building a metal building home

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We're interested in building a "metal building" house on our property in rural central Oklahoma. We'll be new to country living, but are very excited and welcome any advise.

-- Tracey Rodriguez (okierod@aol.com), November 28, 2000

Answers

Most important above all---don't forget the tornado shelter!! They come fast and heavy there.

-- Evelyn (leaves8@hotmail.com), November 28, 2000.

It would have the advantage of going up quickly. I have had two large metal buildings built on the farm. With a crew of four, the contractor had both up and complete in 2-3 days. You can specify what type doors and windows you want and where. While just a shell, they are easy to wire.

On the downside, I would be concerned it would be a bit like living in an oven. I have been in OK City when it was so hot patching tar on the parking lot melted. It would require heavier than normal insulation.

Then there is finishing the ceiling. In my buildings trusses are 10' apart. Don't really know how you could span then without sagging between the trusses. Might require at least doubling the number of trusses for a residence.

Attic area would require ventilation to exhaust heat build-up. Perhaps a louver on one end and a louvered exhaust fan on the other.

Before the bottom still goes on, I would recommend putting down two heavy beads of a good silicon caulking.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 29, 2000.


I am in the process of finishing up the design of a custom metal house for a friend. I am in Texas and the main things to be concerned with are making certain that you have some shade to help out with heavy duty extra insulation and if possible locate the building to take advantage of prevailing breezes.

I think that metal buildings for homes are becoming quite a bit morepopular because they are inexpensive and environmentally much more sustainable. There are some web sites devoted to readymade metal frame homes. Here's a good one...metalhomes.com. They are out of Houston.

I think they are a better idea for people in the south as the metal actually will reflect a lot of the heat if you pick the colors correctly. But DO get a tornado shelter! Good luck!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), November 29, 2000.


I have heard they are using a lot of metal structural parts in some of the new houses down around the Phoenix area in Arizona. With the high price of wood, it has become cheaper to use metal 2x4 in place of wooden ones. Seams to work just fine, no extra cooling or heating needed. A little retraining for the construction crew on how to use, but that is about all.

-- JLS in NW AZ (stalkingbull007@AOL.com), November 29, 2000.

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