Steel Storage Holds Sky High Potential

Often people are loyal to certain brands and never stray. Be it a specific type of chewing gum, laundry detergent, soda, or even breed of dog, among the hundreds of choices available in the marketplace, folks tend to go with what they know.

Such is the case for Stan Saloff of Lompoc, CA, but his brand loyalty in one particular instance is a bit unique-it’s to a type of steel building.

"I looked high and wide, as we say on the farm, for steel buildings when I first got the idea years ago," says Saloff. "I talked to people with steel buildings and finally decided that the ease of construction, durability, price, and looks of all things, went into my final decision-and that is SteelMaster Buildings. As you can tell, since this is my third one, I happy with them."

For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA, has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

Saloff bought his first SteelMaster building 15 years ago to use as a hangar for his homebuilt airplane that he planned to store on his friend’s property in San Luis Obispo, CA.

"I got side tracked for a few years and that building is now used as storage by my friends," says Saloff. "It still looks new."

The second one is located on Saloff’s property in Grover Beach, CA, and features a large garage-type door as well as a personal door.

"I now rent my house, and the tenant is using the building as a workshop doing commercial granite work," says Saloff. "He told me it’s really a perfect work shop."

His third SteelMaster building is located at his retirement home property in California City, CA, and will be used as a hangar.

"My small airplane is almost completed, and we plan to start the engine this weekend and have it flying by Christmas," says Saloff. "The wings fold on this airplane so it fits easily in the 16X28 foot building. This way I won’t have hangar expenses ($400/month) when I retire, and the building will outlast me."

How is it that one brand of steel building is able to perfectly fit the bill for each one of these uses?

"Versatility" say Michelle Wickum, who is the director of marketing for the company. "SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities. The Quick and Easy Construction of our kits makes them ideal for the "do-it-yourselfer. The unique design of these steel garage buildings provides security and durability against Fire, Snow, and Hurricane force winds, while remaining aesthetically pleasing

For Saloff, the opportunity to construct the buildings himself not only provided cost savings, but also a little bit of fun.

"I have constructed all three by myself and a few friends," says Saloff. "The last one was completed with the back wall in three days. We figured a very effective and safe way to raise each section in the desert wind-we put a loosely attached bolt at each end on the channel and used a rope with a large step ladder to rotate (raise) it up in place. We used battery powered drill motors to secure the nuts. It was just simple tinker toy type assembly. It’s actually fun putting it together."

Saloff added that he was also please that there was no need for an expensive concrete slab.

"I don’t use a concrete slab, says Saloff. "I just use SteelMaster’s inverted channels lag bolted to railroad ties for the outer footing. Then I dump a load of gravel for the floor. It’s a farm type set up and really works well for my application and is economical."

If you find yourself looking for Saloff toward the end of 2011, you aren’t likely to find him tinkering around in any of his SteelMaster buildings or in any other building at all for that matter.

"The airplane I am currently building is a homebuilt model called a CH701; kit by Zenith Aircraft in Mexico, MO," says Saloff. "It’s about 23 feet long, carries two people, and only goes 85 miles per hour; perfect for an older pilot. It will be so much fun just puttering around the sky at slow speeds."

The Carport Makes a Comeback

SteelMaster carports were recently mentioned in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune as an alternative to an attached garage.  According to the article, carports have many advantages over garages including  lower costs, less cumbersome design options, and no potential for noxious gases to build up from chemicals being stored. Read the full article below.

The Carport Makes a Comeback

By: Cynthia Anderson

Stylish homes with carports: The Cohen House on Siesta Key’s Bayou Louise is one. The Umbrella House on Lido Key - called "one of the most remarkable houses of the mid-20th century" by Architectural Digest - is another. Understated, elegant and historic, both properties feature carports at their best.

Both are also exceptions. In earlier incarnations, most carports were flat roofs with four posts - simple structures intended to shield cars from sun and rain, most of the time. Popular during the 1950s and ’60s, they began looking dated soon after attached garages became a staple of the American single-family home. In the current real estate market, carports often signal other - often undesirable - retro-isms: outmoded appliances, old plastic laminate counters, windows in need of replacement.

But attached garages have their own drawbacks. "I don’t particularly like the way the garage dominates the front of the house," said homeowner Phillip Sharff, who, before moving last year from Boston to Lakewood Ranch, lived in a house with a detached garage at the end of the driveway. And many garage owners don’t like the odors from chemicals stored there.

Some contemporary designers and builders, especially those with green inclinations, are opting out of garages, training their sights once again on the humble carport.

"There are a lot of advantages to carports and detached garages," said Steve Ellis, co-founder of MyGreenBuildings in Sarasota. "Builders are seeing the benefits, and so are home buyers."

Those advantages fall into two categories: environmental and stylistic. The carport comeback applies the best of mid-century modern architecture - simplicity, grace, and responsiveness to the natural environment - to current ideals of conservation and sustainability. It is, in many respects, a logical marriage long in the making.

"Carports are environmentally friendly, and they’re inexpensive," said architect Todd Sweet of TOTeMS Inc. in Sarasota. "Especially when you have a smaller home, a carport adds less mass. It can keep the scale down."

TOTeMS recently designed a carport for a homeowner who did not wish to alter the design of his 1940s home, but who wanted a place to park his sports car (see cover.) "It was a really good choice," said Sweet.

Custom green builder Josh Wynne, of Sarasota’s Josh Wynne Construction, recently built the highest-scoring LEED-Platinum new home in the United States. Only 5 percent of his homes have attached garages, while the rest have carports, detached garages or no garage at all. Wynne’s reasons are part aesthetics, part cost - "Do we really want to spend $40,000 or $50,000 to build something that’s just designed to hold a vehicle?" - and part ecology.

"There’s definitely the potential for noxious gases to build up" in a garage, said Wynne. "It is a concern. Conventional garages almost never have adequate ventilation."

The indoor pollution hazards of attached garages are not inconsiderable. A study published by Environmental Research in 2007 showed that attached garages frequently contain elevated concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can migrate into the residence. Unsurprisingly, gasoline-related VOCs, including the known carcinogen benzene, were found at the highest levels, and most of the fuel-related aromatics in the house resulted from garage sources.

People with existing attached garages can take measures to make them greener. Solar-powered fans improve ventilation, and solar-powered batteries can run appliances, such as mowers and clippers. Insulation is key, too: Install it not just in shared walls, but generously throughout the garage and attic space. As for chemicals that inevitably wind up in the garage, substitute non-VOC paints and bio-based solvents and paint strippers - and recycle used automotive fluids.

People who want to add an environmentally friendly carport to an existing property have several options, from pared-back to posh. SteelMaster Buildings Systems in Virginia Beach, Va., makes affordable, pre-engineered metal carports. The units are designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and can be assembled in a weekend.

Sankyo Tateyama Aluminum Inc. manufactures several models of sleek aluminum-framed carports. The KDR series is also built to withstand high winds and comes in blue, brown or clear polycarbonate. The elegant, two-car M.Shade includes 12 solar panels. It’s pricey - $40,000 without installation - but can be used to provide most of the power needs of the adjacent home or to re-charge a hybrid vehicle.

Carports also offer much from an architectural perspective. As design elements, they are light rather than heavy, and therefore more versatile than garages. An unfortunate reality, according to Wynne, is that for cost reasons, garages typically form a front-and-center focal point - and often a visually displeasing one.

"The goal from a design perspective should be for the garage not to be a substantial portion of the front elevation of the home," he said. "The front should have character and integrity, and it should be welcoming. Let’s face it. Most garages are ugly. I don’t care how many nooks and gables you have, it’s still a garage."

New carports can easily be built to comply with wind codes and zoning laws, Wynne said, and aesthetically they’ve come a long way from ’50s-style four-posters. "We never want to go backward in design. We never want to go backward in our quality of construction," Wynne said. "The carport has evolved the same as housing has evolved."

Carports also have functional advantages: Remove the automobiles, and you have a covered outdoor soiree space. Locate one next to a pool deck, and you’ve got a shaded, extended area for patio furniture. "Garages have largely become closets. Generally, if a home has a two-car garage, you’ll find one car in it and the rest is storage space," said Wynne. "Carports are more adaptable. They’re extensions of the house."

Even so, many homeowners wouldn’t give up the convenience or protection of a garage. Sharff isn’t getting rid of his anytime soon. "It serves its purpose," he said. "It does keep the cars shielded from the sun, and it’s secure. And where else would we keep all that stuff? I call it my ‘Florida basement.’"

In the end, perhaps, it comes down to a matter of taste. Retired architect Tim Seibert, whose many Sarasota designs include the Siesta Key Beach Pavilion and the John D. MacDonald House, parks in a carport "because I can’t stand waiting for the garage door to open." His wife, on the other hand, parks in the garage, Seibert said.

"She’s a very neat person, wouldn’t dream of leaving her car outside. She always keeps it the garage. A very elegant garage."

For More Information About SteelMaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

'Top 10' Reason to Watch SteelMaster Buildings

Top 10 lists are everywhere-most notably on the Internet, in magazines, and other print publications. People value Top 10 lists from credible sources because they provide them with information on the best and brightest that they would otherwise have to research themselves.

This week, SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA was recognized for making the Top 10 list of businesses to watch by the Hampton Road Chamber of Commerce.

The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads (SBDC), held its Small Business of the Year Awards luncheon on Thursday, May 19-a date which coincides with the U.S. Small Business Administration's "National Small Business Week". This week recognizes the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of the United States.

Businesses like SteelMaster Buildings that made this "Top 10 to Watch" list had to be a South Hampton Roads for-profit emerging business with fewer than 99 employees, in business for six years or less, or should have introduced a new product or entered a new market in the last five years.

The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit member-based business organization that is a vigorous advocate for the economic success of its nearly 2,000 member businesses, which employ more than 280,000 men and women in southeastern Virginia. The SBDC of Hampton Roads is a non-profit affiliate of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and Thomas Nelson Community College in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBDC provides management counseling, information, technical assistance, education, and training to small businesses in the region's 18 cities and counties.

"We have actively worked with the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and the SBDC for many years now," says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster Buildings. "They are an invaluable asset to the community, and we are honored that they chose SteelMaster Buildings for the "Top 10 to Watch" list.

SteelMaster Buildings has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures for more than 29 years to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

"Customer service is a critical component in the SteelMaster customer experience," says Wickum. "We have four dedicated employees on staff to serve our customers before, during, and after the delivery of their steel building. Each of our customer service representatives has extensive experience with our structures as well."

The event's guest speaker was Congressman Scott Rigell. Congressman Rigell is the founder and Chairman of Freedom Automotive. He was recently inducted into the Hampton Roads Business Hall of Fame.

Urban Hen's SteelMaster Chicken Coops

The article below was written about the Urban SteelMaster Chicken Coops and was featured in a web series called Urbavore's Dilemma…

It's high time for a chicken-coop makeover.

After all, one of the main stumbling blocks for incorporating chicken coops into urban landscape is that they usually don't match the backyard décor. The rusty nails and splintery plywood frames, the dirty wire mesh walls and soiled dirt floor - none of it goes well with the teak loungers from Pottery Barn and copper birdbath from Smith & Hawken.

Thanks to a little Boulder operation called Urban Hens, that could soon change.

Urban Hens, a volunteer-based community project that's partnered with the Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design (CYE) at the University of Colorado at Denver, has recently been building and donating hen houses to Boulder and Denver schools and community organizations with the aim of teaching children about environmental awareness and sustainable food systems. But these aren't the shabby hen houses of old.

The ten-hen structures are a modern mix of metal and wood. A shiny, corrugated metal roof arches overhead, while attractive wooden slats keep the roomy interior shaded and ventilated. The coops, which would fit right in among a trendy patio setting, look like they were designed by a professional architect - which turns out is exactly the case.

"I think really one of our hurdles was this mental model people have for hen houses that they weren't attractive and don't fit into the urban setting," says Wynn Martens, co-founder of Urban Hens, who decided to use chickens for teaching and community building after learning about climate-change and industrial-food problems at her job at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Division of Continuing Education & Professional Studies. "People assume they are messy and smelly and we really wanted to get over that speed bump."

So Martens and her colleagues at CYE turned to Rob Pyatt, a CU-Boulder architecture instructor, who agreed to teach a community-outreach class last semester in which five architecture students would design and build coops for small urban backyards. They quickly found there was no blueprint for what they were trying to do.

"This is a new prototype model for backyards," says Pyatt. "Most chicken coops are either poorly designed for that purpose, or they are more of a farm model." So they came up with their own model, based loosely on the design of Quonset huts, prefabricated, bunker-like structures CU-Boulder and other area institutions used for student housing after World War II when building materials were scarce. Not only did that give the coop design historical context, but the arched structure was relatively cheap, light and easy to build. They incorporated tall roofs so people could easily stand inside, slatted walls for ventilation and sand floors for easy cleaning. To make sure it didn't tip over in the wind or get attacked by predators or dogs, the fully enclosed structures were bolted to concrete slabs.

"It was all about making raising chickens as easy as possible, says Martens: "Urban hens wanted to set people up to succeed with urban hens."

So far, it's worked. Urban Hens recently intalled its first two coops, one at Shawnee Gardens assisted-living center in Boulder and one at as North Boulder cooperative residential community. They have grant funding for three more coops, one of which is planned to be built at Park Hill Elementary School in Denver, but they're looking for more funding since they already have a list of fifteen-plus others organizations who want to sign on. Eventually, says Martens, Urban Hens hopes to design and sell chicken-coop kits around Boulder based on Pyatt and his students' design, with proceeds allowing them to donate built coops to low-income neighborhoods and community organizations.

That way, lots of people can reap the benefits of urban hens - while looking downright snazzy in the process.

Urbavore's Dilemma is an ongoing web series detailing city dwellers' commitment to urban homesteading. From May through September, Westword writer Joel Warner will get his hands dirty, covering everything from backyard chickens to front-lawn gardens, from greenhouses to co-ops and food-sharing. Check out the full series

 For More Information About SteelMaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

It's a Photo Finish for this Steel Carport

Tina Winnett wasn't initially drawn to the carport that she purchased from SteelMaster Buildings in April 2011 because of its unique arch design or sturdy appearance. Just from looking at the photo alone, there was no way she could know about the carport's unsurpassed ability to withstand all climate weather conditions-a considerable benefit since Winnett lives in Lakeland, FL, where hot summers and strong storms can put serious wear and tear on any building.

In fact, what drew her to the SteelMaster carport had nothing to do with the carport itself, but with what was parked underneath.

"I Googled 'carports' and I saw a picture on SteelMaster's website of a carport covering a Prius," says Winnett. "I own a new Prius, so that of course caught my attention and made me want to learn more."

When she first started scouting the Internet looking for a carport, she says the only definite requirement she had in mind was that it didn't look flimsy like so many of the carports she had seen around town.

"When I did some more research on SteelMaster's carports, I was impressed by the quality and sturdiness of the steel, the warranty, and then by the conversation I had with SteelMaster's Senior Project Specialist Michael Suozzi-what a salesman!"

For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA, has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

"SteelMaster buildings are easier to handle, stronger, and less expensive than any other common garage building materials thanks to the architectural strength of the arch coupled with 21st century technology," says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster. "Plus, our steel buildings are built to meet the wind loads of their destination whether that's in Lakeland, FL or on the other side of the globe. You also don't have to treat it, paint it, or maintain it. With a SteelMaster carport, you just enjoy it. The Galvalume Plus coating provides years of maintenance-free use."

Although Winnett felt confident that her carport would stand the test of time, the contractor that she hired did not share the same feeling.

"When he first started the assembly, he had some reservations about the sturdiness of the carport because the bolts had to remain loose up to a certain point," says Winnett. "Once he began tightening everything up, he was very much impressed."

Although Winnett chose to hire a contractor to construct her carport, SteelMaster's buildings are designed so most customers can assemble and raise the posts, beams, and panels to complete the construction of their SteelMaster building without a contractor, which is an economical plus.

"Each of our steel carports as well as all of our other buildings comes with an easy-to-read and detailed construction manual to aid in the construction of your new metal carport," says Wickum. "We also have posted many how-to videos on our YouTube channel to help people along in the process. Also, our customers should always remember that their SteelMaster Building Specialist and our Customer Service Representatives are available should they have any questions during any phase of the assembly process."

Winnett's contractor began work on the carport in the beginning of August, and she said he had it completed in no time at all.

"From start to finish, it took about four days, but only because my contractor poured concrete bunkers that had to set up before he could begin the assembly, which took about a day and a half," says Winnett.

Now that her carport is up and her Prius is parked underneath just like in the picture that first led her to explore SteelMaster, Winnett has nothing but praise for her purchase.

"I love the look of the carport and have received many favorable comments from friends and neighbors," says Winnett. "Obviously, it serves the purpose for which it was designed (protecting my vehicle from oak tree trash and bird droppings), and I assume it will remain intact after the active hurricane season we are in. I am very pleased."

In addition to carports, SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

The First Step of Steel Building Construction

We often write about the process of erecting a SteelMaster steel building, but there is one vital step that we rarely discuss. Before a metal building can be constructed, a foundation has to be set. It is very important to ensure that the concrete is poured correctly so that your steel building will be level. We recently received some great photos showing the process of pouring concrete for one of our many buildings at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek.

For More Information About SteelMaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

RV Storage Buildings Protect your Investment

With winter right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about storing your RV out of the harsh elements of Mother Nature. Due to the size of most recreational vehicles, storage is often incovenient and can be hard to find. SteelMaster steel buildings offer high-style roofs and side walls that allow RV’s to fit, and the DIY construction means you can easily build one in your own backyard.  With a variety of models and customization options, there are plenty of ways to create the perfect storage building for your RV.

Read the articles below for more tips about RV storage buildings…

 For More Information About SteelMaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

100% Bonus Depreciation on Farm Buildings

Less than four months remain to get your new steel farm building constructed and “in service” in order to be eligible for the 100% bonus depreciation. If you have been considering adding a new building to your farm, now is the time to do it. By completing construction before the end of the year, you can deduct then entire cost of your building (including land grading and concrete) on your 2011 tax return. Call 800-341-7007 or fill out the form below the pictures to learn more about the tax benefits .

For More Information About SteelMaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

Construction Tips: Hay Storage Buildings

SteelMaster buildings can be utilized to protect a farmer’s hay crop from everyday elements. Using a steel building to store round bales, rectangular bales or bricks, will extend their storage time and prevent the bales from rotting. In the off-cutting season, the buildings can also be used to protect equipment.

Before purchasing a steel hay storage buildings, customers usually ask how big of a building they will need to store their typical hay crop. That answer really depends on the size of the hay bales. With 4 ft. bales, a 42 ft. wide x 17 ft. high building can accomodate 28 bales of hay in one row. While the same size building can hold 16 5 ft. bales. The total number of bales stored in the building will ultimately depend on the length of the steel building. See the diagrams below.

Garage Door Options for Your Steel Building

The garage door clearance is an important factor when considering which style of door is appropriate for your building. There are two basic types of doors to choose from:

Your first option is the Sectional Overhead garage door. The door travels on tracks up over your head and back into the building. They can be ordered from a minimum of 8 inches of track clearance to a standard of 16 inches of clearance.

There is also the option of a Rolling Sheet door. This door recoils back into a cylinder or drum located above the header of the door. You will require a space roughly 22” wide by 24” high to install it.

For more information on garage door options for your SteelMaster Buildings,  please contact our Customer Service Department Monday – Thursday 8AM to 6PM and Friday 8AM to 5PM.