Weather & Maintenance
How Arkansas Weather Affects Metal Buildings
Steel handles Arkansas weather well, but humidity, hail, wind, ice, and clay soil each ask something of a building. Here's what to plan for before you build.
Read moreA properly built and anchored steel building lasts for decades. The structural steel itself doesn’t rot, warp, or attract termites, and galvanized framing resists rust. What sets the real lifespan is the roof coating, the anchoring, the foundation, and whether the owner walks the roof once a year. Our panel coatings are warranted in writing for 40 years, and the frame under them is built to last longer than that.
What makes steel last
- Nothing to rot. Steel doesn’t take on Arkansas humidity the way wood does.
- Nothing for termites. There’s no food source in the frame.
- Not combustible. Steel framing doesn’t burn like wood framing.
- Galvanized framing. The zinc coating on the tubing resists rust for the life of the building.
What shortens a metal building’s life
- Standing water. A roof that doesn’t drain is the most common cause of early trouble. Roof style and pitch decide this before the building is built; see roof styles.
- Loose fasteners and aged sealant. Small issues that become leaks when ignored. Read what causes metal roof problems.
- Under-anchoring. A building that moves in the wind works its fasteners loose and stresses the frame. Anchoring should be specified for the height, the exposure, and the ground.
- A bad foundation. A slab that heaves or settles in clay puts the whole frame out of square. See anchoring in clay soil.
- Debris and trees. Leaves hold moisture against the panels and scratch the coating.
The coating warranty, in plain terms
Painted panels fade and chalk over time; cheap coatings do it fast. A written coating warranty tells you what the manufacturer stands behind. Ours covers panel coatings against chalk, fade, chip, and rust perforation for 40 years. Ask for that document from any builder before you compare prices.
The once-a-year checklist
- Walk the roof: look for backed-out screws and re-seat them.
- Check sealant at the ridge cap, trim, and any penetrations.
- Clear gutters, valleys, and anywhere leaves collect.
- Check that doors close square; a door that’s gone out of square can mean the building has moved.
- Look at the anchors and the slab edge for movement or cracking.
That’s an hour a year. Do it and the building becomes something you stop thinking about.
Built to last from the start
Metal Dreams specs the framing, roof pitch, and anchoring for the ground each building sits on, and the slab underneath is a part of the job this company has done for more than 30 years. Request a free estimate for a garage, shop, or barndominium built that way.
