What to keep in mind when purchasing
a side-entry building
Short Answer: When looking into side-entry buildings,
remember there are various factors that could affect you later on. A few of
these include the snow run-off in front of the doors and the higher leg height
required for the door clearance.
When determining
what kind of steel building fits your needs, you may decide that a side-entry
building is the best option for you. For some customers, this is the perfect
fit. However, make sure you’re doing your due diligence and looking at all the
factors that may affect you later on! A few factors that are typically
overlooked when purchasing a side-entry steel building include the snow and
debris run-off, the additional leg clearance, the additional width
requirements, and the side headers.
Snow and
debris run-off
As we
mentioned in a few other blogs, the best roof option in the steel building
industry is the a-frame vertical roof which has a higher roof pitch, boxed
eves, and vertical sheeting running from the peak of the building down to the
sides. This roof style allows the snow, rain, and debris to slide off the sides
of the structure. This is a great option for buildings that have their doors on
the gable ends; however, it may bring extra maintenance for buildings that have
their doors on the sides since the fallen snow and debris will then be in front
of the doors. If you think a side-entry building may be the best route for you,
there are a few products that can be purchased to help stop or redirect the
snow from falling in front of your doors, such as roof snow guards.
Additional
leg clearance
When going
with a side-entry building, keep in mind that additional leg clearance is
needed to be able to fit the doors on the side. When a door is placed on the
side of a metal building rather than the gable end, the legs need to be removed
and a header is required to stabilize the building and support the weight of
the door. A higher leg height could be costly, especially if your height is
going past the 12’ standard. This additional leg clearance depends on the type
of door you are trying to fit, such as an overhead door or a roll-up door.
Since roll-up doors roll into a coil when opened, your building has to have
space available for the coil to fit. If there isn’t enough clearance for the
coil, the roll-up door won’t be able to be opened all the way. On the other
hand, since overhead doors are pulled on a track overhead when opened, they
don’t require as much additional clearance as the roll-up door would.
Headers
As mentioned
above, doors that are installed on the side of your metal building require
header bars. Header bars are used to stabilize your structure and support the
weight of your doors since the legs in that area have been removed. Depending
on the size of your door, your header bar will be manufactured differently to
support a specific weight. The headers are also at an additional cost since
extra material is required to create the header bars.
Midwest Steel Carports, Inc.
(877) 235-5210
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