Why 12-Gauge Steel is a Better Material for Metal Carports & Metal Buildings
When it comes to a durable and dependable option to protect your vehicles, metal carports are hands down the best solution. Traditionally, metal buildings…
Read articleToday, engineered metal buildings are used for way more than just residential carports. The enhanced quality of galvanized steel, along with the use of sturdy anchors and additional braces that better support the structure, enable modern metal buildings to withstand the harshest of weather conditions. These improvements have made it possible to use steel buildings for a wider range of residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
12-gauge certified carport-style buildings are now used for workshops, storage buildings, manufacturing plants, parking garages, retail stores, auto repair shops, and much more.
Why Is Galvanized Steel Such A Perfect Fit?
From the dawn of industrial-age manufacturing, steel has undoubtedly been the most favored material for building strong and durable structures. This is attributed to its higher tensile strength, durability, flexibility of use, recyclability, and cost value.
What Is The Difference Between Regular Steel And Galvanized Steel:
Regular steel is made primarily of iron, making it susceptible to rust and erode over time to the point of structural failure. Galvanized steel is different because it is coated in zinc, which acts as a physical barrier to prevent corrosion.
What Are Commonly-Used Gauge Materials?
Galvanized steel has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, but thickness still matters. When the tubing and sheeting are produced for steel buildings, their thickness is one of the measures that determines the sturdiness of the building.
Gauge is defined as the unit of steel’s thickness measured in inches or millimeters. The lower the gauge, the thicker and stronger the steel is. Thus, the thicker the steel tubing/framing, the sturdier the building will be.
There are two gauges used for the framework in the “light gauge” steel building industry, 12-gauge and 14-gauge. 14-gauge steel buildings are the most popular and the most economical. These metal structures can be certified to meet most local wind and snow loads by adding additional features such as anchors and braces to the structure.
On the other hand, a 12-gauge steel building is stronger because it is a thicker gauge, measuring 2¼” x 2¼” in diameter with a standard steel thickness range of 0.095 to 0.1046 inches (for comparison, 14-gauge steel has a thickness range of 0.068 to 0.074 inches). A 12-gauge building allows for greater snow and wind loads. This assures the structure will be more durable and weather resistant.
Why upgrade to 12-gauge steel?
A thicker steel can obviously support more snow load and is suitable for higher wind speed ratings. 12-gauge is our preferred choice for all industrial applications. However, many of our residential customers also prefer 12-gauge over 14-gauge, as it provides greater peace-of-mind. While many carport companies offer price discounts on 14-gauge buildings, Carport Central brings you the best 12-gauge buildings at the most competitive price compared to any other manufacturer’s 12-gauge building.
If you would like to upgrade to a carport or metal structure frame with a higher tensile strength that can support higher snow loads and wind load ratings, then a 2¼” x 2¼” 12-gauge steel frame would be your best option.
Carport Central offers this 12-gauge upgrade at discounted rates. Contact us at (980) 277-3113 and we’d be glad to give you a personalized price quote.
How Do I Choose The Perfect Steel Gauge Framing For My Building?
This depends on your building requirements. You can choose anything from a single roof-only carport, an enclosed garage, an A-frame barn with a lean-to, an industrial workshop, a commercial storage building, an RV parking garage, or a clear span structure – most any building you choose can be built with either 14-gauge or 12-gauge materials.
If you live in the Northeastern states where there are higher snow accumulations every winter, you will need a snow-certified structure and a stronger building to shelter your possessions. In this case, 12-gauge framing would be a better choice. If you live on the East Coast, your steel building might encounter occasional winds and storms. If you’re in a storm-prone area, the building should be wind-certified, and 12-gauge is a better choice for that as well.
Contact us now to learn more about your regional certifications, and about which custom options would be a perfect fit for your both your needs AND your budget.
I Want To Know More About 12-Gauge Steel Framing.
In the United States, the standard gauges for sheet and plate metal are listed below:
To learn more about the gauge size standard of different metals, have a look at the sheet metal gauge size chart.
Contact us and give us the opportunity to price match any building constructed of 12-gauge framing throughout the country.
Let’s talk at – (980) 321-9898!
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