Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?)

   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #1  

centex

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2002
Messages
432
Location
Lampasas, Texas
Tractor
JD 4700
I need to build a workshop about 30'x40'. In doing some cost estimates it looks like the cost would be about the same for a wood structure and a metal building (e.g., Metal Mart). I have no experience with metal building so would like to get some feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of them. In this part of the country it does not get cold and does not snow although there are infrequent ice storms that can cause lots of problems with trees but it does not get thick enough to cause loading problems on roofs. I just put up a metal carport and I have to say that it was much harder work to get screw holes to line up and to drive the self drilling screws than it would have been to cut and nail together a wooden carport. I would appreciate any feedback on anyones experiences putting up a larger metal building. I will be doing all the work single handed.
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #2  
If you are considering both wood and metal, have you considered a pole barn? The research I have done says that you can have a pretty good quality pole barn fully installed for less than the cost of materials alone for a Metal Mart building. BCI Barn Builders and National Barn Co. both build in Texas. Some things, like hanging the trusses or rafters, etc., will be hard for one man to do alone.
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #3  
I got a quonset hut structure for my garage and consider it a big mistake. Despite what they say, it did not go up in a couple of days: my brother and I spent over a week all told and over six months. What a disaster. Then, for the first time in my life I ended up actually paying somebody to do something I though I could do myself.

It cost me more money and took much long to erect than if I would have built it out of wood. Now I and stalled doing the wiring because everything has to be in conduit, etc.. And I live in a snowy place, so there is no chance I'll ever have a warm place to work.

So, I would built it out of wood.
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #4  
Metal needs to be properly insulated or it will sweat.
Now depending on what your doing inside of it, this may or may not be a problem.

IMHO most people tend to forget this little annoying "feature".


Wood is easily modified, metal is not.

Good luck.
-Mike Z.
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #5  
Don,

I evaluated several options, and settled on a wood structure. This was due to several factors, 1. it needed to look like the other buildings, 2. cost quoted for a pole barn was equal to stick built, and 3. Ledge prevented me from doing a proper pole barn.

Now I have read here on TBN that metal can be done cheaply, and wood more expensive, but it really depends on what you want it to look like at the end of the day.

If you will do the work yourself, steel is more difficult unless you have the right equipment, while wood walls can be built on the floor and then stood up with the FEL.

Good luck and let us know your decision.

Carl
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #6  
Have you looked at building one like these http://www.miracletruss.com/ or http//www.adamstruss.com? I bought a package from Adams Truss a few years back and built it myself (24’x40’). The package had all the steel, screws and bolts. I purchased all the lumber myself. Plus I did not need any special tools. Some one close to you should offer something like it in your area. This is just one more option to think about.
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #7  
Morning Don,

I would go with the metal. I have all the equipment to do with wood and I still would go with the metal.

Metal does sweat. Unless you go with Hardisiding conventional stuff rots. Hardi is so heavy and so susceptible to breakage while handling that it's real hard to do by yourself. But again large sheets of metal siding are hard to handle by yourself too.

So on those points I'd say it was a wash.

You can try Eagle Steel in Hutchins for a quote. They are very competitive on pricing.

If it was me I'd go with metal in a heartbeat. I like the simplicity. But then if I was to build a house right now I'd seriously consider all metal framing. That's just me.

The problem I've seen with building kits is everything's an option and there is very little room for error when assembling.

If it's just a shop and you're not trying to impress the county I'd consider going with galvalume panels. They're cheaper, just shiny aluminum looking. And if you can go with a specific size, say twelve footers, then you buy a shishkeepotfull of them and rock and roll.

I would look around and compare stuff like the doors and windows. Kits by their very nature have the absolute cheapest stuff available in accessories.

You can buy premade trusses from like Eagle for less than you can make them. Unless of course you're a bit like me and want to have a unique shape to the building. I've made some wild trusses out of C purlins more than once. In fact I've taken steel plate and fancy cut the tails of eight inch C purlins just so they didn't look like C purlins and more like wood beams, just cause I could of course, and grins.
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #8  
<font color=blue>If it was me I'd go with metal in a heartbeat.</font color=blue>

Me, too!
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?)
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I kind of like the combination wood and steel construction like the two suppliers in rsislo's post offer but I would want to find a source closer to home in central Texas. I could not find a web site for Eagle Steel in Hutchins and the site I found for them in Indiana only had info on raw steel. Do you have any contact information for the Texas location? I think maybe I should look around Houston and San Antonio for a supplier since they would be closer to me. What I think I want to do is use steel trusses with wood purlins and cover it with steel panels as you suggested. Since I will have a concrete foundation, I don't see any advantage to a pole building for a workshop. I am building a pole shed for hay storage though.

If steel sweats, then even if it is insulated, won't it eventually rust out? Is there any reference book available on building with steel?
 
   / Best Material for Shop (wood or metal?) #10  
A few years ago I built a approx 50X50 metal building on slab. Since I and my father and a friend did all the work I got it up for about 10,000 dollars. It is used as an aircraft hanger and is currently leased out since I live in a different state now. Here in my new place I decided I needed a new workshop for my airplane and various other projects. I called around and decided due to lack of time to just hire it out. My low bid for a 26X26 on slab and all wood with roof and siding to match the house and a 4 foot overhang on one side was 10,800 dollars. This includes 4 windows, 10' door and one steel hinged entrance door. It is being built off to one side of the house and is easily seen from the road. I wanted the structure to be airtight so I could heat and cool it. I love my big hanger back home but despite great care in construction it simply is not airtight. I built a climate controlled office with bathroom in one corner. Insects and other critters find there way in ---especially Dirt Daubers---!!!!. I had at my house back home, which I still own, a nice wooden 24X24 shop also built to match my house, it was so tight the door went k-thump and popped your ears when you closed it. No bugs and critters. It was airconditioned and heated with little expense. I built all kinds of stuff in there from an airplane to a hydroplane and was always comfortable.
My belief is that once you get much beyond 30X30 that metal will be noticeably cheaper but there are other factors to consider. Metal buildings are kinda ugly, even Mortans and will not match your house well. Huge buildings, metal or wood, cannot be heated or cooled easily. I will eventually put up a barn, approx 40X50 here also on the back 4 acres. I think it will be wooden also and will be built to have stone corners like the house. It will have a hay loft or upper storage area and will have a half slab. It will look like the classic local barns but just smaller. I will put electricty to it but I will not attempt to make it totally airtight nor will I cool it but I might put in some heat for any animals that I might decide to keep there. One other thing--just an observation/opinion, when you build with wood and stone you build for tommorow, when you build with metal you build for today.
Good luck with your building. J
 
 
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