Frequently Asked Questions

• Does it look like a conventional home?
  From the outside, our homes look like other, site built, conventional homes. They may have a stylish, colored steel roof system, but other than that you can't tell them apart from a conventional house - except all of our walls are straight. You can even get your Steel Home without the steel roofing or steel siding so as to use the exterior of your choice.



• How will my home look and feel on the inside?
  The inside framing is covered with sheet rock and painted. You can use crown molding and other nice trim details to make your home special. Our walls are perfectly straight so that the lines finish out crisp and clean. Our open span design lets you use any floor plan you want. Because our homes are so energy efficient, the temperature stays more constant and the home feels more comfortable.



• Can my home have a fireplace?
  Absolutely! It can go anywhere in the home you like. Fireplaces are much safer in our homes, because our structure is non-combustible.



• What if I want to use something beside a steel roof system or horizontal steel siding?
  That's fine too. We will gladly give you a credit for the roofing and siding.



• What about lightning hitting the home?
  A steel framed home is no more likely to be hit by lightning than a wood framed house. The difference is that when lightening hits a wood framed house, it explodes a hole in the roof and sets it on fire. With our system, the I-Beam columns provide multiple grounding points. The lightening is conducted out through these.



• How do you tell the difference between steel and aluminum siding?
  Steel siding is a high end product that is usually on more upscale homes. Many people think that aluminum siding is steel siding - it is not. Aluminum siding dents easily, whereas steel siding is very strong and very hard to dent. As a matter of fact, our siding has a 30 year hail warranty.



• Are metal roofs loud when it rains?
  Your Freedom Steel roof system quiets outside noises with low-e insulation foam under the roof panels. Your attic insulation and ceiling sheet rock also serve to stop sound vibrations.



• Can I change the standard floor plan?
  Yes! All of our homes have and open span design so you can put the stud walls anywhere you want to. And we send extra interior studs in case you want to add closets or an extra wall.



• Can I move my doors and windows around, or change the size?
  Yes, you can locate your framed openings anywhere you want. Plus we send extra framing and trim in case you want to add extra windows or doors.



• Do you have to build these on slabs?
  No, but most people build them on slabs because it's so much less expensive. Some of our customers build over basements or crawl spaces though, in which case they need floor joists.



• Will my home be energy efficient?
  Yes, you will probably save a lot of money on heating and cooling costs. We give you a low-e, radiant barrier insulation on the roof and walls to act as a thermal break, and to stop radiant heat penetration in the summer and radiant heat loss in the winter. Regular insulation doesn't stop radiant heat. That's the kind of heat that makes car interiors so hot while sitting in the sun. Our low-e insulation stops 97% of radiant heat penetration and loss. Plus, you get a ventilated attic because our soffit and ridge cap are vented, giving you continuous air flow through your attic. You can put as much conventional insulation in your attic as you like. We give you 6" exterior wall studs, enabling you to use lots of wall insulation.



• Will my home be hard to put together?
  It's work, but it's not complicated. You just bolt it together, following our numbering system. We designed our homes so that the average person can build it themselves and save money.



• Do I need any heavy equipment?
  Most people use a forklift, backhoe or a front-end loader. The truck usually arrives first thing in the morning, and you'll need something to unload it. It takes about 2-3 hours to unload then you can use your forklift to start putting up the red iron.



• What if I don't want to build the home myself?
  A local contractor or metal building erector can erect it for you. Make it clear to them that this is a bolt-together "red iron" framing system, not a light gauge studtruss system.



• How much will my home cost?
  Most people get them built for between $50 and $65 per square foot. It really depends on how much of the work you do yourself and the finishing details on the inside. This figure naturally does not include the land or any additional structures you may desire, such as pool, etc.