Reign in Hurricanes with Steel

By day, Raymond Bennett works in law enforcement, where his mission is to help keep chaos at bay. That same objective strongly factored into his decision-making process when he set out to buy a workshop to store farm and mechanical equipment on his nine acres of land in Pinetown, NC.

“Being that I live on the coast, it’s all about weathering the next hurricane,” says Bennett. “I decided to buy a steel building because of the strength it offers against wind and storms.”

He noticed a certain type of steel building steadily cropping up along the landscape surrounding his home and property, and went online to see if he could find out who made it. “After doing some research online, I learned that those buildings were made by SteelMaster,” says Bennett. “I purchased a 25 x 20 shop from them about six months ago, and it took my father and me about a month to build.”


For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA, 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.

“SteelMaster buildings are engineered for life,” says Michelle Wickum, the company’s director of marketing. “Our steel buildings are also built to meet the wind loads of their destination whether that’s along North Carolina’s coastline or in the middle of Iowa. They remain maintenance free for a lifetime thanks to the company’s use of Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity.” Each SteelMaster building also comes with a 30-year mill-backed warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT).

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SteelMaster buildings incorporate an arch design which offers 100 percent usable, clear-span space, giving people the flexibility to truly customize the interior by hanging lighting, running conduit, building shelves, creating a loft, adding insulation, and heating/cooling the building.

Every SteelMaster features easy-to-understand, complete illustrated assembly instructions in the newly revised construction manual and uses a one-size nut and bolt system as the only fastener as well as precision-fit components.

“It was pretty easy to construct after the first ring was built,” says Bennett. “My dad and I really like the way the building went together so nicely and how everything was supplied for us even down to the plans. It may have a blue million nuts and bolts, but it is a strong structure and worth the time to put it up. I am very pleased with my purchase and look forward to completing it fully and also using it as a spot to watch Hurricanes hockey in.”

In addition to workshops, SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, 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.

History Lights the Way for Steel Buildings

In today’s world, information overload is a very real consequence to the evolution of technology. In many instances, the latest and greatest turns out to be baseless and fleeting—so much so, that people are looking backwards for the map to success in an effort to circumvent future wrong turns or dead ends.

Douglas Miracle of London, KY did just that in October 2010 when he bought his second steel arch building from SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA.

A decade prior he bought the same building from SteelMaster to use as a workshop/garage.

“It was a great price, needed less maintenance, and was easier to construct than other building on the market,” says Miracle. “I received their sales brochure, and there was no comparison in price at that time.”

According to Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster Buildings, the company has been guided by the basic principles of offering customers a reliable, well-made, versatile, and durable pre-fabricated steel structure at an affordable price for more than 29 years, and continues abiding by those same principles today.

“At its inception, SteelMaster engineered and designed a new, stronger structure based on the historic designs of the Quonset hut,” says Wickum. “SteelMaster evolved the Quonset into a new structure that combines the architectural strength of the arch along with 21st century technology which allows the buildings to be designed and engineered to handle all types of climates and conditions. And over the years, we continued to develop the original Quonset design and engineering to meet the same primary goal: provide all-purpose prefabricated steel buildings and roofing structures that can be shipped anywhere in the world and can be constructed quickly and easily.”

The fact that he can construct the building himself is another variable that motivated Miracle to buy another SteelMaster building.

“On the first building, I completed most of the site preparation myself and then contracted the concrete work,” says Miracle. “The first day I had five people to help me begin my project. After the first day it was just my father-in-law and I. Then, after all the arches were up, I completed the building on my own. It took about two weeks to complete. It was a simple project for me; not much of a challenge. I will most likely do the construction on this second building the same way that I did the first one; except that I purchased the IBC connectors with this building. I think this will be an easier way to start.”

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Wickum says that the fact that customers like Miracle can construct the building themselves saves them the money of hiring a contractor and also gives them a sense of pride over the finished product because they had a hand, literally, in making it happen.

“Most of our customers assemble and raise the arches to complete the construction of their SteelMaster building on their own, or with the help of friends,” says Wickum. “Our buildings feature a one-size nut and bolt system as the only fastener and precision-fit component, which simplifies the process. Our precision-built arches fit together perfectly. The precision overlap of the arches provides more steel at critical connections, ensuring the easiest-to-assemble, strongest, best-fitting arch system available.”

Once the building is constructed, customers have the option of finishing their building with any SteelMaster steel end wall or adding a custom garage end wall that they create and add on themselves. They can also add insulation, skylights, vents, electrical wiring, lighting, doors, partitions, and a host of other accessories.

“Customizing the interior of your SteelMaster Pre-Engineered Garage is easy to do,” says Wickum. “With our clear span, truss-less design you can divide up the space in your SteelMaster steel garage however you want.”

As for Miracle, he isn’t about all the fancy bells and whistles—he says he prefers to stick to simple construction.

“With my first building, I used insulated metal panels to form my end walls and later added electricity and lights,” says Miracle. “It’s basically just a neat building—strong, cool, and interesting.”

In addition to garages like Miracle’s, SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangar, 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.

A Man Uses Steel to Work on his Muscles

Although it is 2011, the 1960’s and 70’s are still rumbling and roaring in a 25 foot by 50 foot Steel Building located in the quiet suburbs of McKinney, TX.  It is in this steel arched building that Stephen Martinez keeps the carefree, rock-n-roll attitude of that era alive by restoring classic muscle cars, which are more popular and valuable than ever. 

For years, Martinez worked on restoring the cars in the cramped space of a standard attached garage. But in 2006, he revved up his surroundings by purchasing the large steel building from SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA.

 “It is climate controlled, insulated, and has a full complement of auto shop tools, including a two-post car lift,” says Martinez. “We chose to purchase from SteelMaster because we wanted an engineered building that would not require any maintenance. I used the industrial rail mounting, and the buildings fit together well when care is taken to assure that the starting sections are plumb.”

 Martinez liked his building so much in fact, that he turned to SteelMaster again in 2007 to buy a 10 foot by 12 foot building to use for storage. Then in 2010, he bought a 12 foot by 30 foot building to use as a workshop to house his hobby of building furniture and gifts made of exotic hardwoods.

Brenda, the author, states that now its quite easy to assume any steel building under steelmaster complaints experts. By giving examples, the author draws the fact of importance of such arch buildings in the market.

 Now the owner of three SteelMaster steel buildings which stand side by side on his property, Martinez says his “compound” is complete. “My experience working with SteelMaster Buildings has been excellent,” says Martinez. “We are very pleased—especially so when we finished the installation, which we did ourselves.”

With thousands pf satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the United States, on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries, SteelMaster takes pride in knowing its steel buildings have earned the favor of people like Martinez.

SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, 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.

What Would You Keep in Your Steel Building?

While taking a peek inside Clarence Abadie’s steel building will answer the question as to what he stores inside, that answer will undoubtedly leave you wanting to know more.
Like, for example, why does this 76-year-old man keep a fully functional, one-person helicopter inside of his steel building that sits in the backyard of his home in Tickfaw, LA?
The short answer is simple—building and flying helicopters are hobbies of his. The long answer is much more interesting and involves travel, intrigue, high flying adventures, duty to country, and loss.
As a young adult, the Marine Corps taught Abadie how to fly, and after his four years of service were finished in 1960, he knew he wanted to focus his career around flying. He was due to rotate back to the states before his discharge from his post in Okinawa, Japan, but he accepted an offer from the CIA to work for Air America, doing various covert operations during the next 15 years in places such as Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. After the company disbanded in 1975, Abadie came home to Louisiana and finished earning his college degree in professional aviation.
From there he worked for various companies during the next two decades and lived in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Kwajalein Island, Abu Dhabi, and the Bahamas before returning to Louisiana where he retired in 1996.

“When it was time for me to retire, my wife and I were quite happy to come home to Louisiana and settle down here,” says Abadie. “Our three sons were grown and out of the house, so we were ready for a slower pace of life.”
When Abadie’s wife of 30 years died in 2007 after battling thyroid cancer for six months, he realized that the best thing he could do was keep his mind and hands busy, so returning to flying was the natural choice for him.
“I bought a helicopter kit and built a rotary wing gyrocopter, but I soon found out that it was too difficult to fly it out of my yard,” says Abadie. “I sold it and then built a Helicycle instead. I wanted to move it out of my garage, and that is when I bought my SteelMaster building. I wanted something durable and something easy to put up. SteelMaster was it.”
For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA, 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.
“SteelMaster Aircraft Hangars provide clear span buildings that are both economical and durable, making the steel structures world-renowned in the field of aviation,” says Michelle Wickum, the company’s director of marketing. “The unique design of SteelMaster’s metal buildings allows spans up to 150 feet in width, with unlimited lengths. With no need for interior supports, people can maximize the use of the space in these steel Airplane Hangar. Whether you have a single, twin engine, or commercial jet, SteelMaster steel buildings can accommodate your needs.”
Now that Abadie has his own helicopter and a proper building to store it in, where does he want to travel?
“Out of all the places I have been, I’m more than content to just fly around here for fun,” says Abadie. “I’m comfortable here—Louisiana is where I belong.”
SteelMaster Buildings manufactures, designs, and supplies customers with pre-fabricated arched steel structures including garages, workshops, carports, agricultural storage, metal barns, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, storage buildings, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including homes, athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

Steel is the Real Deal for this Arizona Man

Dan Falcone leads a very full life. At 59 years old, he works long hours and many days in a row to be able to take three months off every year to spend time working on projects and being with his family in Arizona. Why did Falcone decide to build a SteelMaster Building, and what is he planning to do us the building for?

Brenda Welch, a freelance writer who writes for SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA spoke with Falcone to learn his motivations behind purchasing the building, and his future intentions for the space.

BW: Why did you decide you needed a building?

DF: When I retire I plan on having my own machine shop.

BW: Why did you decide to build with steel as opposed to wood or another material?

DF: In Arizona, wood takes too much maintenance.

BW: What led you to SteelMaster?

DF: I saw [the company] on the Internet and contacted a sales representative (Bonnie Kaufman) who was very helpful in answering my questions.

BW: Why did you choose SteelMaster’s product as the one that you wanted to build with?

DF: [SteelMaster] provided me with all that I asked for at what I thought was a reasonable price for the size building that I purchased.

BW: When did you begin building your SteelMaster, and when did you finish?

DF: I started in February and finished in March as I had other things to do also. I had help standing up the arches, but did all the rest myself including the end doors, windows, and turbine vents on top. It was quite a challenge by myself as a 59 year old guy, but was very satisfying when I saw what a quality building I had and that it sealed up so well from the elements.

BW: What are the things that you are most impressed about with the building?

DF: The building is very structurally sound, it seals up so well, and it is easy to add accessories. Also, there is so much space inside without any inner trusses or braces that are on a conventional building. I had one rain storm right after finishing with 40 mile per hour winds, and the direction was coming in towards the overlap. I didn't have a single leak except for one where I was missing a nut on a bolt. Then I found after checking that I was missing three other nuts on the bolts, but they were not even leaking. I choose this type of building because I knew that I would have minimal help and was able to accomplish most of it on my own, plus it is a very secure building. I think the only way people could get into it when it is locked up would be to take a large machine or a gas powered chop saw—both of which would alert the neighbors. Wind is the biggest issue where I am located, and the building seals it out completely—except of course where I have purposely ventilated it for circulation to the turbine vents.

BW: Is there anything that you wish you had known before you started this process that you know now?

DF: I wish that I had read the directions more carefully without thinking that I was a know-it-all, as they were very precise. I just sort of skimmed over them because looking at the building, it looked pretty basic. Only what I didn't realize was the importance of keeping the building plumb and in its exact shape as I put it up. I ended up spending extra time putting it to shape and peak plumb to facilitate ease of putting in the end walls.

BW: How often do you use your building?

DF: I use it every day.

BW: Have you received comments from other people about your building?

DF: I have received comments from all my neighbors, some who were even skeptical until they saw and experienced the structural integrity of it and the amount of space inside because you don't need all that inner bracing like you do on a wood building.

BW: What surprises you the most about your building?

DF: Besides all the functionality and no maintenance (like painting and all the things that go along with a wood structure) it has a very clean and attractive look to it. I am pleased all around and look forward to my retirement and using it as my hobby, plus all the storage I can have on a building this size (30'x40'). When you look in a conventional structure you don't have that extra ceiling space for lighting or whatever a person might want to use it for. The other thing I want to mention is your excellent customer service that I received whenever I had a question or wanted an accessory. I had someone on the phone always—if not immediately, then in less than 10 minutes when I would get a call back from your construction specialist Richard Merrill.

In addition to steel building applications such as Falcone’s, 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, storage buildings, 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.

Brenda comes up with an exclusive solution of Steelmaster Complaints questionare. Also the broad range of Steelmasters' steel buildings is discussed with examples.

Steel Barn Means No Horsin’ Around with Typical Wood Problems

Evalynn Hyra was in a bit of a bind.

It was 1994, and construction on her house in Tryon, NC had just been completed. Her next project was to build a barn for her horses, but money was tight.

“When the house was built, I didn’t have the money for a stick-built barn or for one of the very fancy horse barns you see around here,” says Hyra, who now owns four horses and five barn cats.

It was during a visit to her local feed store that she literally walked in on a solution to her problem.

“The owner of the feed store had just put in a SteelMaster building for his equipment with a small area closed in for an office,” says Hyra. After seeing the versatility of the building, she contacted the company.

Located in Virginia Beach, VA, SteelMaster Buildings has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures for more than 28 years to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

“Farm buildings are one of the most common and popular uses for our structures, as well as the top substitute for traditional pole barn applications,” says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster. “Our build-it-yourself buildings are affordable and offer 100 percent usable space with a clear span design that eliminates beams and trusses. They are easy to construct and provide maintenance-free use for a lifetime.”

In addition to being maintenance-free, they are also nearly indestructible, which is an important feature when it comes to housing horses that are prone to kicking and biting.

“A wood barn can crack, splinter, rot, and become infested with pests,” says Wickum. “None of those things occur with a SteelMaster building. Steel’s inherent strength resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage as well.”When Hyra found out that SteelMaster buildings are customizable, she included features that gave the steel building a typical wood-barn feel.

“The SteelMaster rep suggested that we enclose the ends with wood for looks, and I’m very happy that we did,” says Hyra. “It was installed by a team recommended by the SteelMaster rep, and a friend did the interior work and wood ends. The barn is 30 x 40. There is a center aisle. On one side I’ve created a stall and a large hay room. The other side has a stall, a tack/feed room, and a small area for brooms, etc. The far end, crossing the aisle, is a run-in for the horses, who have access to the barn and pastures 24/7. There is a window in each stall as well as on each side of the run-in end. The stalls are a convenience and there in the event that a horse has to be locked in, but the run-in was the more important area for me. We used double folding doors at each end rather than sliders, which would have been much heavier.”

Just before Christmas of 2008, eight inches of snow fell on Tryon, followed by very heavy winds. The SteelMaster barn got through it just fine, but the same could not be said for Hyra’s carport.

“I had the kind of carport that you see all over,” says Hyra. “After the snow and the wind, the carport roof caved in on my truck and tractor, causing about $5,000 damage to the truck. Since the barn building has convinced me that it’s not going anywhere, and I have never worried about its structural safety, I decided to buy a SteelMaster carport.”

In addition to farm buildings and caports, SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, storage buildings, 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.

Winter’s Mess Shows which Building is Best

When some people think of snow, delightful images of hot chocolate and cozy fires come to mind. For Gil McNeely of Waynesburg, PA, there is nothing delightful about snow—in fact, it makes him downright miserable.

With his home located two long miles from a paved road, McNeely has been left to plow and shovel virtually nonstop these past two winters to keep up with the record amount of snowfall. “Last winter we lost power a few times during the storms and had to use the generator,” says McNeely. “It was a heavy wet snow that damaged some trees and even caused a metal 10 x 10 building out back to completely cave in—but my SteelMaster was just fine. These winters have put it to the test, and that is one tough building.”

For more than 28 years, SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA, 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.

In 2006, McNeely built his SteelMaster steel building to keep his two jeeps in as well as for storage of various other items. He bought the building from the company after spotting one of their ads in a farm and dairy journal. “I was searching for something that was low maintenance, and that is exactly what I got with my SteelMaster,” says McNeely. “I have another pole building on my property made of wood and metal, and I’ve had to paint the roof a few times, tighten loose nails, and do a bunch of other maintenance—I’m just tired of all the upkeep. With the SteelMaster building, once I got it up, I didn’t have to even think about it again. There is nothing to maintain. Another thing I noticed is that the building doesn’t sweat. When I keep my jeep in another one of my buildings, sometimes I go to get in them and there is condensation on the windshield. That has never happened with my SteelMaster, so the ventilation in it is really good.”

Structural steel is easier to handle, stronger, and less expensive than any other common pre-fabricated buildings materials. It does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it is non-combustible. 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.

“With a SteelMaster building, you don’t have to treat it, paint it, or maintain it,” says Michelle Wickum, director of marketing for the company. “You can just enjoy it. The Galvalume Plus coating provides years of maintenance-free use. And the rugged resilient steel will take the bumps and bangs common to a storage building.”

McNeely likes his SteelMaster building so much that he purchased another one that he plans to build on to his SteelMaster that is already standing once this winter is behind him. His cousin, who owns part of the 156 acres that McNeely lives on, recently bought a SteelMaster building himself as well. “I’ve actually been seeing more and more SteelMaster buildings going up around these parts,” says McNeely. “They are a great investment, require no maintenance, and they look good, so I’m not surprised people are buying them. I’m already making plans myself to buy a third one because I love the buildings so much.”

In addition to storage buildings, SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including garages, workshops, carports, metal barns, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, 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.