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Buyers Guide to Metal Buildings in Michigan

Located along the Great Lakes is the state of Michigan. This state consists of plains, rolling hills, forests and plateaus. Although Michigan is divided into the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula, temperatures remain relatively similar throughout the entire state. Summers are warm and short, bringing thunderstorms and the occasional tornado in the south. Winters are very cold and bring heavy snowstorms to the region, averaging up to 180 inches of snow in certain areas. 

When designing a steel building in Michigan, you will definitely want to keep the weather in mind. The main issue that summers could bring is the rainfall. Making sure that you have gutters and downspouts on your building will be essential for those summer rainstorms and thunderstorms. Winters bring a different challenge with the snowfall. Proper insulation and snow load will be very important, especially in areas that receive higher amounts of snow. Adding eave extensions to your building will also help protect your foundation and walkways from the snow (and rain). 

At Great Western Buildings, we provide all of these customizable options and more. Although not required, we do recommend adding gutters and downspouts in locations that receive significant snow or rainfall. This will help collect precipitation and direct it to a designated area, rather than on top of your building or foundation. To deal with those heavy snowstorms, you will want to ensure that you have the proper insulation and snow load. Your local building codes will have the minimum requirements for them, but you can always go above those requirements if wanted. We also highly recommend adding on eave extensions to your building. These will extend out over your sidewalk/walkway/building entrance and protect it from the elements. This will keep rain, snow, and ice from building up in those areas and provide a safer walkway for you. Since parts of Michigan can receive over 150 inches of snow and rarely sees the sun long enough to melt anything, these will be essential. Great Western provides all of these different options to satisfy our customers needs while providing them a sturdy, reliable building.