How to Build With Prefab Steel

Assess your building needs and the space available for placement. Contact local authorities for building regulations and codes. Get any needed permits before purchasing anything or doing any ground preparation.

Purchase or order your building kit. Hardware stores or lumber supply stores are good places to check for building kits. Many will have sample buildings erected for the prospective buyer to examine before purchasing. Kit sizes start with small garden sheds and range upward through full-scale pole barns.

Read the instructions that come with your kit thoroughly before beginning work. Clear the recommended ground space. Install the recommended foundation. The foundation set up can range from a leveled mound of gravel to a concrete slab or standard foundation. Regardless of the type of foundation, leveling is very important. If the foundation is not level, it will cause problems as you assemble the pieces.

Place the base pieces of the kit on the foundation. Assemble them according to the package directions. Measure the base from corner to corner, as if you were making a big X across it. The two legs of the X will be the same length if the base is squared up correctly. Adjust it until they are the same, then anchor the base.

Place the floor pieces over the base, again checking to make sure the floor is square. Some kits will ask for the floor to be fastened to the base; some will not. Follow the directions in your kit booklet.

Assemble all of the framing pieces. Lay out the bottom frame pieces, but do not fasten them down at this time. Check the base for squareness, then attach the four corner panels to the base frame. This is the point at which a second person becomes essential to hold up the panels. They are very flexible and difficult for one person to hold in position. Check the base again to see if it is squared up correctly.

Attach the mid-level braces, then assemble the wall pieces and door frame. Begin at one corner and work your way across the wall area. Attach the wall pieces to the mid-level braces using the screws provided after the panels are assembled.

Add the top braces and the door assembly to the building. Assemble the building trusses, and fasten them to the top braces. Install the ridge pole and the rafters. Beginning at the back wall -- the wall opposite the door space -- install the roof panels, a row at a time. For this section, you will need to stand on an appropriately sized ladder, especially when assembling the smaller buildings.

Install ridge cap pieces as you install the roof panels. As soon as a section of roof panels is wide enough to equal the length of a ridge cap piece, add the ridge cap. In this way, you can work from a ladder placed at the front of your work rather than having to stretch across the building to attach the cap.

Install the trim to the edges of the roof and the corners of the building. The trim helps stabilize and strengthen the building and adds an attractive touch of decoration.