What Are Steel Building Kits For Your Home?

A steel building kit is a comprehensive kit that comes with the steel framing, siding, roofing, and everything needed to complete a housing structure, with complete exterior finishing. Steel building kits may also include exterior doors, windows, porches, and interior steel wall framing. 

One good example of a steel building kit is barndominium kit, designed with custom floor plans, incorporating recreation and residential living quarters. A steel building designer can help make your dream custom build come true.   

Generally, steel building kits include the following:  

• A Foundation System: It’s s a DIY system not requiring hiring a foundation contractor. So, a foundation system alone already makes a steel-built house cheaper than traditionally built homes. 
• Heavy-Gauge Steel Roof: A steel roof can resist damage caused by seismic resistance, snow, lighting strike, or strong winds. 
• Heavy-Gauge Outer Wall Framing System: A heavy-gauge outer wall framing system is designed for a lifetime of worry-free steel-built home living. 
• All-Steel Siding: Sidings made of steel look great and tough with a baked-on finish.  
• All-Steel Trim And Finishing: Thanks to this, steel-built homes are maintenance-free. 
• Pre-Punched Steel Studs And Framing Components: Exterior walls are ready for both plumbing and electrical line installation because steel building kits usually come with pre-punched steel studs and framing components.  
• Porch: Steel building kits with porches are great. For instance, you can choose to install a full-length six-foot (expandable to nine feet) porch on the front or back yard of your home.   
• Steel Fasteners: A steel building kit for your home also comes with steel fasteners to completely assemble all components included in the kit. 

Benefits Of Steel Building Kits  

Why should you opt for a steel-built home?  Steel-built houses have tons of benefits, which include the following: 

• Quick Installation: Steel building kits are lightweight, so their installation is easier and quicker, without requiring much support structure, like traditional houses. Save time and energy by installing a steel building kit because it doesn’t require a complex foundation. The kit comes with a foundation system involving easy concrete pouring.  
• Durable: Steel buildings, including residential ones, are tough and durable. Steel is an excellent construction material, and is non-combustible or fireproof. Many manufacturers offer many years of warranty. 
• Energy-Efficient: Insulated metal panel installation promotes increased home energy efficiency. A metal wall panel comes with an insulating foam center, expanded with polystyrene or polyisocyanurate, and sandwiched by steel metal or aluminum face panels. Make your home climate-controlled with a steel-built home. 

What are the framing materials for steel building kits for homes?  The framing materials for a steel building kit can be made of red primed steel (red iron) or galvanized steel. While there’s no difference between the two materials when it comes to strength, there may be discrepancies on the coating type.  

• Red Steel: This material has a rusty brown or red color because of the paint primer (red iron oxide) sprayed on the steel. The red coating creates a barrier, preventing water from coming in contact with the steel. A steel building home kit can withstand the test of time because steel has high tensile strength. It’s tough and fire-resistant. Also, red iron steel is one of the best construction materials that can resist insects and decay. 
• Galvanized Steel: This steel material has the same weight, size, strength, girth, and other properties as red steel, but with the application of zinc-alloy plating. The plating protects the galvanized steel from air moisture, dirt, and precipitation. Galvanized steel is hot-dipped in zinc coating. It will last for 35 to 50 years in the harshest soil, and 75 years or more in less corrosive soil. Galvanized steel responds well in extreme temperatures. 

Siding Materials Included In Steel Building Kits 

Steel building kit manufacturers offer a wide array of exterior siding materials. Most of the steel panels in a steel building kit are maintenance-free, allowing easy attachment of desired exterior siding. Construction techniques in attaching siding differ. Some siding materials can be attached directly to the steel studs or outside the steel wall panels. 

Here are the commonly used siding materials in steel building kits: 

• Wood: The wood pieces are bolted to the steel frame through the pre-cut holes and into the steel frame for the bolts to fit properly.  
• Bricks: Steel panels and bricks offer both beauty and durability. For instance, a brick veneer can be attached to the walls of your steel-built house. Brick sidings are virtually maintenance-free. 
• Vinyl: Vinyl sidings are installed separately to avoid rusting and corrosion. 
• Stone: Create a unique siding for a metal home using stone siding. Other options that look like stone include rock and faux stone.  
• Non-Traditional Siding Alternatives: Some examples of non-traditional siding alternatives are shiplap wood, multiple stucco applications, and concrete block walls. 

Consider Metal Wall Panels  

Metal wall panels are visually appealing, durable, fireproof, low-maintenance, energy-efficient and eco-friendly. Unlike wood, brick, or vinyl, metal wall panels can be customized because of the different colors available. 

The most popular metals used as wall panels, aside from steel, include the following: 

• Aluminum 
• Stainless steel 
• Copper 
• Titanium  
• Zinc

With a steel building kit, you can change the floor plan according to your liking. Some manufacturers design steel building kits that allow customizable interior walls with a clear-span design, without load-bearing interior walls. 

You can redesign or follow the manufacturer’s layout. Local contractors can easily follow the guide included in the kits. For a DIY project, it’s best to choose a steel building kit with pre-punched and engineered studs for easy wiring and plumbing. Flooring options may not be included in some steel building kits, but it’s worth including the flooring details for complete steel-built home planning.

The recommended flooring options for steel-built houses include the following: 

• Hardwood:
• Hardwood flooring is a durable, timeless, and versatile option that matches any home décor. This flooring material is easy to clean and long-lasting.
• Carpet:
• Carpet flooring is easy to maintain and cost-effective. It's most suitable for areas like the bedrooms.  
• Laminate:
• This flooring type is a more affordable option for tile, stone, and hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring comes in planks, coated in durable plastic, and designed to look like a different material, like hardwood.  
• Vinyl:
• Like laminate, vinyl mimics other flooring materials, like stone and wood. Vinyl flooring is versatile, cheap, and easy to install, such that it’s glued to the subfloor instead of nailing it. This material can handle moisture better and is tougher than laminate. 
• Tile:
• Tiles are suitable for bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens. A slip-proof tile design is tough against water. You can select from a wide range of different colors and styles for your steel-built home. 

Conclusion 

Steel building kits may come with a galvanized steel or red steel framing. The different siding options include bricks, wood, stone, vinyl, concrete block walls, and stucco. For a more customized look, choose metal wall panels for your steel-built home. Flooring options for steel-built houses include hardwood, tiles, concrete, and other flooring materials used in traditional houses. 

A steel building kit is one way to increase your home’s energy efficiency. Also, a steel-built house is structurally sound.