Blind Man Builds a Steel Building

We receive many questions about the ease of construction of our steel buildings.  One of our customers in Florida demonstrates the true ease of construction that comes with a SteelMaster Buildings.

Bob Krokker built a 12,500 square foot SteelMaster in Citrus County, Florida that is used as a workshop for teaching woodworking classes to other blind people to allow them to become skilled carpenters.  His goal for these individuals is for them to take their craft and return home as journeymen and to pass the trade to more blind people.  Krokker and his apprentices build wood chests, hutches and cabinets.  Krokker works with the Wishing Well Center, a sort of school and community center run by Blind Americans, Inc. in Hernando, Florida.

Krokker was a successful contractor for custom-built homes in Clearwater until he lost his sight to diabetes and glaucoma nearly 25 years ago.  After the loss of his sight, he embarked on  a two-year tour of the United States, looking for a program that helped the blind to become more independent that he could model after.  After finding one in Texas, he returned home and received a grant from the Florida to pay for the new SteelMaster steel workshop to house his project.

With the help of Jim Miekka, a 42-year old blind man from Hernando, Krokker completed the SteelMaster structure by fastening the workshop structure with our one nut and bolt system.

SteelMaster steel buildings include all the component parts necessary to erect a garage, workshop, storage building or a building for any purpose.  These components are made to precise standards of accuracy for easy assembly and are pre-punched and pre-drilled holes with only one size nut and bolt for the entire building.  Our prefabricated steel buildings are so simple to erect that over 80% of our customers construct their own buildings which means huge contractor cost savings!

Here are the 3 steps for constructing a SteelMaster steel building:

    Build Your Arches – assembling your steel building is safe and easy with 70% of the work done on the ground.
    Raise the Arches – in most cases, no heavy equipment is required to raise up the arches for your steel building.
    Fit Arches Together – Our precision built steel arches fit together perfectly.  The precision overlap of the arches provides more steel integrity at critical connection points, ensuring the easiest-to-assemble, strongest, best fitting arch system available.

For More information About Steel buildings and If u have Any Reviews and Complaints Fill Steelmaster Complaints Form

The Art of Steel

I like surprises, and I experienced one over this past weekend.

My surprise didn’t show up in the form of a party or a winning lottery ticket. There weren’t balloons or noisemakers or any hoopla at all—there was simply a conversation by email.

The person I exchanged emails with is Julie Clark who lives in Rising Fawn, GA with her husband Bruz. I contacted her to get some information about her SteelMaster building, which she uses for storage. What I ended up learning was unexpected and fascinating—Clark is an artist, and her medium is blacksmith and metal working.

What I know about blacksmithing is that it was a common form of employment for men some 200 years ago, and their end result was typically wagon axles, plowshares, swords, and horseshoes. Back then, the blacksmith heated iron or steel, pounded, shaped, and cooled it over and over again until it became what it was meant to be.

Nowadays, the same heating, pounding, and shaping process still goes on, but the end product is typically considered art—with both men and women delivering the mighty blows toward creation.

I was intrigued, so in addition to asking her questions about her SteelMaster storage shed (made by SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA), I delved a bit into her own drive to dabble in an art form that requires a lot of fire, smoke, and tools. Here is the interview:

BHW: How long have you been a blacksmith and metal working artist, and what got you into working with that material?

JC: I grew up with horses, and after I graduated from college in 1987, I went to farrier school to learn how to shoe. We made all of the horseshoes in a coal forge, which led to my interest in blacksmithing as an art form. I didn’t begin making art full time until the mid 90’s.

My husband, Bruz and I spent five years building our own house, and during that time I obtained a two-year degree in welding at a local community college and began playing around with metal work and sculpture.

After we finished the house, we built my shop, SpitFire. Both combine timber frame and post and beam joinery, using a lot of steel brackets to join the timbers. I took the welding classes to gain more knowledge about welding in order to feel comfortable about welding the brackets that hold up the house.

My husband is proficient in wood working and I love metal, so it is a fabulous combination. I have my work at InTown Gallery in Chattanooga and also participate in craft fairs, and I also teach a blacksmithing class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.

BHW: What key components do people typically have in a blacksmith shop, and do you have those in yours?

JC: If by components, you are referring to structural, I would have to say a hoist is key. We installed an I-beam with an attached hoist that runs the full length of my shop. I use it often.

With metal working, fire is always an issue, and even though oak timbers are the support material, the floor is concrete and my interior side walls are concrete and corrugated metal.
Our building has a clear story with windows, which let in much needed natural light and adequate ventilation comes from being able to open both end doors, allowing wonderful air flow. Plenty of outlets are a must as well, especially for a metal working shop.

If by components, you are referring to equipment, I have various things, to suit my mood. If I am in the mood to forge, I have a propane forge, 250# anvil, post vice, treadle hammer, little giant power hammer, and various other tools. If I am in the mood to weld up a sculpture, I have various welders, plasma cutter, oxy/ace torch and a nice large layout table. Often times an artist will either specialize in blacksmithing or metal working. I am fortunate to have skills and interest in both areas, but when I teach, I always tell my students that you do not need all of the things that I have to get started. You can do a lot with just a few key items, such as a gas forge, small anvil, small welder, and a few tongs and hammers.

BHW: Where did you work on your art before you built the blacksmith shop?

JC: I paid my dues for a number of years in a tiny wooden shed, 10' x 12', with a gravel floor that used to house shavings for the horses. I cleaned it out and my husband ran electricity to it. I called it Sparky. I actually loved it and would not have traded my time in it for anything.

I think it is important to work one’s way up to a nice space. I appreciate my new shop, having worked so long in Sparky!

BHW: When did you decide that you wanted to build another stand-alone shop?

JC: When we built the shop, I did not really account for storage for steel. It is not my nature to accumulate huge quantities of steel, or scrap, because I can’t function in clutter. But, after completing the shop and working in it for a couple of years, I knew I needed a dry space for bar stock and sheet metal. What I did accumulate ended up on the floor of my shop, and I had to always step over it. I also have to say, that it was important to find a small building that fit in with my beautiful timber framed shop. The little [SteelMaster] Quonset hut is a perfect addition. My husband and I are huge believers that a structure, no matter what its use, has to be attractive as well as functional.

BHW: When you realized you needed a place to store your metal and you decided to go with a Quonset hut, what led you to SteelMaster?

JC: We were on a trip in North Carolina, and while on a little country road, we drove past a tiny little Quonset hut that looked like a little garden shop. I did not realize that a hut could be so small, so when I got home, I Googled “Quonset hut”.

A few companies came up and asked for dimensions in order to give a quote. SteelMaster was the first to contact me. The person I talked to was so nice; I never even got quotes from the others. Simple kindness really does pay off.

We followed the instruction for building a form for a pad and had it poured—it took us about four days to put up the frame. We were totally amazed at how easily it went up and that all the bolt holes matched perfectly. We have talked it up so much that a couple of friends came by, and they are thinking about building one.

I would highly recommend SteelMaster. We received follow up calls and my husband had a question about the anchor brackets and received very helpful and friendly answers from someone at the company.

BHW: What is it about the old military-style Quonset huts that you like? Have you seen them in various places throughout your life, or is this an image that you have from movies/TV/etc.?

JC: Good question. I am not really sure, but I have always known about the old military style Quonset huts and thought they were a cool structure. I find the arch visually appealing, and I am familiar with the strength of the arch in construction as well having marveled at the ancient French aqueducts.

BHW: Are you confident in your SteelMaster when it comes to durability/resilience?

JC: I must tell you this funny story. When we were building our house, a dear friend was writing an article for Southern Living on good luck charms found in foundations of dwellings all over the world. During medieval times it was not uncommon for the wealthy to sacrifice a human and bury the remains in the foundation. Over time, that led to burying a shoe. So our friend sacrificed his LL Bean loafer to go into our foundation. The tradition continued with my Mom giving up her classic beige pump, which was submerged into the slab for the Quonset.

I am convinced that they all bring us good luck because a couple of weeks ago, our little town of Trenton, GA was torn to pieces by a tornado. As the crow flies, the town is about five miles west. We had put up the hut, and had it anchored to the slab with brackets, but had not filled in with the grout. A neighbor called to say a tornado had touched down and would be in Trenton in 20 minutes. I went into our lower room and got up against a wall. It was wild, and I sat there thinking, that the Quonset hut would surely be gone. Thankfully, our house, shop, and the Quonset hut came through unscathed. Now, whether it was saved from damage due to luck of the shoe or because of well designed, sturdy components; I’ll let you decide!

BHW: You mentioned in your writing that you thought the Quonset hut would make a great pub…what made you think of that, and can you elaborate just a bit on that thought for me?

JC: My husband and I do enjoy wine, but we are total beer connoisseurs. Complete snobs! I mean, we even named our dog after our favorite beer, Stella Artois. Anyway, so all through our building projects, at the end of the work day, after all the tools were put away, we would look forward to a good beer and to rehash the progress. Our good friend and architect, who helped with the design and construction of both our house and shop, used to kid us about designing a separate building to hold the kegs and running the hoses right into the shop. The minute we put up the adorable Quonset hut, all we could think of was, it would be a great pub for us to house our extensive collection of foreign beer, to have our friends over and to enjoy!

In addition to sheds and storage buildings, SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

For More information About Steel buildings and If u have Any Reviews and Complaints Fill Steelmaster Complaints Form

It’s a SteelMaster Home for this Smooth Captain

"Captain Bill" Smith calls El Dorado, Arkansas home when he is not busy with his Captain duties towing massive cargo barges in and out of New Orleans. Even when he is not on the water though, one might say Billy Smith is still a smooth operator.

His desire to own a SteelMaster buildings started several years ago. Back when Billy was in high school his grandfather bought one. He knew someday he too, would be the proud owner of a SteelMaster building. However his would not be used for a workshop, garage, or storage.

Billy purchased a 30’x16’ building which is being carefully crafted into quite the bachelor pad. In his words, "I guess you can tell by the looks of my kitchen that I’m not married, huh? Ha-ha. And no home is complete without a bar."

From what we could tell from his pictures, his kitchen looks just fine. With stainless steel appliances that match the rest of his sleek modern interior, his kitchen is more than workable. Billy refuses to insulate his building. He likes the ultra-chic industrial appearance of the steel and metal walls. He managed to keep his home adequately warm last winter with a wood stove and a ceiling fan to circulate the air, given heat rises. His bedroom stays nice and toasty since it is located in the rear quarter of his building in a second-floor loft area.

Keeping his home cool has not been an issue either. He has been comfortable with one window air-conditioning unit and a turbine vent. Although he is planning to add two additional vents, he decided to go with a window unit instead of central air because, "If it stops working, I do not have to call a technician. I can just kick it out of my window and buy another one!" he says.

The picture of his bar reveals his true craftsmanship. The dimly-lit designer lighting and step-up bar make a great gathering place where he and his friends can hang out and unwind. There is also the luxury of knowing neither he nor his friends have to drive home or call a cab after partaking in a few libations conjured up at Billy’s bar.

Billy has taken his time with his home and furnished it with quality finishes that will last, just like his SteelMaster building. Although a humble man, he admitted with the exception of constructing the building, he has done all the interior work himself. He enjoys working on it in-between being out on the barge. The size of his building is perfect for him. The bonus of the unencumbered floor to ceiling space which is uniquely a SteelMaster design feature, adds jaw-dropping drama to the entrance of his home. The tall span gives it a high ceiling without a boxed-in feeling.

Billy’s goal was to have a maintenance-free home that would be distinctively his as well as a conversation piece. He wanted his home to be secure when he was at sea, and safe enough to withstand severe weather. Some might think that would be asking a lot. But with a SteelMaster building you get that and much more.

SteelMaster buildings are backed by a 30-year warranty from our factory where the building kits are designed and fabricated. They are safe and secure enough for the government and the military. SteelMaster buildings have withstood hurricane force winds, tornadoes, heavy snow loads, and extreme temperature fluctuations, all the while keeping the contents within safe and sound.

The arches and end walls of SteelMaster Buildings are treated with SteelMaster’s Galvalume Plus. This thin, clear, organic coating eliminates the need for conventional chemical treatment while maintaining a bright, heat reflective and corrosion resistant finish. No need for Billy to worry about termites either, since he owns a steel and metal home.

At SteelMaster, we are constantly amazed by the innovative abilities of our customers and friends. Billy’s home is no exception. We remain grateful to those who share their stories for our website too. It serves as proof positive the use possibilities of our buildings are indeed infinite.

Here’s to smooth sailing, Captain Bill. We thank you. We have a feeling you will be having plenty of (ahem) friends over to admire your bachelor pad! (wink-wink!)

For More information About Steel building and If u have Any Reviews and Complaints Fill Steelmaster Complaints Form we get back to you soon.

SteelMaster Home in Arch Daily

The "Arc House" was recently featured on the Selected Works section of Arch Daily’s website. The house uses a SteelMaster steel building to create an open floor plan for the living, dining and kitchen areas. To see pictures of the project and learn more about the design, click the photo below.

Mesa is a Mecca for Steel, Thanks to Local Artist

Trust.

Such a simple word but one with implications that pervade every avenue down which life takes us.

For William Barnhart of Mesa, AZ, the word acts as his starting block-a place from which he positions his intentions and gains stability in the knowing that he will emerge from the empty spaces and chaos of color and textures with a painting, sculpture, or print that speaks a language in a way that is unique to him but understood by many.

But while he takes creative expression seriously, a look around his studio space tells the story of an artist with a lighthearted sense of humor that has never lost touch with the childhood wonder of his youth.

Trust can actually be seen in his studio because he etched the word into the start of the glass catwalk that stretches to a VW Bus mounted 12' off the floor that has been converted into a bedroom with its own power supply, air conditioning, television, and skylight.

"It is quite disorienting for some people to walk on the glass catwalk, and they automatically look down to try to orient themselves,"says Barnhart. "That is why I etched the word Trust into the glass at the start of the catwalk-and when they ultimately make it across safely to the end of the catwalk and are just about to step off, they read the second thing I etched into the glass-75 lb Max (the two pieces of tempered glass that make up the walkway actually hold 5,000 lbs).”

Barnhart began construction on his studio in 2005 and finished in 2008. Located about five miles from his home, his studio is 3,700 + square feet with 28' ceilings and complete with a rock climbing wall, bathroom, shower, fireman's pole, the VW Bus, loft space, office, and gallery. A 1,500 lb arched steel and concrete-ball entry gate gently pivots across the driveway to the front, and there is a lushly planted xeriscaped sculpture garden in the back. All the glass and steel plus various additional materials that together form his studio are used or recycled.

The building is unmistakable from the outside with its 12' concrete block wall supporting a Quonset-style arched steel roofing system which Barnhart bought from SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA. Barnhart chose this specific style and material for the studio's roofing system for nostalgic reasons.

"While in college we had a few professors who went to bat for us students to find us studio space,"remembers Barnhart. "One spot they came up with was a Quonset hut-the Geology department used the bottom floor to store rocks, and we used the loft space as a studio. I fell in love with the building and the arched space. With my current studio, I wanted a really tall space so that if I wanted to create a 25' sculpture I can. The SteelMaster roofing system makes that possible.”

For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

Michelle Wickum is the director of marketing for SteelMaster and says that Barnhart made a wise decision when he chose to build his second garage with steel.

"Steel does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it is non-combustible,"says Wickum. "SteelMaster buildings are easier to handle, stronger, and less expensive than any other common garage building materials. Steel's inherent strength resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage. Steel components weigh up to 60 percent less than wood members, and all steel products are repeatedly recyclable.”

In addition, Wickum says that the arch design of the building as well as the clear-span, truss-less interior provides people with the option to customize the building however they like.

Barnhart says he really did his research before deciding upon buying from SteelMaster.

"I contacted about every company there is that makes them and requested materials and price quotes,"says Barnhart. "A SteelMaster representative sent me this book that contained dimensions, drawings, engineering specs-it was at least 60-80 pages long! Their pricing was very competitive. When I saw that SteelMaster exclusively provided NASA with all of its Quonset hut buildings, I was sold-that is a very big deal and says a lot about the company and its products.”

Barnhart's studio is not open to the general public, so if anyone is interested in seeing the dynamics of his building from the inside including his gallery, which holds many pieces of his art, they should visit his website.

People who finds themselves at the Transit Shelter at Superstition Spring Mall in Mesa just need to look around to view Barnhart's work that cannot be found in his gallery.

"I received a call from the head of transportation for the city who wanted to come and take a look at my studio,"says Barnhart. "He told me about the Transit Station project and asked me if I would be interested in being the lead designer and point person for the project-which of course I was. I was assisted by TranSystems and their Architectural and Engineering team, as well as a host of others to bring this project to fruition.”

The Station sits on a site more than 600' long, which is surrounded by more than 1,200 linear feet of fencing, and will accommodate five double busses at once. It is designed to service five local bus routes, and the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) which is part of the Light Rail System in the valley. More information on the Station can be found here.

The Transit Station recently won the prestigious "Crescordio Award"for Environmental Excellence in 2010, partially due to its innovative use of sustainable and recyclable materials, and the integration of desert fauna into the design of the Station, and esthetic components. The Station features a green, or "living roof"planted with desert cacti.

Barnhart incorporated two SteelMaster buildings into the Station-the big arch that serves as a breezeway and the other as a driver relief station.

"The year of 2009 was a whirlwind of activity in the studio,"says Barnhart. "Not only did I design the Station, but all of the esthetic and artistic components of the project were fabricated and installed by me and my team. It was a huge undertaking, but definitely worth it. I know that I can't go wrong with a SteelMaster, and I recommended them to quite a few people. Their customer service is great, and I love the product and the fact that I can use it in non-traditional ways. With a product this good, there are no limits to the possibilities.”

In addition to studios and transit stations, SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

SteelMaster Kids Participate in Operation Smile

Over the weekend, several SteelMaster kids participated in Operation Smile Final Mileas a part of The Shamrock Sportsfest in Virginia Beach, VA. The Operation Smile Final Mile is designed to teach children the importance of exercise, commitment and helping children born with facial deformities. Students run in school and/or at home during the months leading up to the race to complete 25.2 miles and, in March, they run their "final mile” for a total of 26.2 miles the equivalent of one marathon). Check out pictures below…

SteelMaster Sponsors PIN Golf Tournament

Last Friday, PIN Ministries held its 6th Annual Golf Tournament at Honeybee Golf Course in Virginia Beach, VA. SteelMaster Buildings was a Gold Sponsor for the event with members of the leadership team playing in the tournament and selling raffle tickets to raise more money for the charity.

The charitable organization hosts several annual fundraisers throughout the year that raise money for food, clothing, housing, medial assistance, job training and spiritual support for the homeless in Virginia Beach. These events include the golf tournament, ping pong tournament (Ping Pong for Poverty), VB Rock and Roll Half Marathon and the comedy night.

Click here if you are interested in learning more about the PIN Ministry of Virginia Beach or donating, please click here.