Fabric Buildings vs. Steel Buildings | What You Need to Know

The right choice of material for your structure depends on many factors. Your personal preference, budget, usage, and the length of time you need the building all come into play. For fabric structure vs. steel structure, both have their own advantages and disadvantages depending on your needs.

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Natural Lighting

Fabric structures are naturally translucent, allowing natural light to penetrate through the fabric without the need for windows. Depending on whether you opt for non-fire retardant fabric or fire retardant fabric, translucency falls between 16% to 19% translucency. Natural illumination makes for a comfortable work space and is proven to sooth livestock and workers, according to an article on Science Daily by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. There is a strong relationship between natural daylight exposure and workers’ sleep, activity, and overall quality of life. Steel structure is opaque, creating a less than optimal environment for health and productivity if windows aren’t added to the structure.

Energy Costs

In addition to the reduction of electrical lighting needed in fabric structures due to the translucency of the fabric, fabric buildings are naturally thermally non-conductive, staying cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Passive and active ventilation systems can be added to a fabric structure to facilitate airflow, saving you money in energy costs throughout the year. Steel structure, on the other hand, is thermally conductive. Without heating and cooling systems, a steel structure can get quite hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Furthermore, the metal cladding is attached to the frame with thousands of screw holes that leak air over time creating a less energy-efficient structure. Fabric structures are airtight eliminating heating or cooling losses.

Permanent versus Portable or Temporary

Fabric structures are erected much more quickly and efficiently than steel structure, and can be mounted to a variety of foundations allowing them to be permanent, portable, or temporary. This is an important factor if you are renting the land you are farming or operating your business on.
Additionally, fabric structures can also be easily expanded if you need more space. On the contrary, a steel structure is built to be permanent offering less flexibility if your needs or situation changes.

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Maintenance

Under most conditions, a fabric cover last 15 to 20 years before it may need some small repair. Calhoun’s fabric is made of engineered high-density polyethylene fabric or PVC fabric built to withstand the elements. Additionally, Calhoun’s fabric structures use hot dip galvanized steel frames. These frames give you the strength of steel without the worries or ongoing maintenance of having to stave off corrosion. In most cases, the internal steel frames last for generations. On the contrary, steel roofing systems will eventually corrode due to exterior exposure to pollution and moisture that speeds up the process versus fabric. Additionally, steel buildings should be washed once per year to wash away winter build-up, and regular painting keeps a steel building looking fresh . However, washing and painting is not required for fabric creating a lower maintenance structure overall.

You might also be interested in reading, Repair or Replace: What Do I Do If My Fabric Structure Becomes Damaged?

These structures, like steel buildings, are economical and sturdy, but how do they hold up? Let’s check out a comparison and contrast between steel buildings and fabric buildings, and see which one is the better option for your storage or occupancy needs.

Canadian Metal Buildings

Steel buildings are entirely made from prefabricated, solid steel. This steel is at minimum 22 gauge in thickness, and it’s coated with a reflective and corrosion-resistant alloy which keeps heat away. Unlike fabric buildings, metal buildings are heavy-duty and can withstand any environmental conditions or weather thrown their way. While the entry cost of metal buildings may be somewhat higher than fabric, they will last for decades with almost no maintenance, whereas however thick it might be, fabric wears down and tears, requiring repairs.

Quonset buildings are also often cheaper to insure than fabric buildings, and they can raise the overall value of your property. They offer nearly 100% usable interior space as they don’t require struts or trusses to support, and they can be completely customized according to the user’s specifications.

Steel is also a green construction material and can take advantage of geothermal or solar energy, and save you money on utilities. Finally, these buildings can be erected in just a few days.

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