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Steel Homes: Think Outside the Box- Part 6

Using Pre-engineered Metal Building Systems to Build Metal Homes

Did you know many people choose pre-engineered steel building systems to build their own steel homes? Who wouldn’t want all the benefits of steel buildings for their home?

An attractive steel home with covered porch and cedar trimPre-engineered steel buildings dominate the agricultural, commercial, and industrial low-rise construction markets.

Why? Our steel buildings offer wonderful advantages over other building methods, making them perfect for building metal homes. Pre-engineered metal buildings provide:

STRENGTH: No other building material matches the strength of steel.

DURABILITY: No other building method outlasts steel. Steel buildings retain their beauty and value far longer than other building systems. Metal homes never rot, sag, creep, or shift like wood houses do. RHINO’s steel framing is guaranteed to meet or exceed all local building codes— for the LIFETIME of the structure!

SPEED: RHINO metal building houses deliver in only 4-7 weeks, ready to assemble. Our system cuts construction time by 33% or more.

A white steel building with dark green trim creates a steel homeSAVINGS: Foundations, construction, and insurance costs are much less with prefabricated metal buildings. Adding RHINO’s Pro-Value Insulation Package slashes energy bills by 50%. Choosing cool-coated metal roofing saves an additional 7%-15% on utilities in our metal building houses.

SAFETY: You would not feel safe in a wood car built, so why would you feel safe in a house framed with wood? RHINO steel buildings provide superior resistance to damage from by strong winds, lightning, heavy snows, fire, termites, earthquakes, and mold.

FLEXIBILITY: Because RHINO’s steel framing is self-supporting, the interior floor plan can include spacious, open areas, and soaring ceilings. Remodeling is simple, because there are no load-bearing walls to consider. Floor plans can even be changed on the fly at the job site.

ECO-FRIENDLY: No other building material matches the recycling record of steel. In fact, more steel is recycled every day than all the wood, paper, aluminum, and glass combined. Steel is the only material which can be recycled countless times, without losing any strength.

Creating Attractive Steel Homes

Our “Think Outside the Box” series on customizing steel buildings included:

•  Part 1: Changing the Roofline
•  Part 2: Adding Roofline Extensions
•  Part 3: Using Brick, Stone, Stucco and Other Exterior Building Materials
•  Part 4: Adding Pop-outs
•  Part 5: Indenting Exterior Walls

Until now, we have discussed using these methods primarily to enhance the appearance of commercial structures. These same techniques also work to design attractive steel homes, lake cabins, hunting lodges, vacation homes, or rental cottages.

Using a Steel Building System to Design Metal Homes

A RHINO Steel Building used a s a home, with a covered patio and a double garageThere are several things you need to consider when choosing a pre-engineered metal building system for residential purposes.

The strength of steel allows pre-engineered steel buildings to span farther than any other building material, allowing floor plan freedom. You could literally mark your floor plan on the foundation with a piece of chalk, putting interior walls wherever you desire.

However, there are a few caveats to building a steel house:

  • RHINO will supply an anchor bolt plan, indicating exact placement of steel columns and any X-bracing required. Make sure your plans do not include a window or door where a column or bracing is placed.
  • Steel buildings measure from the outside edge of the steel columns. Steel walls are much thicker than ordinary wood construction. Adjustments may need to be made in your floor plan. If you have a floor plan already in mind, a RHINO steel building specialist can fine-tune the size of the building to fit your plan exactly.
  • Steel buildings measure the height of the structure at the outside wall, not the peak of the ceiling.
  • RHINO does not supply residential-type windows or exterior entry doors. These can be easily be obtained locally. However, RHINO will include extra steel for framing all residential windows and doors. (Residential second floor systems should also be purchased locally.)

What Material Should You Use for Interior Walls?

RHINO’s commercial-grade steel building system creates the outside shell of our metal houses. You must decide whether to choose wood or galvanized steel to frame the interior walls.

Many people choose wood framing because they are more familiar with stick-built. However, choosing wood interior framing sacrifices the fire, termite, and mold resistance afforded by metal building houses.

Also, be advised you will probably lose the insurance discounts available with all-steel framing. Check with your insurance agent before you decide which material you will use.

My Own Experience with Steel Homes…

On a personal note, I have built— and lived in— several custom steel houses over the years. I can vouch for the way these homes perform. I firmly believe prefabricated steel framing is the strongest, safest, smartest way to build a home.

Home, Steel Home

Imagine building your own cozy, beautiful, energy-efficient home with the strength of steel. Call RHINO now for more information on making your dream home a steel home.

Our number is 940.383.9566.  Call to learn more about steel building homes.