Steel Buildings Become More Popular for Residential Homes

Steel buildings are becoming more common in residential buildings as their versatility expands with greater consumer demand. They are sought after for their affordability, strength, durability and versatility in the building process. Once used primarily for warehouses, garages, sheds and additional storage facilities, today even residential homes are being built with steel buildings. SteelBuildings.org offers further insight into the latest trend.

Once used for large industrial purposes, many smaller scale structures are using metal construction, such as churches, schools, retail stores and private residential homes. In the past, the affordability and durability of such buildings were over shined by the lack of curb appeal. Now the exterior of steel buildings can be finished in brick, siding, stucco and additional options. They are easy to maintain, well insulated and can be constructed much faster than using more traditional materials. They also cost much less than stick built homes of the same size and quality.

The versatility of the way these metal structures are framed is another attractive quality. They can be fully framed to look just like conventional home or they can have a completely open floor plan with minimal interior walls. The pole construction methods used during the construction process make the walls non-load bearing, so the poles support the weight of the walls. By having non-load bearing walls, a home can have dramatic, wide-open spaces for a living room or kitchen and yet have smaller rooms for
bedrooms and bathrooms. This option has lower framing costs as well.

How to Build Your Castle

My modest neighborhood is changing. Where once there were one-story stucco houses, now every other house is a mcmansion. All are two stories, with enough balconies to fill an opera house. Judging by the architecture, the builder bought one set of plans and has been using them ever since, with minor alterations.

Now you, too, can build your dream house, with an inexpensive program called Turbo Floor Plan Home and Landscape Pro. It's easy to use, lets you change your mind a thousand times without annoying your expensive architect, and the results are realistic enough that you can take a virtual walk-through each time to try a new theme, change your floor plan or try a new shade of paint. There even are elements for designing plumbing, electrical work and heating and air conditioning. If it's part of a house, you'll find the tools to make it happen.

After you've designed your exterior and interior, you can start landscaping projects. You won't have to guess which plants will thrive in your climate — a huge glossary of plants will handle that chore for you. There are tools for building sprinkler systems, and you can watch as plants grow over time.

There's much more, such as how to design exterior lighting and how fences and gates will look on your estate. There also are tools for remodeling that will help you move walls, change lighting and do everything the house-building tools will do.

Now all you have to do is find a builder with expertise in mcmansions, and borrow some green stuff, the kind that doesn't grow in gardens.

(c) 2010, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Home construction falls sharply in September

AP - WASHINGTON - Construction of new homes plunged by a bigger-than-expected amount in September as builders slashed production yet again, putting the country on track to build the fewest homes this year in more than six decades... click here for more.