Steel Building FAQ
What kind of warranty does Worldwide Steel Buildings offer on its prefabricated steel buildings?
All buildings manufactured by Worldwide Steel Buildings come with an industry-leading 50-year structural warranty. Worldwide Steel Buildings stands behind its metal buildings. We manufacture our building systems ourselves in the midwest, so if you ever have to make a claim, you will deal directly with the manufacturer, not a middleman.
What is the warranty on the sheeting?
Most red iron buildings use a 26ga sheet metal panel that has a 25 year warranty on it. Worldwide offers a 25 year warranty on Galvalume panels or a lifetime warranty on painted panels.
What types of steel buildings are available for homes?
Many companies advertise steel and metal homes packages, when in fact they are offering wood framed buildings with steel sheet metal siding, or a standard steel building that you will need to frame your home inside of. Not all steel buildings will give you the cost savings or advantages when used as a home. Worldwide offers a high-quality steel tube leg building specifically designed for homes and barndominiums.
Are Steel frame homes noisier than conventional wood frame homes?
Steel frame homes are not noisier than conventional wood frame homes when both are properly insulated.
What types of buildings can be constructed from Worldwide Steel building kits?
Our metal building kits can serve as the foundation for a massive variety of buildings. Our customers have designed and built residential homes, metal garages, carports, aircraft hangars, storage buildings, office buildings, barndominiums and more.
What is a barndominium?
Barndominiums are affordable, energy-efficient, low maintenance metal buildings with residential living quarters inside. They can also be called “barndos” for short.
Are buildings sold by Worldwide Steel Buildings made of all steel?
We offer several different styles of buildings, from all steel to a hybrid, which uses steel trusses and wood secondary framing.
When purchasing a steel building from Worldwide Steel buildings, are you buying from the manufacturer, or from a broker buying from whoever has the cheapest price that day, then reselling it to you?
Worldwide Steel Buildings is a manufacturer that has designed and built thousands of steel buildings for all applications over the past 30+ years. Our consultants are well-trained and partner with each customer throughout the complete building process. You are not buying from a broker; you will buy directly from the manufacturer, who will create your steel building to your exact specifications.
Are you buying from a US-based building manufacturer or from a company that buys the cheapest components they can find overseas and piecemeals buildings together?
Worldwide Steel Buildings is based in Missouri, the heart of America. Worldwide Steel is the manufacturer, and our steel comes from recycled steel, making our buildings 98% green.
Does buying a steel building save money versus traditional construction?
Prefab steel buildings are actually one of the most economical options for building a new building. They are designed and engineered for each specific project with very little wasted materials, which drastically cuts down on unnecessary building cost. They also go up fast, which saves money on labor. Using the standard designs you will also enjoy long time savings from the lack of maintenance.
Does Worldwide have a building I can view in person?
To protect the confidentiality of our customers, we do not publish a list of customers or locations. However, you may call and speak to one of our consultants to see if there’s a building in your area. If so, we can contact that owner on your behalf to see if they are willing to show their building.
Can I make my steel building have a more traditional look?
With Worldwide Steel Buildings, you are able to customize and make your steel building look as traditional as you want. Our team can help you choose traditional features and materials, from cupolas and sliding doors, to the siding and roof materials you want to use.
How do I find a contractor to build my steel building?
Because of the ease of erecting a steel building, there are many contractors across the country that can build your building. Depending on the size of your building project and location of your job site, Worldwide can help put you in contact with contractors.
How long does it take until my steel building is delivered?
Depending on the complexity of your building, delivery time can run anywhere from four to 10 weeks. Worldwide gives a 90 day price protection with all building orders.
Who unloads the building when it arrives?
You will need to make arrangements to have equipment and an unloading plan for when your building delivers. Many times, if you have hired a local contractor for construction, unloading will be part of their scope. You should always confirm that is the case with your local contractor.
What if some material is damaged or missing when you deliver your building?
You should check the load at time of delivery and mark any damages you see on the BOL, and then notify us. If anything is wrong with your delivery, we will make it right.
Will I need a permit to build my building?
In most cases you will need to pull a building permit to build a steel building, but not always. For example, some locations do not require a permit to build agricultural buildings. You should always check with your local building inspector before buying a building from us, or any other steel build manufacturer.
Will mold or mildew form on a steel building?
Mold and mildew will not form on steel buildings. There are three things required to grow mold and mildew; mold spores, moisture, and organic material which provide food for mold growth. Steel does not contain any organic materials.
How can I insulate my steel building?
There are several insulation solutions available, including everything from fiberglass insulation to spray foam. Each type can be designed to give you the R-values you want.
Will a Steel building interfere with radio, TV, or Wi-Fi reception?
No, steel buildings will not interfere with radio, television, or Wi-Fi reception.
Are lightning strikes an issue with steel buildings?
Lightning strikes are not a danger in a steel building because the steel is a positive conductor to the earth. This allows the energy to be sent straight to the ground instead of into the frame of a conventional wood construction which could potentially start a fire. The same thing happens when exposed to live electrical wires. If these are inside the home, they would be protected just like in conventional construction with circuit breakers.
What is the live load of my building?
The live load of our 26 gauge metal buildings with 5′ centers is 22 PSF and our 29 gauge metal buildings with 2′ centers have a live load of 108 PSF.
What is the wind load of my building?
Wind loads vary based on the thickness of the steel used in your metal building as well as the spacing of wall studs. Our 29 gauge steel buildings with 2′ centers offer a wind load of 144 PSF and our 26 gauge metal buildings offer a wind load of 30 PSF.
Is the main framing spaced at 20′ to 30′ apart?
Many red iron buildings space their frames 25′ to 30′ apart. Our trusses are made of steel angle and steel rods to create a system that has superior strength and are spaced to optimize for each building. Standard bay spacings are 12′ and 10′ making each truss easy to handle during the erection process.
Do the buildings manufactured by Worldwide Steel buildings use 26 gauge or 29 gauge sheet metal?
Worldwide Steel manufactures buildings can use either 26 or 29 gauge sheet metal.
What is the distance between the wall studs in Worldwide Steel Buildings metal building kits?
The distance between the wall stud depends on the gauge of sheet metal used in the building. Buildings using 26 gauge sheet metal have secondary framing on 5′ to 7′ centers and Buildings using 29 gauge will normally be on 2′ centers.
What is wind bracing?
Wind bracing is required in all steel buildings, and is what gives the strength in the long direction of a building. The amount of required bracing varies by manufacturer, and building size. This bracing is made of steel rod or steel cable, and reaches from truss to truss, set on the inside of the girts (studs).
What is cord bracing?
Cord bracing is a piece of steel that goes from each side of the truss leg to the girt (stud) and the roof girder to the purlin (roof rafter). Depending on how tall your home is, there can be more than one of these cord braces on each leg intruding into your living space.
What is truss depth?
Truss depth is the depth of the truss intrusion into the interior of a building. These may be straight legs or tapered legs, but will intrude on the inside of your interior walls.
How are exterior bolts and screws sealed against the elements?
There actually aren’t any exterior bolts required for our buildings. All exterior screws that are required are manufactured to the highest quality and meant to last the life of the building. Any exterior screw includes a seal washer for long-lasting protection against the elements.
Can Worldwide provide steel roofing with no exposed fasteners?
Yes, we offer several options for standing seam roofs.
Is drilling required for bolt holes in the trusses?
All of our trusses are built on precise jig tables to ensure the highest quality outcome. All holes that are required for assembly are punched while the trusses are in the jig to ensure proper alignment.
Is any welding required to assemble metal building kits offered by Worldwide Steel Buildings?
No welding is required to assemble our buildings. We design and manufacture our buildings to exacting standards using precise jigs to ensure easy assembly using bolts and screws.
Will my building come with an assembly instruction manual?
All of the metal building kits sold by Worldwide Steel Buildings come with an easy to follow assembly guide. Many people who purchase our building kits are able to assemble the building without the help of a contractor.
Will I need to rent a crane or other heavy equipment to assemble my steel building kit?
Our buildings use a truss system making assembly very manageable without the requirement for renting any heavy equipment. Depending on the height of your building, a forklift, tractor, or some other equipment might come in handy to speed up the process.
Will I receive state-certified wet seal blueprints?
We offer building engineered stamped prints, if required, for a fee. If certified blueprints are not required, we still design each building to meet our customer’s local building requirements and provide a set of blueprints.
Does Worldwide Steel Buildings offer state certified concrete drawings?
We do offer concrete stamped prints for an additional fee if required.
Will Worldwide Steel buildings meet my local building code requirements?
Our team of building specialists has expertise in building code requirements across the U.S., and the connections to ensure your building meets or exceeds code for its intended use and location.
