Cheap shortcuts. That’s how the uninitiated tends to sum up the concept of prefabricated buildings. One shape fits all, and you can have it any footprint configuration you want, as long as it’s a box. Okay, it might be true of some prefab steel buildings—but in general, nothing could be further from the truth.
And here’s the truth: pre-fabricated steel buildings have been recognized for their flexibility for decades. They’re not just used in industrial and warehousing applications. The reason you don’t see more of them is probably because you don’t even recognize them.
What Does Pre-Fabrication Really Mean, Anyway?
There’s an old saying in homebuilding and woodworking: “Measure twice. Cut once.” You’ve got to be extra careful when you’re responsible for the dimensions of your building material. And even if you are, there are still uncountable field adjustments to measurements because of the morphing characteristics of wood. It expands or contracts depending on humidity. It can bend unexpectedly. A knot can make it weak at a certain crucial connection point.
Pre-fabricated metal buildings are delivered to you as designed. Every framed opening and welded connection was created in a controlled environment prior to its delivery on site. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find this attention to detail in traditional building material.
This, of course, saves you time and money. You don’t have to worry that pieces of your pre-fabricated metal building will need to be trimmed or shimmed. It was pre-fabricated to spec.
Inside-Out
Today’s most profitable and popular automobile manufacturers understand the value of pre-fabrication. Volkswagens and Audis share the same chassis. Toyota and Lexus do, too. Would you believe Dodge and Mitsubishi? How about Ford and Mazda?
Metal buildings can be said to share the same beginning. A starting design and manufacturing process allows pre-fabricated steel buildings to be cost effective and easy to customize for their respective intended uses, much the same way that the Toyota Camry and the Lexus E350 both use the same chassis.
Sticking to What’s Important
Engineered design and pre-fabrication mean that there’s more time and budget to focus on what’s necessary to complete a building for its intended use. Miracle Truss® remains faithful to 24-inch on center wood secondary framing design so that you can revert to more traditional finishing materials after you’ve opted to go with the steel clear-span truss structural design.
You save money, but you get a better building. Best yet, the pre-fabricating process means your building arrives on your property as a kit. Most Miracle Truss® building designs are intended to be put up by the owners themselves.
We’re not sure how pre-fabricated ended buildings up getting such a questionable reputation. The very thing that makes them durable and cost effective while still capable of ranging from utilitarian to fancy—their chassis—is what allows a Jetta to become an Audi A4.
We invite you to take a look under the hood of our buildings. Fill out this form and we’ll send you more information.