Artist Easily Transforms a DIY Quonset Kit Into Spectacular Studio

Artist Jean C. has a word of advice for anyone who wants to purchase a DIY Quonset Kit: Dive In!

She wanted a metal Quonset Hut structure that would allow her to do the two things she loved the most; create art and swim comfortably in her own pool.

Jean is a talented teacher and artist in North Carolina who creates beautiful paintings, clay masterpieces, and she also does textile work.

One of her dreams was to be able to construct a building that would allow her to build an indoor pool and showcase her artwork. She found exactly the space she needed when she invested in a SteelMaster Quonset Hut.

Jean, who is also an experienced interior designer, started her search for the right structure and first considered a traditional style building.

After seeing Quonset Hut structures in her area, she started to add them to her list of considerations.

She went home and did a little research on these prefabricated steel buildings and she started to fall in love with the idea of building one of her own.

Jean says she visited SteelMasterusa.com and started to go through the information and the photos there. She was convinced that this was perfect for her.

One of the features that stood out to her the most was the clear span design of the Quonset Hut kit.

Quonset Huts are self supporting structures and do not require the use of beams or trusses to stand. This leaves the owner with 100% usable space on the inside of the building, which is perfect for an indoor pool and a workshop.

“It makes so much sense,” says Jean.

The task of building her own DIY Quonset Hut seemed a little overwhelming to Jean initially.

“I went into this thing thinking I would have problems. I said ‘Let’s just go for it,’” says Jean.

She dived right into this new masterpiece with excitement. This was her first building project and her contractor’s first Quonset Hut.

She says the erection of the arches went pretty smoothly and quickly. It took about a good year to get the building up and the pool properly installed.

Jean chose to use spray foam insulation for the inside of her Quonset. She then covered the spray foam with white, flame retardant paint that helps to keep the building comfortable and fire resistant.

She says although this was her first building, this was a great learning experience for her.

“I learned a lot from this process,” says Jean.

She decided on this kind of insulation because she was worried about the water from the pool affecting the steel arches of her building.

Thankfully, even without the insulation, SteelMaster’s arches are protected from corrosion already. They are covered with a special coating called Galvalume Plus, which helps to control the temperature inside of the building and it protects it from general wear and tear over the years.

Now she has protected the building from any exposure to the chemicals of the pool water, and she has also made herself a pretty cozy place to work and showcase her artwork.

She says many of her customers come to the building to see her unique art and this is where she spends a significant amount of time every day.

Jean says if you’re on the fence about considering a building like this one, there’s only one thing to do: “Dive in wholeheartedly.”