Steel is the Real Deal for this Arizona Man

Dan Falcone leads a very full life. At 59 years old, he works long hours and many days in a row to be able to take three months off every year to spend time working on projects and being with his family in Arizona. Why did Falcone decide to build a SteelMaster Building, and what is he planning to do us the building for?

Brenda Welch, a freelance writer who writes for SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA spoke with Falcone to learn his motivations behind purchasing the building, and his future intentions for the space.

BW: Why did you decide you needed a building?
DF: When I retire I plan on having my own machine shop.

BW: Why did you decide to build with steel as opposed to wood or another material?
DF: In Arizona, wood takes too much maintenance.

BW: What led you to SteelMaster?
DF: I saw [the company] on the Internet and contacted a sales representative who was very helpful in answering my questions.

BW: Why did you choose SteelMaster’s product as the one that you wanted to build with?
DF: [SteelMaster] provided me with all that I asked for at what I thought was a reasonable price for the size building that I purchased.

BW: When did you begin building your SteelMaster, and when did you finish?
DF: I started in February and finished in March as I had other things to do also. I had help standing up the arches, but did all the rest myself including the end doors, windows, and turbine vents on top. It was quite a challenge by myself as a 59 year old guy, but was very satisfying when I saw what a quality building I had and that it sealed up so well from the elements.

BW: What are the things that you are most impressed about with the building?
DF: The building is very structurally sound, it seals up so well, and it is easy to add accessories. Also, there is so much space inside without any inner trusses or braces that are on a conventional building. I had one rain storm right after finishing with 40 mile per hour winds, and the direction was coming in towards the overlap. I didn’t have a single leak except for one where I was missing a nut on a bolt. Then I found after checking that I was missing three other nuts on the bolts, but they were not even leaking. I choose this type of building because I knew that I would have minimal help and was able to accomplish most of it on my own, plus it is a very secure building. I think the only way people could get into it when it is locked up would be to take a large machine or a gas powered chop saw—both of which would alert the neighbors. Wind is the biggest issue where I am located, and the building seals it out completely—except of course where I have purposely ventilated it for circulation to the turbine vents.

BW: Is there anything that you wish you had known before you started this process that you know now?
DF: I wish that I had read the directions more carefully without thinking that I was a know-it-all, as they were very precise. I just sort of skimmed over them because looking at the building, it looked pretty basic. Only what I didn’t realize was the importance of keeping the building plumb and in its exact shape as I put it up. I ended up spending extra time putting it to shape and peak plumb to facilitate ease of putting in the end walls.

BW: How often do you use your building?
DF: I use it every day.

BW: Have you received comments from other people about your building?
DF: I have received comments from all my neighbors, some who were even skeptical until they saw and experienced the structural integrity of it and the amount of space inside because you don’t need all that inner bracing like you do on a wood building.

BW: What surprises you the most about your building?
DF: Besides all the functionality and no maintenance (like painting and all the things that go along with a wood structure) it has a very clean and attractive look to it. I am pleased all around and look forward to my retirement and using it as my hobby, plus all the storage I can have on a building this size (30’x40′). When you look in a conventional structure you don’t have that extra ceiling space for lighting or whatever a person might want to use it for. The other thing I want to mention is your excellent customer service that I received whenever I had a question or wanted an accessory. I had someone on the phone always—if not immediately, then in less than 10 minutes when I would get a call back from your construction specialist Richard Merrill.