When Frank Hodges' two daughters ready their position beside home plate to take a turn at bat during softball practice in Milton, FL, he doesn't have the typical worries that most parents experience. There is no sun blinding their vision and no concerns of heat exhaustion. He knows practice will happen, rain or shine, and no energy or time will be wasted chasing foul balls.
While it is often said that practice makes perfect, for the Hodges girls, ages 9 and 10, the perfect practice happens daily during softball season in their own backyard inside of the family's steel batting dome which was purchased from SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA.
It was spring of 2009 when Hodges decided to dismantle an old airplane hangar made of a steel pipe frame and covered with aluminum siding that sat on a concrete slab in his backyard. “We used it as a batting dome for a couple of years, but it wasn't tall enough, and it had been torn up pretty good by hurricanes,” says Hodges. “I decided it was time to go ahead and tear it down and started researching on the Internet how I could get a building with the height I needed it to be that could also withstand any hurricanes that hit our area.”
Having already purchased a batting cage and net that was approximately 14 feet tall, Hodges thought he'd end up buying a building similar to the one he had just torn down. He quickly found out that it was difficult to find a company that could provide him with a building of his required dimensions that was structurally sound. Hodges also wanted to build the batting dome himself so that he could save on the cost of having to hire a construction crew to put it up for him. “I don't have a background in construction, but I'm kind of a handyman and am able to fix a lot around the house,” says Hodges. “That was the real selling point with SteelMaster—the fact that I could put it up myself. I talked back and forth with a representative from SteelMaster in terms of the width and length I wanted, and he worked it out so that we got the height that we needed. Ultimately we got the dimensions that I felt suited me, and he was confident in it structurally based on the company's experience in producing batting domes.”
According to Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster, the steel batting dome is one of the company's most popular specialty applications. “It is designed for year-round baseball and softball training and allows teams to practice and workout in all weather conditions,” says Wickum. “Our structures are clear span which provides 100 percent usable interior space to facilitate any combination and size of batting, pitching, and weight training areas. They also feature the same quality attributes of all SteelMaster buildings including a 30-year warranty, maintenance-free Energy Star rated Galvalume Plus coating, and a professional support staff before and after the sale.”
During construction of his batting dome, Hodges says he made use of SteelMaster's professional support staff when he had questions on how to proceed. “If I ran into a speed bump, it was as simple as a telephone call or email to their technical support, and I had the answer right away.” It took Hodges and a small group of his buddies three Saturday's to get the building about 90 percent built, and the rest of it he completed along with a friend after work during the week. “We put up the first metal the 14th of November, and we were batting in the cage the first week of January,” says Hodges. “This past summer, we had their softball team over once or twice a week to get their practice in and stay out of the heat. I am just extremely happy with it. The building looks good, and more importantly, it's a wonderful place for my daughters and me to spend quality time together.”
While it is often said that practice makes perfect, for the Hodges girls, ages 9 and 10, the perfect practice happens daily during softball season in their own backyard inside of the family's steel batting dome which was purchased from SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA.
It was spring of 2009 when Hodges decided to dismantle an old airplane hangar made of a steel pipe frame and covered with aluminum siding that sat on a concrete slab in his backyard. “We used it as a batting dome for a couple of years, but it wasn't tall enough, and it had been torn up pretty good by hurricanes,” says Hodges. “I decided it was time to go ahead and tear it down and started researching on the Internet how I could get a building with the height I needed it to be that could also withstand any hurricanes that hit our area.”
Having already purchased a batting cage and net that was approximately 14 feet tall, Hodges thought he'd end up buying a building similar to the one he had just torn down. He quickly found out that it was difficult to find a company that could provide him with a building of his required dimensions that was structurally sound. Hodges also wanted to build the batting dome himself so that he could save on the cost of having to hire a construction crew to put it up for him. “I don't have a background in construction, but I'm kind of a handyman and am able to fix a lot around the house,” says Hodges. “That was the real selling point with SteelMaster—the fact that I could put it up myself. I talked back and forth with a representative from SteelMaster in terms of the width and length I wanted, and he worked it out so that we got the height that we needed. Ultimately we got the dimensions that I felt suited me, and he was confident in it structurally based on the company's experience in producing batting domes.”
According to Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster, the steel batting dome is one of the company's most popular specialty applications. “It is designed for year-round baseball and softball training and allows teams to practice and workout in all weather conditions,” says Wickum. “Our structures are clear span which provides 100 percent usable interior space to facilitate any combination and size of batting, pitching, and weight training areas. They also feature the same quality attributes of all SteelMaster buildings including a 30-year warranty, maintenance-free Energy Star rated Galvalume Plus coating, and a professional support staff before and after the sale.”
During construction of his batting dome, Hodges says he made use of SteelMaster's professional support staff when he had questions on how to proceed. “If I ran into a speed bump, it was as simple as a telephone call or email to their technical support, and I had the answer right away.” It took Hodges and a small group of his buddies three Saturday's to get the building about 90 percent built, and the rest of it he completed along with a friend after work during the week. “We put up the first metal the 14th of November, and we were batting in the cage the first week of January,” says Hodges. “This past summer, we had their softball team over once or twice a week to get their practice in and stay out of the heat. I am just extremely happy with it. The building looks good, and more importantly, it's a wonderful place for my daughters and me to spend quality time together.”
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