Installation Archives

Steel Building Kits : Roof and Wall Frame Assembly

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Roof wall frame assembly

The framing system for your roof and walls is made up of a series of individual frame assemblies – “ribs” that go upward from the base rail on one side of the building, over the top to support the roofing panels, then down to the opposite base rail.

Once your base rails have been assembled and anchored, your next step is to put together the roof/wall frame assemblies.

To make sure all the assemblies are exactly the same, it’s best to assemble them one on top of the other, as shown below. This makes for a more uniform final building, and makes it easier to install roofing and siding panels. Read the rest of this entry

Steel Building Kits : Erecting the Frame

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Lifting your steel building frame into place

With your metal building’s roof and wall frames assembled (and truss bracing in place, if your particular building includes it) you’re ready to set that framing up. Here’s where you see your building’s shell take shape.

SMALLER BUILDINGS

For smaller buildings – 10 to 20 feet wide – you’ll need at least 2 people to do this part of the job. For larger buildings, you may need one or two more. If your building is 30’ or more wide, skip to the next section within this article, “Larger Buildings”.

You’ll need to be able to comfortably reach the building’s peak. That’s from 10 to 20 feet high, for most smaller steel buildings – a height you can reach with a good ladder.

Erecting the roof/wall frame assemblies is a simple proposition: Read the rest of this entry

Steel Building Kits : Assembling Trusses

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Tri truss side joint

Depending on its size and engineering, your building’s roof frame may or may not require truss bracing. The instructions for your specific building will tell you whether or not bracing is needed. In general, though:

  • Buildings from 10’ to 18’ wide do not require truss bracing.
  • Buildings 20’ wide often require Type 2 or “post-truss” bracing.
  • Buildings 24’ wide or wider may require either Type 2 or Type 4 (“tri-truss”) bracing.

One element that is common to both types of truss bracing is the collar tie. This is a horizontal cross-piece at the bottom of the truss assembly.

Type 2 post truss bracing Type 4 tri truss

The collar-tie itself is made up of three parts: a center-tie, and 2 end-ties. The lengths of these parts vary, depending on your metal building’s dimensions. Exact lengths will be found in the instructions in your steel building kit. Read the rest of this entry

Steel Building Installation – Do it Yourself

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Did you play with an Erector Set when you were a boy?  Remember all of the pieces of punched metal and the little screws and nuts? How about those “tinny” little wrenches and that screwdriver?  Wasn’t it a great feeling when you actually assembled something that resembled the picture?  I do, mine was a robot among other things.

Men today can find that same great sense of accomplishment as the boys of yesteryear when they install their own steel building.  The general idea is the same although the steel building installation may actually be easier than playing with the Erector Set.  The key to a no-hassle, do-it-yourself steel building installation is to find a company that designs steel building kits for the do-it-yourselfer Read the rest of this entry