Wood vs. Steel Buildings: The Better Option (Part 1)

If you are considering a new building for your commercial, industrial, or storage needs, you should be aware of pros and cons of a wood building over a prefabricated metal building. If you start doing the research you will see that companies offering either building method are claiming superiority. Depending on the structure you are looking to build, a wood or metal building may be the better option. Here are the facts about metal and wood metal buildings to help you make the best decision for your individual needs:

Popularity in the Current Market

When considering which type of building you want to invest in, one way to go about it is to look at the trends and see what everyone else is doing. This is not so that you “fit in” or follow the crowd, but in most cases, there is a reason that something is popular– it works & is worth the investment, making many people choose that building method.

On the residential market, wood frames are the most popular. This is because many companies, including Champion Buildings, do not erect prefabricated metal buildings for residential use. And, wood has been the leading building method for homes for generations and generations. Because home builders are generally more conservative with their building methods, it is safe to say that wood will stay the #1 method for residential structures for some time.

Yet, in the construction and industrial markets, steel and prefabricated buildings are the popular choice. Here are a few factors to consider when understanding why steel is so popular in these fields:

• More sq. footage is framed with steel than all other building methods.
• About 70% of all non-residential construction in the US are pre-engineered steel buildings.
• In the U.S Commercial Market, steel buildings dominate with over 50% of new construction annually.
• In the U.S Industrial Market, prefabricated metal buildings dominate with over 95% of new construction annually.

Summary: Wood is popular in residential markets and Steel is popular in non-residential markets.

Consistency of Materials

Wood is an inconsistent material, as every tree differs. Even the same species of trees are different depending on location and the age of the tree influences the strength of the wood. Builders will often reject 20% of a lumber order because of these differences and variations.

Steel, on the other hand, is a consistent material. It does not change due to moisture levels and is a dependable building material that is made to last.

Summary: Steel is a more consistent building material than wood.

Difficulty to Construct

When building a structure with wood, most projects require the skill of a carpenter. This is a labor intensive project that can take months to finish a small job and even longer to construct a larger building. This is because all of the studs needs to be measured and cut and they need to be placed every 16″.

Steel on the other hand is pre-fabricated and is easy to erect. An engineer draws up the plans, where the steel is cut and measured in the factory. Then when the building arrives it is in pieces, which are painted, cut, welded, punched, drilled, and labeled for easy assembly. A steel building can cut construction time by 1/3, in comparison to wood framing.

One of the leading components to deciding which type of building is best for you is the cost and the market.

For Your Metal Building, Contact Champion Buildings

Take a look at some of our metal building specials, or contact us to get started with your metal building project today!

Let Champion Buildings, Inc. Do the Foundation for You!

The concrete crew will provide a slab per the specifications outlined in the engineer sealed foundation drawings provided.  The concrete foundation will consist of pier pads beneath each column, a perimeter footer, 4″ gravel or sand, wire, rebar, plastic, anchor bolts and a slab thickness per your specifications (typically 4″ – 6″).

Erecting Your Metal Building

The Champion Buildings, Inc. crew will unload and erect the building from the frame to windows, doors and insulation. The metal building parts will be very heavy and will be transported on a large flatbed truck. They provide their own equipment and tools.  Erection of the building comes with a 1 year workmanship guarantee.   *All crews are insured.

Steel and Metal Building Specials by Champion Buildings

***Package Specials Available in MD, VA, WV, NC & SC, GA, FL and AL

Call for Package Specials in All Other States!!!

*Prices good up to 20lb. Snow Load and 100mph Wind Load