In this day and age, there's a new product fresh on the market nearly every other day. Steel isn't exactly new, but with advancements in the design process it is now faster and cheaper to use metal framing systems than the traditional wood; not to mention the environmentally-friendly aspects of using metal.
American Buildings Company's structures are manufactured from 70% recycled steel, which is a pretty big deal. And even better, at the end of a building's lifespan, 100% of it can be recycled into a variety of steel products such as cars, bridges, appliances and even more buildings.
Now, labor is typically the largest expense of any building project; so the more you can cut labor hours, the better. Wood-framed buildings require skilled laborers who must spend time cutting lumber to size, framing, and drilling holes for wiring, among other things. With metal systems all of that is taken care of for you before the materials even arrive on the job site; and each system can be installed by simply following an instruction booklet.
Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, no! The design process is so detail-intensive that every bolt, nut, and screw has been designated to an exact, pre-drilled location on the building, which helps cut down on installation time and the cost of the project.
A traditional wood-framed building requires a new coat of paint at least every four to seven years, with touch-ups on a regular basis. The average roof lasts for about 15-20 years.
Steel-framed buildings with metal building components often have paneling and roof warranties that last 40 to 50 years. There is no splitting, warping, molding, mildewing, or cracking, so lifetime maintenance and upkeep costs of a steel-framed building are pretty small.
Because steel is so durable and resistant to fire and other destructive actions, owners can get substantial discounts on risk insurance.
"Well," you might say, " a metal building can't be insulated quite like a wood building can be... right?" Wrong again! We are able to use the same types of insulation used in wood buildings, but with fewer framing members taking up space - allowing the building more insulation per square foot, and resulting in better insulating qualities. Not only will you have better insulation, but also the option of daylighting skylights that further reduce your energy bill - yet another eco-friendly reason to choose metal.
Applications can include commercial and retail, office space, government and institutional, warehouses and recreational buildings. Incorporating more of these buildings into the world is a great way to help the industry become more environmentally-friendly, while also providing a durable and aesthetically-pleasing building.
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