Steel or wood garage?

Trying to decide whether to go steel or wood walls

I built a wood framed garage , steel has some good points too .. just a matter of preference ..don't think the cost is much different

Lots of variables. What part of the country the garage will be built at could make a difference. How high the side walls will be will also make a difference. Insulation and interior wall covering also matter, as might local building codes. The appearance of surrounding buildings may play into it as well, might not want to have the only garage in the area built like yours. Gene

Check out the price of material it should make the decision easier.

I have both and advantages to each one. Steel is less upkeep, quick to install and assemble and easy to expand depending on the style and manufacturer. The steel building seem to take more insulation than the wood structures to keep warm/cool and prevent sweating. I like both and have a tendency to over insulate either way, also make sure you use a good moisture barrier under the concrete.

Steel much cooler however more expensive to heat

Steel much easier to get a permit, less fire codes to meet

Steel goes up faster than a stick building

Easier todo finish work in a wood building

Really depends on how you want to finish it out. I went with steel because I needed the strength for the long span. The contractor I used had some different options for finishing the inside. They used a wrapped insulation and then installed white steel panels for the inner walls. The electrical was then run in conduit on top of the white panels. They also installed windows although you might not want windows in your shop depending on the neighborhood.

I went with steel exterior, no rot and won’t have to paint in my lifetime.

I agree with those points. Also need to consider how large the building is going to be. Wood works just fine for a small structure, you'll need steel if it is going to be very large or if you want to support weight. I had to go steel on my shop since I wanted a bridge crane. No way are you going to hang a bridge crane from any normal wood structure. Wood is easier to work with for a backyard carpenter so if a person is going to finish it themselves then wood might be a good choice.

When I was contemplating steel/stick for my 4-car garage a friend quipped "if you're worried about security, all you need is a can opener to get into a steel building".

Mine will just be a 12x28 Main concern is condensation with steel vs wood

I have a 40x50 Steel building in Northwest Pennsylvania and condensation has not been an issue for me.

Steel stud guys are more money than guys who do wood framing where I'm at. It's two different groups with two different sets of tools.

This happened to a friend of mine in a nice area. They cut a hole in the side of the building to get in, opened one of the barn doors and cleared him out in one night. He lost 90k worth of stuff.

In Central Alabama the heat, humidity and my location on a small lot in a residential neighborhood went into my choice of steel garage.

Well I am contemplating a 50x80, going big enough to put everything out of the sun and snow...pole barn was my first choice up until I realized that I have a high water table at 3' below grade, so I will just do a steel building on pilings

So did I.

Dennis

Ass all have said depends..
I went with wood frame for multiple reasons;
Matches the character of my house
Type of tools/equipment required to construct
familiarity of construction process
cost to finish interior
insulation cost
potential future conversion to a residence - never know I may get tired of playing with cars
All vinyl /Aluminum exterior

that was my decision process anyways...

If someone is going to cut their way into a building it is a lot easier to cut wood than steel.

That look nice. I see that you used a steel interior in your wood building. That is a good idea in a shop since the steel siding will stand up to more abuse than drywall. It is a little harder to install though.

50x80 is bit for a wood building, especially if you want clear spans. If you can live with poles in the middle of the building then wood would probably work. My shop is 50x60 and the engineer said I need to go steel in order to have clear span beams that would support a 1 ton bridge crane. Wood wasn't even in the running.

Condensation is not a problem if you insulate the building. If you leave the exterior panels exposed to the inside of the building with zero insulation then you'll have a problem. But that won't be your only problem since your heat bill will also be sky high.

Don't mean to hijack, but those that have steel garages that have traditional pitch (6 or 7/12) and decent overhangs, did you choose a specific company or was your contractor able to provide these options. Most steel garages I find have more flat roof pitches and no overhang. I need a building that is HOA friendly, but the manufacturers haven't been helpful.

Overhangs are a good subject. That is one place where steel makes it easy. The steel building company that I worked with just asked me if I wanted overhangs and how big I wanted them. I had a medium overhang in the front so I can unload a truck without getting wet in the rain. At the rear of the building I went with the max allowed overhang to provide a carport/RV parking area. I also asked them to finish the underside of the overhangs with a contrasting color just to make it look nice. They mounted lights on the rear overhang area so I can see what I'm doing in the dark.

That is a big overhang for a snow load.

I don't think the guy who asked about overhangs cares about snow loads.

Thanks, The inside walls are 7/16 OSB covered with Steel for fire proofing and as you stated durability. Also ease of clean up...hose and a mop...just gotta get to it. My Plasma table makes a brown mess of everything.

Did you insulate under the OSB? If so, that would make for a very nice shop. Insulation, then OSB and then a steel liner on top would be a heck of a combo.

there is 7/16 OSB on the exterior with Tyvec, 6" fiberglass in the walls. a 4 mil vapor barrier and then additional 7/16 OSB. The Steel screwed directly to the OSB. The building is tighter than a Zip Lock bag. I have radiant floor heat that cost less than $100/mo to keep 2000sq at 60deg 24/7. Turning on the lights raised the room temp 3 degs
Again thank you. I am proud of this shed, I designed and built all aspects (except the concrete - I let younger backs do that) from the building lay out, electrical and heating system and the only thing I would change is the concrete contractor... long story - poor workman ship

I built a hybrid steel truss garage 30x40 about 10 years ago. Gives you the benefits of both wood and steel buildings Did all the work myself except concrete.
I heat with a wood a stove since I have endless amounts firewood. It does seem strong had a tornado come through the backyard a few years ago and no damage.
https://miracletruss.com/

One nice feature that accidentally happened was I ended up with a loading dock in the back. It is nice to being able to backup and roll large items out my pickup.

This video was interesting and the person that did it talks about the cost to complete everything on the metal building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwgeRgl8YZI

That is a really bare bones low end building. More of a storage shed than a shop. Better than nothing though, that is for sure.

What metal building companies have you guys used? I’ve seen a few negative reviews on some for leaking, like Eagle. I am looking as well to do a 30 X 40. I do like the overhang for shade, how deep can it be made?

I think I would like to use spray foam insulation, walls and ceiling too.

I used OPC here in Oregon. They aren't going to be much help where you are at but there is probably somebody similar in your area.
https://www.oregonpacificconstruction.com/index.html

A buddy of mine has one of those. I call it the glorified shed.