A Man Uses Steel to Work on his Muscles

Although it is 2012, the 1960’s and 70’s are still rumbling and roaring in a 25 foot by 50 foot steel building located in the quiet suburbs of McKinney, TX.  It is in this steel arched building that Stephen Martinez keeps the carefree, rock-n-roll attitude of that era alive by restoring classic muscle cars, which are more popular and valuable than ever. 

For years, Martinez worked on restoring the cars in the cramped space of a standard attached garage. But in 2006, he revved up his surroundings by purchasing the large steel building from SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA.

“It is climate controlled, insulated, and has a full complement of auto shop tools, including a two-post car lift,” says Martinez. “We chose to purchase from SteelMaster because we wanted an engineered building that would not require any maintenance. I used the industrial rail mounting, and the buildings fit together well when care is taken to assure that the starting sections are plumb.”

Martinez liked his building so much in fact, that he turned to SteelMaster again in 2007 to buy a 10 foot by 12 foot building to use for storage. Then in 2010, he bought a 12 foot by 30 foot building to use as a workshop to house his hobby of building furniture and gifts made of exotic hardwoods.

Now the owner of three SteelMaster steel buildings which stand side by side on his property, Martinez says his “compound” is complete. “My experience working with SteelMaster Buildings has been excellent,” says Martinez. “We are very pleased—especially so when we finished the installation, which we did ourselves.”

With thousands pf satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the United States, on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries, SteelMaster takes pride in knowing its steel buildings have earned the favor of people like Martinez.

SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, 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.

A Steel Cover Connection Across the Miles

Although they live more than 1,000 miles apart, the connection between Mike Cumming and Kerry Martin is an incredibly strong one. They know they can depend on it, even as the world around them tries its best to tear it down. It is practically indestructible, and that’s because it is made of steel.

Despite the fact that Cumming and Martin have never met, they are part of a world-wide network of more than 40,000 people and organizations who all own a SteelMaster building, which is a pre-fabricated arched steel structure, manufactured and designed by SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA.

Cumming, who lives in Altoona, PA, first became aware of SteelMaster in 1986 when as a teenager he helped his father construct one to use to store parts for his company, Cumming Motors. “We were very satisfied with the high quality of our pre-fabricated steel building,” says Cumming. “Unfortunately we had to tear it down years later because we needed the property it was sitting on to expand the main building of the business. I was sad to see it go because it still looked perfectly new.”

In 2009, Cumming decided he needed a cover for an outdoor wood burning stove that he uses to heat his home as well as a place to keep the wood dry from any wet weather. “I was initially going to put up a wood building, but while I was looking around on the Internet for one, I came across SteelMaster Buildings and remembered the building dad and I built years ago,” says Cumming.

He bought a carport from the company to cover his wood burning stove and wood, and in no time at all, the building was up and ready for use. “I remembered how to do it from putting together the first one with my father, so we got it up in a short amount of time. I also own a front end loader which made the job a lot easier,” says Cumming. “It turns out that there was plenty of space left over under the carport so that I am able to fit most of my truck underneath it as well. If people are looking for an extremely strong carport that they can build themselves, then this is the one to get.”

More than 1,000 miles away in Lafitte, LA, Kerry Martin was also on the market for a carport that he and his family could hang out under in the summer, and he decided to buy a Steelmaster Building. “My family and I installed the carport patio ourselves, which included my 81-year-old dad, my 49-year-old wife, my 14-year-old son, and me. We had it up in about two days, which was great.”

“Most of our customers assemble and raise the posts, beams, and panels to complete the construction of their SteelMaster carport without a contractor,” says Michelle Wickum, SteelMaster’s director of marketing. “Each of our steel carports comes with an easy-to-read and detailed construction manual to aid in the construction of your new carport. If our customers have questions during any phase of the assembly process, SteelMaster Buildings Specialists and our Customer Service Representatives are always available and ready to help.”

Now that it is up, Martin and his family sit under it and BBQ and relax as they enjoy the scenery of the Bayou. “It provides good protection from the sun in the summer and for rainy days,” says Martin. “I can say the structure is nice looking, sturdy, and very easy to install. I would recommend this type of SteelMaster structure to anyone to just hang out under or to protect their car or boat from the weather.”

According to Wickum, the SteelMaster carport is the strongest steel carport in the marketplace and is built to withstand a wide range of climate conditions. “The unique design of these carport building kits provides security and durability against things like snow and hurricane-force winds, while remaining aesthetically pleasing. Ranging from 12 to 20 feet in width to 18 to 40 feet in length, SteelMaster has a carport kit to fit every need!

In addition to carports, SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, Military Buildings, Commercial Warehousing, and Industrial Storageas well as a wide variety of Custom Building applications including Athletic Facilities, Retail Stores, Churches, Bus Stops, Smoke Shacks, Doggie Dorms, and Correctional Facilities.Although they live more than 1,000 miles apart, the connection between Mike Cumming and Kerry Martin is an incredibly strong one. They know they can depend on it, even as the world around them tries its best to tear it down. It is practically indestructible, and that’s because it is made of steel.

Despite the fact that Cumming and Martin have never met, they are part of a world-wide network of more than 40,000 people and organizations who all own a SteelMaster building, which is a pre-fabricated arched steel structure, manufactured and designed by SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA.

Cumming, who lives in Altoona, PA, first became aware of SteelMaster in 1986 when as a teenager he helped his father construct one to use to store parts for his company, Cumming Motors. “We were very satisfied with the high quality of our pre-fabricated steel building,” says Cumming. “Unfortunately we had to tear it down years later because we needed the property it was sitting on to expand the main building of the business. I was sad to see it go because it still looked perfectly new.”

In 2009, Cumming decided he needed a cover for an outdoor wood burning stove that he uses to heat his home as well as a place to keep the wood dry from any wet weather. “I was initially going to put up a wood building, but while I was looking around on the Internet for one, I came across SteelMaster Buildings and remembered the building dad and I built years ago,” says Cumming.

He bought a carport from the company to cover his wood burning stove and wood, and in no time at all, the building was up and ready for use. “I remembered how to do it from putting together the first one with my father, so we got it up in a short amount of time. I also own a front end loader which made the job a lot easier,” says Cumming. “It turns out that there was plenty of space left over under the carport so that I am able to fit most of my truck underneath it as well. If people are looking for an extremely strong carport that they can build themselves, then this is the one to get.”

A Building to Live, Work and Dream In

If slow and steady wins the race, then the Cochran men of Arley, Ala. are champions of woodworking, meticulously crafting wood furniture from salvaged trees acquired at national forests in South Alabama and Florida.

steel-building-studio-apartmentWhen it came time to build a woodworking shop and home for Dylan Cochran, part owner of Wood Studio, he and his brother Keith and father Randy chose an arched steel structure that fit their criteria as artisans. The result is a haven for the family to live, work, and dream in together.

Brenda Welch talked to Keith Cochran about his plans to build a family woodworking compound, and why they chose to build with steel.

BW: What is housed in your steel building?

KC: Inside the building is our shop and Dylan’s house. The front and rear of our building is split into two floors, and the apartment is in the back of the building with a kitchen, laundry room, ½ bath downstairs and living room, full bath, and bedroom upstairs.

BW: What made you decide to purchase a steel building?

KC: We chose a SteelMaster Buildings because of the shape, durability, material, and cost. The cost was nice, but I liked [SteelMaster] out of all the manufacturers because the sales folks were great. A big reason we chose our particular steel building was also because we could build it with minimal assistance. We usually had between four and six folks working and it took about nine days in order to get the SteelMaster up. Then it took Dylan and me about another week to get all the bolts in and tight. Another big reason we chose SteelMaster is because once it was up, we were covered and able to work in the dry to frame up the inside and exterior walls. That was very nice! Anything else you would have to frame up and roof all in the elements, which could have taken us a whole lot longer.

steel-building-wood-studio-apartmentBW: When did you start the building process, and when were you finished? Was it difficult to add the wood element, and what type of wood did you use?

KC: We started attaching the footers to the slab in December 2004, and we finished in January 2005 with the sky lights all bolted together tight. We did it while celebrating the holidays as well as being hit by two major storms. One hit a week after the building was delivered, and another small one hit when we had about three or four loose sections up. We lashed everything down and suffered no consequences. For us, the wood element was easy to work in, but we are all master woodworkers. The wood we used was mostly longleaf pine for the framing, which was salvaged and harvested from the two storms and sawed locally. The interior and exterior were sheathed with exterior grade ½” MDO plywood. The exterior siding is eastern red cedar. The window casings and interior and exterior frames are all cypress. The doors are walnut and white oak, the back decks are made of treated yellow pine, and the big door frames are salvaged heart pine beams.

wood-studio2BW: Did the building turn out the way you envisioned? Would you do anything differently if you had it to do over again?

KC: It is pretty much like I envisioned, but I did a lot of envisioning. I would have done a couple things differently, but you live and you learn—I wouldn’t change anything significant.

BW: What kind of reaction have you gotten from people who have seen the building?

KC: Everyone loves it. I even had the insurance inspector tell me I should stop building furniture and build these metal-building-wood-studio-apartmentbuildings. The reaction is always positive! The place is more than just a building to us—it is a place for us to kind of show off and build some cool stuff for ourselves. So we use it as somewhat of a Wood Studio show house of sorts. I have plans for many more SteelMaster projects in the future at this location, financing permitted. We love our SteelMaster and will use them again to add on to our family’s woodworking compound. I hope in the very near future!

Last Chance to Enter Our 2012 Photo Contest

Don’t miss your final chance to enter our 2012 Photo Contest. All entries must be received by midnight on September 2nd in order for pictures of your SteelMaster building to have a chance at a $500 VISA Gift Card. All you have to do is email pictures of your steel building to eanderson@steelmasterusa.com. Be sure to include a brief description of how you use your building and any other comments you may have. Read the full rules here. Check out some of the recent entries below…

Steel with Style

Daniel Trimbach is a man with style—so much so that he runs his own New York-based design firm, and for more than two decades has provided design and project management services to both commercial and residential clients. Throughout the years, his work has won awards and appeared on the cover of Interior Design Magazine and other publications.

true-arch-steel-carportCome most Friday afternoons, Trimbach heads to his weekend home in Kerhonkson, N.Y., where, at any given time, he can be seen tooling around town driving one of his two motorcycles, a 2008 Range Rover, a 1983 F350 Pickup Truck, a 1973 Buick Centurion Convertible or a 1973 Buick Estate Wagon.

In the spring of 2010, Trimbach realized his motorcycles and cars were taking too much of a beating from Mother Nature, so he took to the Internet in search of a solution—he found one with SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, Va.

For more than 30 years, SteelMaster Buildings has designed and produced steel and metal pre-engineered arch buildings for a broad range of residential and commercial applications, including carports.

With his scope of knowledge and talent, what led to Trimbach’s decision to buy and build a SteelMaster carport?

He explains:
“I chose SteelMaster after looking at the photos on the company’s website. I modified the roof line to be a true arc, which means that all panels are curved. The standard product uses curved panels only at the top. The rest are straight. I wanted a true curve with no flat sections. This was important for aesthetic reasons and to keep the profile “pure” because it is sighted right next to a very modern house. The house is a statement of simple form and materials (cedar, glass, and a special cement panel). The SteelMaster carport is also beautifully simple in its form (true arc) and materials. The texture of the steel roof panels looks great in the wooded setting. Like the house, the carport contrasts nicely with the surrounding vegetation and topography. It is very sturdy and looks great on the property. I was a little concerned that fabrication started before I approved the drawings, but the salesman understood the “true arc” idea so it all worked out. I plan to add Kalwall panels on three sides. Later on, maybe a glass garage door after some reinforcement of the structure.”

With more than 40,000 satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the United States, on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries, SteelMaster takes pride in knowing its steel buildings have earned the favor of people like Trimbach.

SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, Military Buildings, Commercial Warehousing, and Industrial Storageas well as a wide variety of Custom Building applications including Athletic Facilities, Retail Stores, Churches, Bus Stops, Smoke Shacks, Doggie Dorms, and Correctional Facilities.