Above 1200 Sq/FT Mueller buildings versus online building kits?

[honda1998civic]

I see so many kits online that are much cheaper than the mueller buildings sold locally. What is the part I’m missing? Are the online kits not durable? Looks like they say they come with a thicker gauge metal as well so not sure how that can be true and be cheaper. Someone fill me in.

 

[readhead]

Are you comparing apples to apples?
There are four kinds of metal buildings. Red iron bolt up, red iron weld up, cold formed and tube steel.

 

[honda1998civic]

I see. I take it anything being lived in would need to be red iron?

 

[billconner]

Are you comparing apples to apples?
There are four kinds of metal buildings. Red iron bolt up, red iron weld up, cold formed and tube steel.

Which group are quonset huts in?

 

[readhead]

Bill, I missed that one. You are right of course that it should be on the list.
They are not common in my area and consequently not on my radar.

 

[readhead]

Honda, depends on your building department if you have one. Red iron or cold formed will work for a residence. Design is very different for a residence vs a shop.

 

[cvairwerks]

Quonset's can go up quickly, but have some unique challenges compared to the other styles.

Height is based on width of the building, unless you are going to build on a stem wall. A stem wall is going to be somewhere around 18" thick or more to support the building due to the corrugation depth.

Unless you go with the modified profile, or a tall stem wall, you lose working space close to the wall, depending on arch size. It will vary and could be up to several feet lost.

The corrugations that give it the strength, also require special attachment pieces to secure them to the slab. With that, depending on slab design, those fittings either hold the sections slightly above the slab, or are down in a trench and require poured fill work to seal against water and wind intrusion. For installation on the top of the slab, I don't remember the sealing method.

The corrugations complicate hanging things on the walls, as they are both the wall and the structural element of the building. Cabinets and other like items require forming an inner wall to be hung on, thereby losing space between the exterior wall and the inner wall.

The end walls take a bit of work to close, as there is lots of cut to fit work to get a closure.

We've got some near where I live, but most buildings around here are either bolt up or weld up red iron. I haven't seen very many of the tube structure buildings, but do see a number of carport and rv ports built that way.

 

[billconner]

Google quonset hut houses. I'm intrigued. There's a Canadian on that keeps the metal ribs exposed in the interior. Don't quite grasp insulation.

 

[TMcCay]

Gauge of steel used, quality and country of origin of materials. If you are erecting it yourself, then customer service. My experience with Muellar was great. I can highly recommend. Every piece was labeled and the blueprints were great. I had one question while I was putting the shop up and it was answered on the first phone call with a real person that spoke English. I would do it again without a second thought.

 

[PugetDude]

Primary difference is that you're dealing with a manufacturer vs a broker. The broker is just collecting leads, once an order is placed the various building components are farmed out to whoever will take the order at the price the broker is willing to pay (Your cost less his comission= net to the component manufacturer.) It's not unlike Priceline, one day company X will have shop time to manufacture frames, the next order might be built by company Y. Geography also has a lot to do with it, shipping costs are a major part of your package costs. Even some of the biggest industry suppilers may occasionally have the roof or wall panels rolled by a friendly competitor that is closer to the jobsite. I know at least two companies that have done this for years, but there is a level of trust involved that doesn't happen overnight- these aren't relationships established because someone clicked on a slick-looking website.

Some brokers have well-established networks of reliable suppliers, others jump from supplier to supplier as they wear out their welcome. With a Mueller building (and other reputable Pre-Engineered Building manufacturers) you are dealing with a integrated supplier who is engineering, designing, manufacturing and shipping you a complete product, manufactured in-house. You'll be in a much better position if and when anything goes wrong during the build/erection/warranty periods.

Some brokers operate under multiple company names, they can shut down any of them simply by turning off a website. You can save a few $$ by using a broker- but ask them who actually owns this business? How long have they been in business under this name? Who is going to actually manufacture the building? Are all the components coming from the same company? Who handles warranty claims, especially for the paint? Who is the engineer that is going to certify the design and stamp it for your location? Ask for references, if they are unable or unwilling to provide them, that's a huge red flag.

Good luck, the internet has made it a lot easier for your to shop for a building, but it;s also made it a lot easier for fly-by night operators to sell buildings and then play hide the salami when customer service issues arise.