Choosing the Right Metal Barn for Commercial Applications

Are you an entrepreneur looking for commercial metal barns to use for your business? It is understandable that you would require a durable, sturdy, and timeless structure that has a longer lifespan. When it comes to deciding on the ideal steel commercial barn, you should keep cost and customization flexibility in mind. 

However, if you are also overwhelmed by the variety and range of barns available for professional use, don’t worry. Let me break it down for you to ease the process of selecting the right metal barn for your business!

Tailored for you — Understanding use and application

Before selecting the type of steel commercial barn that will be ideal for your business, you should think about your requirements. What functions do you want the structure to perform? A few considerations might help:

• The storage capacity you require
• Should it be multi-functional?
• Do you need more floor space or vertical space?
• Will you be setting up partitions for offices?
• Do you require a larger structure for manufacturing?
• Are you looking to host customers?
• How many employees do you have?
• What are your expansion plans?
• What is the budget allotted to the structure?
• What is the environment you live in?
• Are you looking to install single or multiple entry points?

These buildings are utilized by a wide range of industries, and the major applications are:

• Office spaces
• Storage and Warehousing
• Aircraft hangars
• Automobile shops
• Commercial farm uses
• Restaurants
• Retail stores
• Fitness studios
• Car washes

What is the right choice of prefab barns for you?

Metal barns are essential enclosed structures with lean-tos attached on both sides. These are vast structures that offer multiple advantages. Hence, they are often considered ideal for commercial applications. Majorly, these barns are utilized for business purposes: 

• Step-down barns

Also known as raised center aisle barns, they have a higher central structure, allowing businesses to utilize vertical space efficiently. The lean-tos attached are comparatively shorter. 

These are multi-tiered structures that have separate areas to facilitate different types of commercial activities. Each section can be partially or completely enclosed, depending on usage. 

The roof pitch of the central structure is 3:12, whereas that of the lean-tos is 2:12. Ideally, the leg height of the central structure should be 3 feet taller than the lean-tos. However, it can be expanded further. 

Using the central space for displays, visitor purposes, or manufacturing units, businesses can use the side structures to store separate items as staging areas or parking spaces. 

• Continuous roof barns

Commonly known as Seneca barns, these structures have a continuous sloping roof that has a single peak at the center. 

These can or cannot feature interior partitions, which allows you to design the layout of your steel commercial barn easily. They usually have a roof pitch of 3:12. The side height of the lean-tos should be at least 2 feet lower than the central structure. 

These structures will allow for enhanced workflow and operationality, making them ideal for warehousing, storage, and shopping arenas. 

• Clear-span barns

As commercial buildings are larger, they can be built as clear-span barns, which utilize galvanized steel and reinforced elements to support the structure. 

These have no internal columns or posts. With enhanced design flexibility, they also allow businesses to use unobstructed areas for commercial operations. 

They also allow you to easily change the floor plan of your commercial building without any support columns coming your way. Their roof pitch ranges from 1/2:12 to 1:12. 

Convenience stores, shopping malls, retail stores, and offices can efficiently use these structures for maximum functionality. 

Right dimensions for maximum utility

When choosing the size of your prefab barns, you should consider the potential use of the barn currently as well as in the future and the layout that is going to be ideal for maximum functionality. Their width ranges from 30 feet to 300 feet, and their length ranges from 40 feet to 100 feet. The standard height of these structures is usually 20 feet to 40 feet but can extend up to 80 feet depending on utility and local area codes. 

It is crucial to maximize the length and minimize the width as it only requires additional frame lines to extend the length. However, if you wish to extend the width, you will need to increase the length of each supporting rafter. 

The most common dimensions for commercial barns are:

Length	Width	Total square foot
40 feet	30 feet	1,200 square feet
40 feet	40 feet	1,600 square feet
40 feet	60 feet	2,400 square feet
50 feet	30 feet	1,500 square feet
80 feet	40 feet	3,200 square feet
80 feet	50 feet	4,000 square feet
100 feet	50 feet	5,000 square feet
100 feet	60 feet	6,000 square feet
120 feet	60 feet	7,200 square feet

Your height should be determined by the top of the eaves, not the peak of the roof. The building’s height should at least be 2 feet higher than your tallest door. You can also enhance height to add mezzanine flooring and increase the storage space. 

Strengthening the structure

As a business owner, you have to think about the longevity of your commercial metal barns. Steel buildings are sturdy structures that have the capability of standing tall even through natural disasters when built right. A few reinforcements that can help improve the strength of your structure are — 12-gauge steel, strong beam, additional trusses, extra rafters, and reinforced braces. 

The perfect roof might change it all

There are essentially three types of roofs — regular, A-frame, and vertical. These differ in terms of strength and usability, but the pitch of the roof matters, too. The pitch of your roof relies on the space you require. The higher the pitch of your roof, the easier it will be to create valuable space, and it will also allow dust, snow, rain, and other elements to slide off easily. 

Regular roof	A-frame roof	Vertical roof
They have bent ends and use horizontal panels.	They utilize horizontal panels running from front to back	They utilize vertical panels running from the center to the sides.
They are least sturdy in comparison and are ideal for normal temperatures.	They are sturdier and are ideal for moderate temperatures.	They have the most strength and are perfect for adverse weather conditions, as vertical sheets allow for snow and rain to slide off easily.
They are the most affordable.	They are economical but are known to be more expensive than regular roofs.	The roof is attached to metal cross braces, which makes it strongest and also the most expensive of all.

Make informed decisions

Every move that you make when building a business is aimed at understanding how the return on your investment will fare. With prefab barns, you can be sure of a high return on investment as they last for about 40 years and are highly versatile. Commercial barns offer long-term futuristic solutions as a wide range of different businesses and industries can efficiently use them.