Agricultural buildings have to be carefully compared as there’s no sense in investing in just any building. Farmers and ranchers often prefer agricultural steel buildings – and the cost of steel is just one of the reasons for their preference. If you’re looking to construct a building on a farm or ranch, it’s important to understand the many benefits being offered by steel barn buildings.

What Is A Steel Barn Building?

Agricultural steel buildings are often referred to as steel barns. Structural steel is used to create columns that help to frame the building. Metal panels are attached using self-drilling screws to offer sturdiness. Pre-engineered steel buildings utilize I-Beams for lowered costs and speed of construction. Cold form-building technology is also used for those looking to build quickly.

At Coastal Steel Structures, we utilize both technologies and will choose the one that is right given the project and timeline of our clients. Regardless of the technology used, steel barns won’t settle over time and don’t interrupt wide-open spaces with large support beams.

The prefab steel buildings can use straight-wall or tapered I-beams depending on the desired design. The roof and wall panels are made to withstand even the highest winds. Perhaps more importantly, there is a 25-year warranty in place to ensure that an agricultural building will be standing for many years to come once it has been fabricated in place.

The Durability of Agricultural Steel Buildings vs. Wood Construction

It’s essential to compare agricultural steel buildings versus the wooden ones that have been built for years. Ranchers and farmers want to have a reliable structure so that it doesn’t need continuous work.

Wooden barns are often built by burying the wooden pillars into the ground with concrete casts. Over time, the land settles, causing issues with the wood and the concrete. Further, there are wooden poles that provide the structure and support. The larger the building, the more support beams to maintain structural integrity. The wood can weather over the years. Depending on how it is treated to start, wood can rot and splinter. It can also burn easily, which means that it is not as structurally sound as steel.

One of the reasons why farmers and ranchers have turned to steel is the metal building cost. Due to prefabricated designs, the cost of building is considerably lower (and faster). It allows a building to be erected without worrying about the structural integrity five or ten years down the road as settling happens. Further, the steel offers a significant amount of durability.

Steel is a durable choice specifically for livestock and equipment because of how it can protect them. It can be easily insulated, offering superior energy efficiency. This ensures that livestock and equipment alike can be protected against extreme temperatures.

Steel buildings can be easily customized to ensure that cattle, horses, pigs, poultry, and more are protected from the elements and be able to thrive within the building.

Wooden structures are harder to insulate. While not impossible, it will take more effort and energy to offer insulation against temperature fluctuations. When you consider what you’re going to be storing or breeding inside the barn, steel offers a better environment in terms of durability from the elements and sensitivity from fluctuating temperatures.

Top 5 Benefits of Building A Steel Barn

The preference for steel barns over wooden barns has been seen more and is increasing, particularly with farmers and ranchers. The need for a barn to last and offer numerous benefits is being shared all across the country. Below are some of the top benefits.

1. Multiple Applications

Due to the many available models, steel barns can be used in a number of different applications. They have been utilized by farmers and ranchers for such things as equipment storage, animal barns, hay and grain storage, workshops, riding arenas, and more.

To ensure that it meets your needs, you’ll want to consider what kind of application you wish to use the building. Professionals will be able to make recommendations to serve you in terms of overall space and layout.

Movement should never be impeded, mainly when working with large farm animals and equipment. The precision-engineered designs combined with the elimination of support posts ensure that steel barns are ideal for any application you are planning.

2. Affordable Cost

The metal building cost is a considerable benefit. We work closely with an extensive network of manufacturers to ensure that we can offer the best price. Between the pre-engineered designs and the use of I-beams, it can provide affordable and durable steel structures.

Perhaps the most crucial aspect to look at with cost is how it is the cheapest solution over the life of the building. Wooden buildings require a significant amount of upkeep and more money to keep them insulated. Once you invest in a steel building, the savings will be seen repeatedly, year after year.

3. Longevity

Steel is impervious to the elements, allowing you to get a long-lasting building. Wood posts and framing are likely to warp and rot over time, meaning they have a finite life, mainly depending on your level of upkeep. Once you create a building, you don’t want to wonder how long it will last. If it crumbles over a few decades, it can negatively impact how you run your farm or ranch. Further, it can even start to affect your ability to care for animals or protect your various investments.

A steel building is structurally sound, offering you peace of mind in terms of its long-standing ability to protect anything stored within it.

4. Maintenance-Free

With other maintenance to be done, farmers and ranchers look to minimize as much as possible. Those with wooden barns will often spend time replacing boards, fixing wind damage to the roof, and countless other issues that occur throughout the year.

Steel barns are virtually maintenance-free. It’s one of the added reasons why the metal building cost is easy to accept.

The metal can be left as it is – there’s no need to paint or repaint on an ongoing basis. The structural integrity also ensures that wind, rain, and other environmental issues don’t create more work for you.

With little to nothing to maintain, you can focus on the chores around the farm or ranch that will actually generate revenue.

5. Highly Customizable

At Coastal Steel Structures, we offer ten base models with hundreds of different uses. It ensures that they can meet the needs of any farm or ranch, whether they’re being used for storage, housing animals, or any other purpose.

Customization is critical when choosing a building – and steel structures are prefabricated to get set up quickly. It ensures that you don’t spend any more time than necessary waiting for a building to be ready to meet your needs.

The buildings come in various sizes to meet the agricultural needs of your farm or ranch. Everyone’s needs vary based on the size of land and what is being done. The pre-engineered designs offer open floor plans with varying dimensions.

The spaces can be transformed into offices, industrial work areas, and more. As you sit down with us, you’ll learn that we work together to ensure that your dreams are turned into a reality. You’ll also realize why so many farmers and ranchers are turning to agricultural steel buildings to meet (and exceed) their needs.

Why Does Steel Continue To Be One of The Most Reliable Building Materials?

Plenty of building materials have been used over the years – wood, clay, brick, steel, and the list goes on and on. Steel components are sturdier, and they don’t add a significant amount of weight. When you look at anything from convention centers to skyscrapers, there’s one building material they all have in common: steel.

Steel construction has earned its place as one of the most reliable building materials available in today’s market. It’s safe, sturdy, and capable of offering incredible strength to any building project.

It’s also a sustainable material, highly sought after as many companies look to go green. Woodlands are not depleted when a steel building is constructed, which is all the more reason to use it when constructing a building for your farm or ranch.

With our help, we’ll offer you the reliable steel construction that you need while introducing you to many other eco-friendly building materials so that you can create a green barn to use for all of your agricultural needs.

Investing In The Best Possible Building For A Farm or Ranch

As you look at the various reasons to choose a steel barn over a wooden one, the decision is made for you – you want the very best for your property. After all, an affordable building that offers superior protection is what you want. And a steel barn has proven its ability to be a long-lasting solution for residential, commercial, and industrial uses alike.

Contact us at Coastal Steel Structures today when you’re ready to learn about the metal building cost for your farm or ranch. We’ll talk to you about the available options and show you how it’s a worthwhile investment to make.