A Birthday Wish Comes True

A ‘typical' woman may dream about receiving jewelry, a gift certificate to a spa, or a weekend getaway as a birthday gift from her husband.

Cheri Scanlon is anything but typical.

Two years ago on her birthday, Scanlon was overjoyed with the present she received from her husband—one that was custom-made to go with another present he gave to her in 1996.

"I got my mini horse, Raven, from [my husband] Eric as a wedding present in 1996," says Scanlon, who lives in Carver, MA. "In 2009, he gave me a SteelMaster building as a birthday present, and we built it together and use it as a barn."

Raven shares the barn with Scanlon's other mini horse named Giddy Up and her mini cow named Jenna. But wait, there's more.

"I have 10 chickens, one rooster, a giant rabbit, a wallaby, a fat cat, and a dog whose older sister belongs to Eric," says Scanlon, who found a new home for her goat, seven sheep, and two alpacas a few years ago after she opened a home daycare. "They are all pets, except for the chickens—I have them for fresh eggs. As long as I can remember, I wanted a farm." In fact, Scanlon used to have a full-sized milking cow. "I would make butter, ice cream, pudding, and cheese. It was so good. I use to shave the sheep and alpacas and spin the wool into yarn. I would knit, crochet, and weave hats, scarves, and things like that. It's pretty cool, and I enjoy crafty stuff like that."

But why did she decide upon a steel building instead of a typical wooden one?

In 1996, the couple built a 12×16 barn out of plywood (CDX) and used rolled roofing for the top. A few years after that, they doubled the size to a 24×16. According to Scanlon, about five years ago, the roof started leaking, the walls were rotting, the cheap screw-on windows blew out, and it was literally falling apart.

"My husband wanted a metal buildings, but I didn't," says Scanlon. "I started drawing up plans for a wooden barn. This time I was going to do it right and make it out of Tx1-11, and I was going to get the metal roofing that you see on houses in New Hampshire. I started pricing up everything and did some research. In the end, I figured that the steel building would be cheaper and probably quicker to put together and last forever, and that's how I ended up getting a SteelMaster building for my birthday."

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.

"Farm buildings are one of the most common and popular uses for our structures, as well as the top substitute for traditional pole barn applications," says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster. "Our build-it-yourself buildings are affordable and offer 100 percent usable space with a clear span design that eliminates beams and trusses. They are easy to construct and provide maintenance-free use for a lifetime."

Along with quality, these factors contributed greatly to Scanlon's decision to buy from SteelMaster.

"I started looking online for some barn kits and SteelMaster Buildings came up," says Scanlon. "I looked at several different kinds from other companies, but mostly they were too big and too expensive. They were also made from a cheaper and thinner metal than SteelMaster uses. I also liked the shape. I liked how high the walls were before the roof curved. After we finished building it, my first thought was that it's HUGE. I couldn't believe how tall it was. It didn't feel like a barn at first, but once everything was up and painted, it really came together, and I love it."

As for the animals, they seem to agree.

"I wanted something really nice for the new barn so I made miniature stalls that looked just like the stalls you would see in a stable," says Scanlon. "They have hay racks and stall mats now. Eric put a pellet stove in there. It is way more comfortable for them, and they love it, too!"

Steel Barn Means No Horsin Around with Wood

It was 1994, and construction on her house in Tryon, NC had just been completed. Her next project was to build a barn for her horses, but money was tight.

"When the house was built, I didn’t have the money for a stick-built barn or for one of the very fancy horse barns you see around here," says Hyra, who now owns four horses and five barn cats.

It was during a visit to her local feed store that she literally walked in on a solution to her problem.

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"The owner of the feed store had just put in a SteelMaster building for his equipment with a small area closed in for an office," says Hyra. After seeing the versatility of the building, she contacted the company.

Located in Virginia Beach, VA, 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.

"Farm buildings are one of the most common and popular uses for our structures, as well as the top substitute for traditional pole barn applications," says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster. "Our build-it-yourself buildings are affordable and offer 100 percent usable space with a clear span design that eliminates beams and trusses. They are easy to construct and provide maintenance-free use for a lifetime."

In addition to being maintenance-free, they are also nearly indestructible, which is an important feature when it comes to housing horses that are prone to kicking and biting.

"A wood barn can crack, splinter, rot, and become infested with pests," says Wickum. "None of those things occur with a SteelMaster building. Steel’s inherent strength resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage as well."

When Hyra found out that SteelMaster buildings are customizable, she included features that gave the steel building a typical wood-barn feel.

"The SteelMaster rep suggested that we enclose the ends with wood for looks, and I’m very happy that we did," says Hyra. "It was installed by a team recommended by the SteelMaster rep, and a friend did the interior work and wood ends. The barn is 30' x 40'. There is a center aisle. On one side I’ve created a stall and a large hay room. The other side has a stall, a tack/feed room, and a small area for brooms, etc. The far end, crossing the aisle, is a run-in for the horses, who have access to the barn and pastures 24/7. There is a window in each stall as well as on each side of the run-in end. The stalls are a convenience, and there in the event that a horse has to be locked in, but the run-in was the more important area for me. We used double folding doors at each end rather than sliders, which would have been much heavier."

Just before Christmas of 2008, eight inches of snow fell on Tryon, followed by very heavy winds. The SteelMaster barn got through it just fine, but the same could not be said for Hyra’s carport.

"I had the kind of carport that you see all over," says Hyra. "After the snow and the wind, the carport roof caved in on my truck and tractor, causing about $5,000 damage to the truck. Since the barn building has convinced me that it’s not going anywhere, and I have never worried about its structural safety, I decided to buy a SteelMaster carport."

In addition to farm buildings and caports, 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.

Decision to Buy Steel Building was a Snap

Stop fidgeting. Look at the camera. Act natural. Smile. Say ‘cheese'.

For a photographer, getting a great shot involves a slew of events to happen at just the right time, the right angle, and with the right lighting. Add to that the directorial responsibilities of positioning people to make them look their best, plus being a wife and mother, and it is no wonder that Angela Owens from French Lick, IN needed help in handling the administrative side of her photography business, Rembrandt Studio (myrembrandt.info).

Her mother, Carla Shipman, offered to take over many of the responsibilities involved in running the business. More than three years ago, one of those responsibilities involved managing their rental space in a small one-room studio in downtown French Lick.

"We were in that space for about a year," remembers Carla. "About that time many casino owners started buying property and moving into the area and our rent was raised. It just wasn't worth it to rent such a small space when we figured out we could afford to purchase a much larger space from which we could run the business. That's what happened when we found SteelMaster Buildings."

The company, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA, has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures for more than 30 years to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

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"Every SteelMaster Building has been professionally designed and engineered to meet Building Officials and Code Administrators, Uniform Building Code, and International Building Code loads," says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster Buildings. "Also each building comes with professionally engineered plans verifying that it will meet your local building loads. In addition, customizing the interior of your SteelMaster Building is easy to do. With our clear span, truss-less design you can divide up the space in your SteelMaster Buildings however you want."

This is exactly what Shipman and her daughter chose to do with their SteelMaster. They partitioned it off into three sections: a presentation room to receive customers, a photography studio, and a tractor storage area as the building sits on four landscaped acres of property.

In addition, the family utilized the clear span, tall ceiling to build a loft that extends across the first two sections of the building. Shipman's husband anticipates using the loft as a classroom space once he retires.

The actual construction of the building was finished within one month, and Shipman learned quite a bit from the experience that she wishes to pass on to any future owners of a SteelMaster.

"When you first begin erecting the arches, the building seems flimsy," says Shipman. "But once you get each section up you realize it is incredibly strong. In fact, we live in an area where we get very strong winds, and we have never had a problem with the building in the three years we have used it. We also built the building on a high quality slab, and I strongly encourage others to do the same. We used a scissor lift to help us get the arches up, and that worked out very well. I would say the biggest issue to address is to make sure that you develop a very good drainage system for the building, and waterproof it as best you can at the bottom. Because of the shape of the building, large amounts of water flow off of it, so proper drainage is key. We also included skylights in the building which provides so much natural light that we save a great deal on our electric bill."

In addition to steel buildings like the Shipman's, 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.

From Start to Finish: Building a SteelMaster Garage

We've already shared how easy it is to build a SteelMaster buildings, but Tom in Pennsylvania decided to tell his construction story through Facebook. Tom documented the entire process from unloading the truck to the reveal of the final product with a photo album on his Facebook page.  Click on the image below to view the gallery. Thanks for all of the great photos, Tom!

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To view other SteelMaster Buildings projects and promotions, become a friend of SteelMaster on Facebook.

How to Offload Your Steel Building

Customers often ask us about the delivery process of their steel building so we thought it might be helpful to provide a few tips for offloading a SteelMaster buildings.

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    Your SteelMaster structure will arrive on a flatbed truck that is approximately 80 feet long. The trailer is 53 feet long and holds between 7 to 12 buildings. There is no offloading equipment on the truck, so the buyer is responsible for offloading.
    The truck driver will introduce himself and finalize paperwork and payments (if required), then provide you with a bill of lading and a construction manual.
    An average building up to 30' wide x 30'  long can be offloaded by 3 to 4 people in approximately 70 minutes or less.

    The average weight of a single panel is approximately 40 pounds. The panel length is typically 36? to 120?. The single heaviest component will be your door header or door post, if included with kit.

    If you have a forklift or other equipment available, offloading time will be significantly reduced. If you purchased a building that exceeds 5,000 pounds, it is recommended that you obtain equipment to make removing the pallets from the truck easier.

That’s all there is to it. Just get a few friends to help you out, and you will be ready to start building your SteelMaster before you know it!

5 Buildings Under Clearance Sale

Don’t miss out on SteelMaster’s “5 Buildings Under” Clearance Sale featuring 5 clearance building models based on your desired price range. The price ranges include Under $5K, Under $10K, Under $15K and Under $20K.

SteelMaster buildings are so versatile that we can find the perfect size and price for customers utilizing our structures for a wide range of applications.  Sign-up now to receive our newly released Clearance Price List by price range.

Don’t miss out on your chance to save!

For More Information About SteelMaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

Top Secret Steel Buildings for Top Label Products

Larry Smith in California wine country wholeheartedly agrees there is a common denominator between SteelMaster Buildings, his private label winery and 240 square feet of loft storage.

Larry purchased a 25’x48’ SteelMaster building and is making the most of it. One might even assume he is making a toast to it. After all, he is a successful oenologist and the proud owner of a SteelMaster building.

You just never know what is inside a SteelMaster building, and this is part of the beauty and security of owning one. Although SteelMaster steel arched and metal prefabricated buildings are easily spotted by the trained eye, others may just gawk with envy over what an amazing-looking storage facility you have on your property.

Larry told us, "Our SteelMaster building is a great building. We absolutely love it! I even added two roof vents and a Janus roll up door to it".

Larry and a couple of friends constructed his building. Inside he boasts a small, private label winery. "We only bottle 60-70 cases of Cabernet per year, and it is all sold exclusively to a Las Vegas hotel/casino as their private label premium cabernet wine," Larry responded.

Sorry, but it is difficult not to get excited and perhaps a little bit envious over the sheer genius and creativity of SteelMaster customers. Larry was kind enough to send us progress photos of the construction and completed shiny new building. All kidding aside, this is one brilliant man. However, we noticed there are no photos of the inside of his building.

We offered Larry a "plug" in this story for his wine label. He emailed us and wrote, "The Vegas casino that sells our wine has asked us to keep the name a secret, so you will just have to dance around the name in your article," adding a little smiley-face.

A couple of things are for certain. Larry knows he does not have to worry about termites taking over his building and his private stock barrels inside. He can rest assured his building will withstand just about anything Mother Nature’s fury lashes out, including fire, freezing temperatures, and hurricane force winds.

SteelMaster is familiar with keeping secrets safe and takes pride in knowing our steel buildings have earned the favor of not only the FBI, Public Works, DEA, and the Army Corps of Engineers, but also all branches of the United States Armed Forces. The SteelMaster metal building line serves the government well, especially in its ability to quickly assemble, disassemble, relocate and then reassemble as needs dictate.

SteelMaster has provided safe and private storage for recovered treasures from ocean depths, a crashed UFO or two, and Quonset huts for extra-terrestrial beings. Well, maybe not, but it certainly is fun to think about!

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.

We do know that helping Larry Smith keep his secret label Cabernet private and secure, and his resounding, "Great Building!" regarding his SteelMaster storage building is another mission accomplished.

SteelMaster is celebrating its 30-year Anniversary this month. This milestone marks over 40,000 satisfied customers with SteelMaster buildings constructed worldwide on six continents, in over 50 countries, and throughout the United States.