May be in the market for a pretty good sized "shop/garage/man cave" type building and I think steel is the way I am leaning right now. It will sit on a concrete pad but I'm still worried about condensation issues inside due to the high humidity here during the summer. Only planning to run big shop fans during the summer and maybe a propane heater on really chilly days during the winter.


What kind of insulation would best combat the condensation issues?

Anyone build a steel building and regret not getting stick built?

Any recommendations on building brand?


I'll update with more questions as I come up with them. Thanks in advance.

Insulation and airflow solve condensation problems.

Steel can be cheaper than wood stick, depending on the trend and market. It certainly lasts longer if designed & built correctly. It can be easier to construct also, but that depends on several factors. In the minimal design you're describing, it may not make a big difference, but typically they're worth more in most markets. There are obviously exceptions to that.

The proper insulation question is best for someone in your climate. In Alaska all steel buildings require a local engineer's sign off, who double checks everything.

I’m looking to build either a steel or pole myself so will be following this.

I will be building a shop building soon. Thought about steel for a long time, but decided to use ICF. Blast and fire resistant, hurricane resistant, bullet PROOF, easy to build. Will be going with a steel roof though, with sprayed on insulation underneath.

I once rented part of a new steel building. It had lots of insulation and was very comfortable. However ICF is better overall. Check BuildBlock, FoxBlocks, etc. for ICF.

I've had two steel buildings and love them. Both had a layer of bubble insulation under the roof metal to prevent condensation up there. Never had any issues on the walls either. My current one has a red roof. It gets noticeably warmer than my last one with a light gray (matched old standing seam on house) roof. Both had ridge vents with vented soffit. Both were built by independent contractors, not a big company like Morton etc.

Anyone do 2 40ft conx boxes with a roof between them?

When I had my construction company in VA we had a steel building franchise and built several buildings from 30x40 to 50x110.
The main advantage to a steel building is the ability to free span a greater distance.

Here’s some information on roof insulation for your needs.
https://www.insulation4less.co...izcNuCxoCR6gQAvD_BwE

When you’re figuring out costs keep in mind the footer requirements for the design you have. The concrete costs can be pretty significant.

I won’t recommend any particular brand as they are all relatively similar but I can recommend a Galvalume roof. Let me know if you need any specific info.

I have a steel building that is about 16 years old and I'm in a high humidity area. I have propane heaters but the shop space isn't air conditioned.
The company that put it up installed fiberglass insulation that is backed with white plastic on the inside on the walls and roof/ceiling. I keep the heat on 60 during the day and set the thermostat around 40 at night but it usually retains enough heat so it doesn't get there before the next morning.
The only humidity problem I've had was when we had a sudden shift in temperature to about 75 and the metal of my tools and machinery was still in the 50-60 range.
The problem wasn't related to the building or insulation, it was the unusual combination of temperature and humidity.

One thing of which to be aware: You may or may not care, but, in a steel building with a metal roof you can probably kiss your cell coverage goodbye.

quote:

Originally posted by sjp:
Anyone do 2 40ft conx boxes with a roof between them?

Very common in Alaska. We've appraised at least 6 of them in the last 3-4 years.

I've seen them done really well and really bad.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
One thing of which to be aware: You may or may not care, but, in a steel building with a metal roof you can probably kiss your cell coverage goodbye.

Definite bonus. May as well finish the whole faraday concept with the building. lol.

The solution is an antenna/repeater. They're pretty affordable these days.

I've had two pole barns built. The first one, about 35 years ago, had wide roll insulation in the ceiling but I had skylights and they were a condensation problems.

The one I had built about 5 years ago has the wide roll insulation and no skylights - no condensation at all.

Got any Amish builders in the area wonder how that would compare ...

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:
May be in the market for a pretty good sized "shop/garage/man cave" type building and I think steel is the way I am leaning right now. It will sit on a concrete pad but I'm still worried about condensation issues inside due to the high humidity here during the summer. Only planning to run big shop fans during the summer and maybe a propane heater on really chilly days during the winter.


What kind of insulation would best combat the condensation issues?

Anyone build a steel building and regret not getting stick built?

Any recommendations on building brand?

I'll update with more questions as I come up with them. Thanks in advance.

Do you have Morton buildings in your area? I have a 3600 s.f. Morton building with 16' high doors that we built as a hay barn. I had it built in 2003 and it has been through several hurricanes, two of which brought winds of over 135mph with no damage. Morton has been building barns for more than 100 years and they know how to get it done. Condensation does occur inside metal buildings when there's a big temperature differential and spray foam insulation is a good choice.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
you can probably kiss your cell coverage goodbye.

HA. Can't lose what you don't have

HayesGreener, I've got Morton working on a quote for me. I've still got a bit of planning to do but hopefully soon I'll figure something out.

HRK, might have to see what I can find.

doublesharp, that's what I was hoping to hear. Your climate should be pretty similar to mine so I'll make note of that.

Much appreciated fellas. Keep it coming.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Got any Amish builders in the area wonder how that would compare ...

Amish built my second one and it's attached to my house.

These guys are great. Father and 3 sons with a cousin or 2 if they are needed. They use modern equipment but hire a driver who pulls a tool trailer. Two years ago cost was about $150 an hour for the crew. Their home base is about 25 miles away and dad uses a cell phone during travel time to discuss details. I've had them build a small pole barn garage 24'x40' and a 20'x40' carport. Both were kits from Menard's and were problem free.

How big? We built a 36x48 shop with 14' walls. It is a pole style. We framed in the walls and did R19 fiberglass in the walls. Three 12x12 insulated Wayne Dalton roll up doors. Put a ceiling in it and blew in a couple feet of insulation. Have a big ceiling fan. When it gets really cold in the winter I leave the house and go to the shop. It has a cement floor and is an amazing building. Built it more than 15 years ago. I would do it all over again.
It has a metal roof, 2' eaves and wood sheeting siding.

I priced a steel building a couple weeks ago, it was 20k more than when I checked back in July. I’m going to check again probably in March. I don’t know how it compares to stick frame right now, but I see lumber prices have come down.

I’ve got an older pole barn that serves as our garage. It’s not great but not terrible either. It’s not an official Morton building or otherwise. The former owner actually turned it into a barn for her miniature horses at one time but I removed all the stalls and started using it as a garage again. We have 4 true seasons here in WV. I’ve noticed some condensation but not a massive amount. It’s uninsulated with the drip barrier under the newer metal roof I had installed ~6 years ago. A few years ago I looked into having solar panels installed but couldn’t do it because the roof is installed with purlins and couldn’t support the weight of the panels.
We’re considering selling our farm and moving to another property and building a new home that meets our needs. I’m very interested in the ICF construction but we don’t have a lot contractors in this area that have done it before and it seems to me that experience with that process is very important. I’m curious if anyone has personal experience with the ICF construction. I understand it’s a little more expensive but I like the additional security it provides as well as the improved energy efficiency. I’m also questioning the roofing options for such a structure. Traditional shingles vs metal roof vs possible solar roof.