Anyone have a Metal Quonset Arch-Style Buildings

[747driver]

Early planning stages of building a 30 x 50 building. A guy close by has recently built one and it looks nice. I have to have it tall enough in the middle to fit our motorhome plus the tractor and equipment. Have done some searching but there only seems to be a handful of manufactures ? Do any of you have info on these style of buildings, or maybe you built one yourself ? They seem pretty easy to construct. I would be getting one that has straight side walls and then a arched roof. Pro's,Con's or other info would be appreciated !

Thanks

 

[RNeumann]

High enough to have straight walls will be nice. The metal siding isn’t really designed to have vertical seams (chemical vs mechanical seal) so the design isn’t super popular. Plus most folks don’t go high enough to have vertical walls- so for a given footprint the interior space isn’t as big as straight wall buildings and doors and windows become difficult in a curved wall.
Curious to see the price difference between a standard metal building vs Quonset style.

 

[TMGT]

Everyone I know with one says they are fine to store stuff in but a pain to make into a shop, running electrical/ mounting equipment/ insulating is just difficult.
These were the type with straight sides even, the fully curved ones are worse.
They did say they were pretty quick to get up and not overly expensive though.

 

[bdog]

One of my shops is a 30x50 Quonset. I don’t like it. I have been contemplating tearing it down and building a real on for some time now.

 

[RNeumann]

One of my shops is a 30x50 Quonset. I don’t like it. I have been contemplating tearing it down and building a real on for some time now.

This sounds like a “Love Connection” (old TV show) in the making!!! Think I know an OP who will take it off your hands......

 

[bdog]

Let me elaborate. On my other 30x50 it has two 12’ doors on the end. Basically have two bays where I can easily get things in and out. Easily fit four vehicles in there without having move everything to get to them. With the Quonset there is only room for one door on the end due to the rounded top. While possible to fit four vehicles in there it requires a lot of maneuvering to do so and then moving a bunch of stuff to get them out. Also the rounded sides are a pain. Can’t have shelves up against the walls unless they are spaced out form the edge which eats more space. The Quonset has no frame. Running things like electric and lighting isn’t as simple as with a regular shop with purlins to attach everything to.

Concrete is a very large cost of a shop. I wouldn’t save money on the Quonset and have something less than optimal.

 

[747driver]

High enough to have straight walls will be nice. The metal siding isn’t really designed to have vertical seams (chemical vs mechanical seal) so the design isn’t super popular. Plus most folks don’t go high enough to have vertical walls- so for a given footprint the interior space isn’t as big as straight wall buildings and doors and windows become difficult in a curved wall.
Curious to see the price difference between a standard metal building vs Quonset style.

I do have a quote out to SteelMasterUSA to get an idea of cost. So your thinking the straight wall seams will leak over time ?

 

[flusher]

These arched buildings are not that easy to assemble (a huge number of fasteners). They are storage buildings, not shop structures. Look into red iron buildings. They are much better suited for a shop.

Good luck

 

[747driver]

Let me elaborate. On my other 30x50 it has two 12’ doors on the end. Basically have two bays where I can easily get things in and out. Easily fit four vehicles in there without having move everything to get to them. With the Quonset there is only room for one door on the end due to the rounded top. While possible to fit four vehicles in there it requires a lot of maneuvering to do so and then moving a bunch of stuff to get them out. Also the rounded sides are a pain. Can’t have shelves up against the walls unless they are spaced out form the edge which eats more space. The Quonset has no frame. Running things like electric and lighting isn’t as simple as with a regular shop with purlins to attach everything to.

Concrete is a very large cost of a shop. I wouldn’t save money on the Quonset and have something less than optimal.

Do you remember the cost difference in your 2 barns ? I am hoping I can get 10 ft high side walls which all thats needed is to frame up a 2x4 interior wall along the edges.

 

[747driver]

These arched buildings are not that easy to assemble (a huge number of fasteners). They are storage buildings, not shop structures. Look into red iron buildings. They are much better suited for a shop.

Good luck

I just wanted to cover my bases and see what a Quonset style building would cost vs pole barn or stick built. Your probably right on your thinking !

 

[newbury]

Y'all need to remember the prime reasons for the quonset hut, derived from the Nissen Hut were quick erection, economy of materials AND MOBILITY.
They were designed to be put up quickly, taken down quickly and moved to another site.
Read the wicki.

They were not meant to be used in place long.

 

[nybirdman]

I know a mechanic that has one of those quonset type buildings and it's an ice box in the winter.O.k. for storage but not a shop.

 

[jwstewar]

A friend of ours that we buy our hay built one last summer. I forget the size. He said it was a real pain to erect because the number of bolts required. He said if he were to do it again, he would go to a conventional pole barn. The round walls makes it start to store stuff up against the walls as well.

 

[RNeumann]

I do have a quote out to SteelMasterUSA to get an idea of cost. So your thinking the straight wall seams will leak over time ?

The metal siding and roofing has a profile designed to make a mechanical seal that is backed up by a chemical seal on the roof. The Quonset design forces the roofing to run perpendicular to the standard roofing. The panel ends don’t have a way to mechanically seal leaving only a chemical seal. The straight roof plane of a standard style building doesn’t experience this same issue.

 

[bdog]

Do you remember the cost difference in your 2 barns ? I am hoping I can get 10 ft high side walls which all thats needed is to frame up a 2x4 interior wall along the edges.

The quonset was here when I bought the place. No idea what it cost. I don't remember what my other shop cost either it was built in 2010.

Some people may like them but I hate mine. At least for me the difference is huge so much so I am considering tearing it down and building a regular steel building. Right now I have two trucks, two rubber tracked machines and a mustang in there and it is like a puzzle to move anything around or get it out.

 

[Cord]

On a parallel note, I have a project where we're putting up a fabric structure made by Sprung. This one is a 90'x130', double wall R-30 insulated, 25 year fabric warranty. If you wanted a insulated Quonset, it might be something to consider.

 

[Stimw]

I bought my 40' X 60' X 14' red iron building from Hercules Buildings in Jacksonville Fl. a year and a half ago.
My total cost including concrete was just under $40,000. (concrete was $11,700. ) to give you some idea.
Many of the red iron buildings are made by a few companies that wholesale ONLY to dealers.
My installers were from south Georgia but came here from an install in Louisiana.
Shop several regional dealers for best price!

The other pic was at my last property and was 40' X 50' X 12' and was basically a pole barn with used power poles, 2" X 6" perlins.
It was a 24' X 24' garage when I bought the property years ago. I jacked that roof up and build the rest around it.
I had 40' X 65' concrete poured under and in front of it. I had under $7000. in it including $4500. for concrete.

 

[JPRambo]

My brother has an American Steel Span building. 30 foot x 40 foot. It went together quickly (after we did it wrong and then read the instructions). It has 2 foot wide sections put together to make an arch. Put 5 or 6 of the arches together loosely and start to stand them up bolt together loosely and continue. I think about 1500 -5/16 x 1 inch bolts and nuts. 5 or 6 guys can put it together in a long weekend.

 

[bcantell]

My buddy and I bought a Quonset style metal building.

It was a 24 x 40.

We split it and I installed his half on his lot for a sand shed. We used concrete highway blocks to raise it 10-12'

I sold my half after that.

Even with a 200 excavator and a man lift, it was a PITA to install.

Good for a sand shed, not a shop.

 

[747driver]

This is the style I would want. P-Model Quonset Hut Style Building -. This style gives you the straight vertical walls on the sides. This allows you to install windows and doors more easily. Haven't received a response on the 2 quotes I sent out. Just looking for a building that I can use for storage and mechanics workshop.