Top Exteriors for Your Steel Building

The face of your building is important.

It will be the first thing you and your customers see each time you visit. You want your Metal building to make a good impression and also fit in appropriately with your location.

With so many options out there for building facades, it can be difficult to know where to start.

We’ve compiled a list of the most popular exteriors used for Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings.

Take a look and see which option works best for your needs, location, and pocketbook.

Stucco

If you are looking for a facade option that provides impressive curb appeal to attract customers, stucco walls can be an excellent, budget-friendly option.

The Stucco look, also known as EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System), is growing in popularity throughout the United States for its attractive appearance.

This can be applied to your metal building facade using one of three methods:

1. Stucco Flex: This least expensive, spray-on option can be applied directly onto corrugated metal siding or foam boards to achieve a flat Stucco look.
2. Stucco Panels: For a rugged stucco finish and increased insulation, Insulated Stucco Panels are available in a variety of color schemes. These panels can be installed directly onto the building just like traditional siding.
3. Traditional Stucco: To achieve a look identical to the stucco finish on residential homes, traditional stucco is the option you want.
   • Traditional Stucco can be incorporated into your metal building design plans easily, but sometimes requires a spandrel beam* to carry the exterior wall load.

*If a spandrel is required, it will increase building costs.

Check out How Do Metal Building Systems Work? to learn more about CDMG's industry leading steel building kits. 

Stucco Highlights

Excellent Insulator: Stucco insulates warm and cool air, making it a cheap and simple way to maintain a comfortable temperature in the building regardless of the outdoor temperature.

Attractive Appearance: From a design standpoint, a good stucco finish provides an upscale, southwestern look that is hard to beat. Colors and designs can be easily implemented into stucco walls before drying to create one of the most creative and artistic facades available.

Low Maintenance: EIFS Stucco virtually never cracks and can last for 50 years or more before a replacement is needed.

Corrugated Metal Siding

If you are considering siding for your metal building, corrugated metal siding is one of the most popular options today.

Corrugated Siding, also known as Metal Sheeting, is easy to install and comes in a variety of colors. Metal sheeting is one of the strongest building materials on the market.

Metal Siding Highlights

Moisture Resistant: Metal is impermeable, making it a great option for areas susceptible to heavy rainfall. As long as your metal siding is properly sealed and maintained to prevent rust, it will perform year after year.

Fire Resistant: Metal is a naturally fire-resistant material that can withstand temperatures far higher than other building materials.

Durable: Corrugated Metal Siding has endured some of the most powerful storms in recent history, including Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy, without damage.

Ease of Construction: Corrugated metal siding can be secured to a metal building frame quickly and easily with little to no professional skills required. This material is a great option for DIYers.

Brick Veneer

Add the classic beauty of genuine brick to your metal building without the weight, mess, and cost. Brick veneer can be added as a covering to your exterior metal building walls to give your structure a timeless sophistication.

Brick Veneer is attached to the metal building frame with adjustable metal ties. These adjustable ties transfer loads laterally along the wall and are made of thick wire that can be bent into different shapes as needed.

When brick veneer is secured to a metal building, weep holes are incorporated into the bricks and space is left between the bricks and the wall to ensure proper drainage and to prevent water damage to the foundation.

Brick veneer will not provide structural support to the roof or any other part of the structure, but does provide the following benefits:

Brick Veneer Highlights

Moisture Resistant: When brick veneer is properly sealed it can resist moisture exceptionally well. If your steel building is subject to flooding, adding a brick veneer to the exterior walls can mitigate water damage to the frame.

The weep holes that are incorporated into veneer bricks help drain any water that accumulates between the veneer and the metal building wall.

Thermal Performance: Brick veneer creates space between the veneer and the frame which blocks heat transfer through the walls.

Brick stores heat and slowly releases it over time, so it can help your building maintain a comfortable temperature with lower energy costs.

Fire Resistant: Brick and steel are both known for their fire resistance properties. These materials reduce the spread of fire and can lower insurance costs.

Acoustic or Thermal Insulation: The open space between the brick veneer and metal wall can be filled with additional insulation. This can be acoustic insulation to help regulate sound and reduce vibration or thermal insulation to provide better heating and cooling performance.

Wood Siding

If you are looking for a classy, timeless look different from ordinary metal siding, wood siding is a fantastic option. With wood siding, you gain the traditional, rustic wooden appearance while benefiting from the cost and durability of Pre-Engineered Metal structures.

Wood or Shiplap siding can be applied to your building using similar construction methods as those used for applying traditional siding panels.

Wood Siding Highlights

Durable: Wood siding is known for its strength. Western Red Cedar and Redwood are the most common varieties used for wood siding because of their superior durability.

Attractive Appearance: To achieve an earthy, natural looking facade, wood siding is a great option. The wood can be sealed and left natural, or may be stained or painted.

High Maintenance: Wood siding is one of the more expensive options for upkeep. To keep wood siding looking its best, clear finishes must be applied every 2-5 years and semi-transparent stains should be reapplied every 3 years.

If you paint your wood siding, reapplications can stretch to every 5-7 years; but regardless of the method you choose, regular maintenance will be necessary.

Faux Stone or Rock Veneer

For some, traditional metal siding does not fit with the buyer’s style, location, or municipal requirements. For a high-end facade that is a fraction of the cost, faux stone or rock may be your favorite option.

Faux stone is typically cast from real rock and engineered for an authentic look and feel. It can be used as an accent on your building exterior or can be installed for complete facade coverage. 

Faux Stone or Rock Highlights

Lightweight: One of the key benefits of faux stone or rock is that it is easier to handle and far more lightweight than traditional stone. Because faux stone is reinforced using lighter weight aggregates, the panels are durable but light enough to allow for easy installation.

Upscale, Timeless Appearance: The lower cost of stone veneer paneling (compared to genuine stone) does not compromise its beauty. Stone veneer looks just like natural stone and comes in a variety of textures, shapes, and colors.

Easy to Install: Rock Veneer is simple to install on nearly any surface, including metal. It is easy to cut down for a perfect fit and does not require special skills to work with. 

Mixed Facade

To achieve a professional business appearance for your building, mixing facade options could be the path you take.

Insulated Stucco Panels, for example, look very attractive with stacked faux-stone siding.

Combining siding materials in this way creates a compelling variety of textures and colors to help your business appeal to passers-by.

Choose the Best Exterior Style for Your Metal Building

There is no right or wrong style when it comes to choosing the facade for your metal building.

Depending on your preferences and purposes, a variety of options could be right for you. Put some thought into what style attracts you and what your customers (or neighborhood) might like.

Get started on your attractive, functional Pre-Engineered Steel Building today with CDMG.

Call CDMG today or click the button below for a custom quote.

Check out our other articles about metal buildings.

Original blog content published here.