SteelMaster pre-fab buildings/houses.

[Puke]

I've thad this thought for a while that one could build a steel workshop type building and then build rooms inside of it for a house. I think it would be economical and you could have a huge garage.

So while surfing around I came across this company Steel Master.
They actually make houses using their steel pre-fab technique, or whatever you call it.

http://www.steelmasterusa.com/08pages/garages-housing.html

[Roycerson]

I've done it before.  Not built the steel building but finished the inside of it to be 1/2 house 1/2 shop/garage.  It was huge w/ a full size basketball court in the shop half and two stories w/ a pass through from shop side to commercial style kitchen + regular kitchen in the house area + kitchenette upstairs + theater room + pool room etc.  One of my favorite jobs.

[Russell Kanning]

cool

[Roycerson]

It was, very, in several ways. 

If you're trying to build on the cheap and don't mind roughing it you can have the bare shell built w/ minimal facilities and live in it while you put up demising walls and so forth.  Depends on a few factors but if you're lucky you might could get away w/o pulling any permits after the shell is up and if you're really lucky you might could get away w/o the taxman noticing it's no longer just a big shed.

There are a lot of companies that will build you a metal building, you don't have to go with the round ones or with the one's who point out that you can put walls and plumbing inside.  I like the red iron better for durability.

On the con side, while that website did a good job putting it's best foot forward, a steel building is not much to look at, you might have noticed they never showed the same house from two different angles.  You can cover it w/ something pretty but then you're not really saving money but likely paying more in the long run in exchange for having something serviceable sooner, which might be perfect for some. 

Also, rain is loud.  Ice, more so.  If you're in a populated area those sounds are louder too, a thin sheet of metal will always transfer sound more efficiently than wood sheathing + exterior finishing product, all else being equal.

[Puke]

If you're trying to build on the cheap and don't mind roughing it you can have the bare shell built w/ minimal facilities and live in it while you put up demising walls and so forth.  Depends on a few factors but if you're lucky you might could get away w/o pulling any permits after the shell is up and if you're really lucky you might could get away w/o the taxman noticing it's no longer just a big shed.

Damn! That was exactly what I was thinking earlier this week. One could buy the land first, then build the metal shop, then fill in the inside. That way someone like me without a lot of cash could at least have a building that I could rough it in for a while.

The looks and sound don't concern me. f I did this I would try to build it on land somewhere out of city limits.

Perhaps one cold even get away with building on commercial zoned land? Is commercial land cheaper?

I really could care less about "fairy tale" house appearance. I don't care to try to impress anyone else.

Thanks for the info. 

[Russell Kanning]

Well ... in some places you could build something like this.
I have liked the idea of getting a roof overhead ... then building out of the rain

more links:
http://www.pioneersteel.com/learn/
http://www.buyerzone.com/industrial/steel_buildings/
http://www.steelbuildings.org
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/hybrids.htm

[Russell Kanning]

underground baby:
http://www.americansheltertechnologies.com/contents/general/history.asp

[John Edward Mercier]

If you're trying to build on the cheap and don't mind roughing it you can have the bare shell built w/ minimal facilities and live in it while you put up demising walls and so forth.  Depends on a few factors but if you're lucky you might could get away w/o pulling any permits after the shell is up and if you're really lucky you might could get away w/o the taxman noticing it's no longer just a big shed.

Damn! That was exactly what I was thinking earlier this week. One could buy the land first, then build the metal shop, then fill in the inside. That way someone like me without a lot of cash could at least have a building that I could rough it in for a while.

The looks and sound don't concern me. f I did this I would try to build it on land somewhere out of city limits.

Perhaps one cold even get away with building on commercial zoned land? Is commercial land cheaper?

I really could care less about "fairy tale" house appearance. I don't care to try to impress anyone else.

Thanks for the info. 

Not sure about every municipality... but from a tax standard, not around here. I live on commercial land. The valuation is set based on my use... residential. But the purchase price changed based on commercial zoning being factored in.

[Lloyd Danforth]

underground baby:
http://www.americansheltertechnologies.com/contents/general/history.asp

I know where there is one of these almost bigger than the guys house!  They are ugly like most quonset type structures.  Burying it underground would be a good idea.

[jaqeboy]

I worked on the installation of one of their carports for a libertarian in Hudson:



http://lh4.ggpht.com/jaqeboy/SH4KsZIIYwI/AAAAAAAAARM/09oHEl-jd-I/SteelMastercarport1sm.jpg

[Russell Kanning]

I don't see anything after your :

[jaqeboy]

Oops, will modify post
OK, should look okay now.

[Pat McCotter]

Did ya look up www.tristeel.com

URL is a search page.

Use this http://www.tri-steel.com/.

[KBCraig]

http://lh4.ggpht.com/jaqeboy/SH4KsZIIYwI/AAAAAAAAARM/09oHEl-jd-I/SteelMastercarport1sm.jpg

404.

[jaqeboy]

Oops, will modify post
OK, should look okay now.

Dang, it showed up okay on the preview page.

'nother try:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/jaqeboy/SH4KsZIIYwI/AAAAAAAAARM/09oHEl-jd-I/SteelMastercarport1sm.jpg


Looks good in preview