Metal garages are ideal for many applications, whether you’re storing multiple vehicles or adding space to your home for your hobbies or business. This is because they are cost effective, durable, long-lasting, and flexible. However, buying a metal garage can be an overwhelming process, especially if you’re not familiar with the metal building industry. That’s exactly why we’ve put together the following guide on how to design one to meet your specific needs.
Essential Aspects to Consider When Designing Metal Garage
There are a handful of factors that are essential to successfully designing metal garages. These include the following:
- Load-Bearing Abilities: When it comes to designing your metal garage, it’s important to think about the load-bearing capabilities of the structure. Load-bearing capabilities refer to the amount of weight the structure can support. If you live in an area that experiences heavy snowfall, you’ll need a structure that is designed and engineered to handle the additional weight of snow.
- Lighting: Lighting is also a key factor to consider when designing your metal garage. Make sure that you plan for adequate lighting, either through natural sunlight via windows and skylights or overhead lights. This is important so that you can safely move around the space and access items in the garage without risking injury due to poor visibility.
- Moisture Resistance: You’ll want to prevent moisture from penetrating your garage, as it can lead to moisture buildup that can cause damage to your equipment, tools, or anything else you’re storing inside. Insulating your metal garage can help accomplish this by creating an additional barrier between the outside elements and the inside of your garage.
- Sound Insulation: In addition to protecting your garage from moisture, you’ll also want to think about sound insulation. A good metal building should have good sound insulation capabilities, as this will help keep the noise from inside or outside your garage from disturbing those around you.
- Thermal Insulation: Thermal insulation is also important to consider when designing your metal garage. Insulating the walls and ceiling of your structure will help keep it at a consistent temperature throughout the year, no matter how hot or cold it gets outside. Doing so will keep your garage comfortable as well as keep energy costs down.
How to Determine the Right Dimensions
At Toro, we can customize your metal garage to your size specifications. With that in mind, the following are a few tips for figuring out the right dimensions for your garage:
- Building Length: For basic storage needs, a shorter garage is usually sufficient, but if you plan on storing multiple vehicles or larger items, a longer garage may be more suitable.
- Building Width: The width of your metal garage typically depends on the size and number of items you plan to store in it. If you plan to store vehicles or larger equipment, you’ll likely want a wider building.
- Building Height: In addition to considering the size of any equipment or vehicles you’re storing, also keep in mind any local building codes that may limit how tall your garage can be.
How Tall Should a Steel Building Be?
For residential purposes (such as vehicle storage or a workshop), standard metal garage heights range between 12 and 15 feet. For industrial purposes, you may need a taller building, depending on how big your equipment is.
What About Door Height?
There are a few things to keep in mind when considering door height. First of all, you can add multiple doors to your garage. A man door only needs to be tall enough for you to walk through. Sliding doors or roll-up doors are usually at least eight feet tall for residential garages. However, if you’re storing larger vehicles or equipment, the doors will need to be tall enough to ensure adequate clearance room.
Secondary Considerations
The following are a few other things worth taking into account when designing your garage:
- Wind Resistance: If you live in an area that experiences high winds, be sure to mention it to your steel building specialist so they can ensure your structure is designed to meet the wind load in your area.
- Fire Resistance: Metal is already more fire-resistant than other types of materials. If fire resistance is particularly important due to the application of your garage, our galvanized steel buildings can offer even greater protection against fire damage.
- Ventilation: Proper ventilation is key when it comes to metal buildings, as this helps prevent moisture buildup and mold growth inside your garage. By using soffit vents or ridge vents in the roof, along with sidewall vents, you’ll ensure that your garage is properly ventilated.
- Sustainability: If sustainability is important to you, steel is the perfect option since it is 100% recyclable. Additionally, steel buildings tend to require less material than other types of structures, making them more efficient in terms of material use.
- Less Waste: Because metal garages can be prefabricated, they involve less waste than traditional construction. When using other materials, such as wood, you may end up with excess materials that aren’t needed and end up being wasted.
Customize Your Metal Garage with Toro
Tailoring your metal garage to your specific needs doesn’t have to be a daunting task. At Toro, we make it easy for you to customize your garage according to the size, shape, and features that best suit your application. Our team of experienced building specialists will help you design and construct a metal garage that meets all of your requirements while remaining within budget. Contact us online or call us at 1-877-870-8676 to request an estimate today. Also, feel free to check out our sister company, Future Buildings website here.
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