Steel Building Winter Maintenance Tips

One of the biggest benefits to owning a steel building is how easy they are to maintain. However, anything worth significant value should still be maintained with great care. Because of their durability, steel buildings are meant to withstand all types of climate conditions. In poor weather, steel buildings also require very few repairs and they are subject to very little degradation compared to other building structures in poor weather. A steel building will stand for decades if you invest just a little bit of time and energy on upkeep each year.

While steel buildings are incredibly strong and sturdy, they aren’t immune to everything. Steel buildings can be susceptible to moisture, but there are solutions to fix the problem. Extreme rain or snow around your steel building could potentially damage the foundation of the structure. Prolonged exposure to this moisture could cause rust buildup or damage the building if the precipitation weighs enough. An Armstrong Steel pre-engineered building offers pre-galvanized purlins, girts and door jambs which protect against rusting. Galvanization extends the building’s life and keeps your building low maintenance.

That brings me to insulation. When you purchase an Armstrong Building, a project manager will have a conversation with you about insulation and heating your building. Checking your insulation at least twice a year is important to maintaining a suitable temperature inside your steel building. We equip Armstrong buildings with insulation that will prevent excess moisture from entering the building and damaging your possessions. If moisture is allowed to run unchecked, it will weaken the insulation and decrease the effectiveness of the heating and cooling system while increasing your energy costs.

If your steel building is equipped with a heating and cooling unit, winter is the perfect time to perform maintenance. HVAC professionals suggest getting heating work done in the summer, and cooling repairs done in the winter to avoid the need for a summertime emergency. Routine cleaning could have a big impact on performance and energy efficiency. Clean filters and check temperature levels at least twice a year to ensure your equipment is functioning properly.

If you live in an area with heavy snowfall totals, you’re going to want to take care of your steel building. It’s imperative to understand your steel building’s snow load capabilities. Snow builds up on rooftops, and a steel roof could buckle if the snow load is more than the load bearing capacity of the building. A steep roof pitch will shed snow a lot faster than a roof with a gradual roof pitch. Icicles hanging along the gutters of your steel building may look picturesque, but they present big problems. Ice dams can form and can tear off gutters or can ruin the interior of the building. Ice dam removal is tricky. You don’t have to remove the entire dam; just carefully chip away a channel through the ice dam so water will be able to flow through. Make sure the snow is removed from the roof before chipping at the ice dam in your gutter.

Another tip steel building owners forget about is the area surrounding their steel building. Prevent building occupants from slipping on icy walkways. Several deicers are available in hardware stores and keep snow from sticking to the ground and increase the temperature of the surrounding area enough to prevent ice formation. The same rule applies to all surfaces inside and outside of your building.

The reason many people choose to buy an Armstrong Building: very little maintenance in the first place. While your steel building will require minimal upkeep, like any other investment, it still needs attention to preserve its value and appearance. Use these tips to keep your steel building in great condition when the weather turns cold!

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