaluating Your Pre-Construction Services Options
Is an architect needed? Not necessarily.
After consulting with the homeowner, most local steel building contractors will present a construction package. This is specifically detailed in that it will act as a feasibility report that an architect would normally have to be hired to create for a home-building project.
This immediately may cut costs to the homeowner by even up to half of what they would normally pay if they had to hire an architect. This is financially very attractive.
So, a homeowner can visit a steel manufacturer and get all the help and information that they need to begin. This includes a thorough cost analysis of the entire project from start to finish. All without the additional payments to architects or engineers. In addition, the owner has total control over the customization of their dream home.
