Surface Air Film Coefficient (F)

The amount of heat flow in BTU's per square foot per hour between an exposed surface of a material and the adjacent air. It is the measure of the conductance of heat through the air film that clings to all surfaces.

Insulating Against Radiant Heat

Traditional forms of mass insulation, like fiberglass, are effective in preventing heat transfer by conduction and convection, but they less effect on radiant heat. Between 80 and 90% of the radiant heat striking fiberglass will pass through or be "emitted". Radiant transfer typically has as much impact on the temperature in a building as conduction and convection. For more information on radiant barrier facings click here.

Building Permits/Codes

Do I need a building permit to build my metal building? - You will almost always need a building permit. On occasion you will not need a permit to build but you should ALWAYS check with your local building inspector before purchasing a metal building.

When I call my building inspector what should I tell them? - When you get in touch with your building inspector let him know what you're planning and you should be able to receive the information you'll need to get a building permit for your new metal building.

What do I do if I need permit drawings? - We supply the permit drawings to you after you have committed to buy a metal building from us. We will not begin fabrication or shipment until you have completed the approval process. See the Approval Process section of our website.

What about building codes and loads? - Every metal building that we ship is engineered to comply with regional building codes, wind load and snow load requirements (as stated on your plans). When you start designing your metal building, make sure to review your building code specifications very closely. Since there can be varying requirements within regions - you will need to confirm the codes by contacting your local building official. MetalBuildingDepot.Com is not responsible for confirming codes.

Steel Frame Construction

You can feel confident about building with steel. It is not vulnerable to the elements to the same degree that other building materials are. There are a few reasons why steel frame construction stands out more than other building materials. Wood has always been a standby, but its susceptibility to weather and aging make it less than ideal.

Steel frame construction is very sound should there be a detrimental natural occurrence such as an earthquake or severe storm. You steel building should be manufactured to meet all local and applicable codes. Steel frame construction is a serious way to address the risk posed to you and your belongings should a weather emergency arise. Reputable steel building manufacturers only ship pre-engineered steel building systems when standards and codes are met.

It is hard to look past the options and design flexibility that you get with metal and steel buildings. It is not just quality materials that are impressive, but the many accents that can turn a metal building into a beautiful landmark. If you are suffering from lack of space or simply looking for any kind of expansion, check out the range of high quality steel buildings that just might solve your dilemma.

Installation Overview

The metal building is rapidly becoming more popular for a variety of reasons. They can be built very quickly and are extremely low in cost. They can easily adapt to any number of external architectural treatments without restricting their interior floor planning. A primary reason for this flexibility is the development of insulation specifically designed for metal buildings. The development of advanced insulation systems with more efficient thermal performance is so advanced that it has enabled metal buildings everywhere to evolve into many of the showrooms, retail outlets, schools, offices and shopping centers we see today.

Today's high-energy costs have made insulation a critical consideration during any construction planning. An insulation system that is properly selected and professionally installed will return more on its investment than any other building component.

Insulation provides many benefits:

Improved appearance, Greater comfort, Substantial reductions in fuel and electricity costs, Condensation and noise control, Reduction of the amount of investment dollars and space needed for heating and cooling equipment.