Assembling Metal Building Kits
The question as to whether metal building kits are something most people can actually assemble on there own is a good one. It reveals an underlying truth about the confidence, or lack thereof, that most have when it comes to taking on a larger project like putting up a building. It's not something all that shocking. It is a relatively common experience to have big ideas about what we can do, only to discover part way through it that we really shouldn't have started in the first place. Of course, when that happens we have to go into "get out of it however you can" mode. As applied to metal building kits, that means getting a contractor or friend who knows what they are doing to come help you finish it.
The first time I was involved with metal building kits I happened to be in the role of friend who had the tools and know-how to go save a friend of mine who got in over his head. He had purchase the kit thinking he could assemble it with no trouble. The thing was, he didn't even have basic tools. He didn't have a socket set. He had no wrenches. I don't think he even had a saw. I think he just had a screwdriver and a hammer. In his case, he clearly should not have attempted such a large do-it-yourself project. He made a bad decision. I think the marketing behind the product misled him and it just wasn't a good fit. In the end, we were able to make the best out of a potentially bad situation. We all had a good laugh out of things at his expense (something we still get mileage out of), but when the building was finished, he had what he originally wanted.
The next time I dealt with metal building kits was when I purchased and built one of my own. It was a large one with windows, a pedestrian door, and a garage door. I was feeling pretty confident going into the project. I saved quite a bit of money on my purchase and was pretty excited to have some extra storage space on my property. I thought it was a good idea to have another covered area for my old truck project and for my Harley. I was right. Anyway, the big day came when the kit arrived. We unloaded it and got familiar with the plans. We had prepared a concrete foundation in advance of delivery so we were good to go.
As we started working, I remembered helping my friend with his job. I remembered that the thing about assembling metal building kits was to lay everything out, verify that all the needed materials and tools were at hand, and then follow the instructions carefully. So, that's what I did. The frame assembly took no time at all and before I knew it we had it bolted to the foundation and were moving on to covering it. I was happy with how quick and easy assembly really was. I don't have a lot of construction experience, but even so, the windows and doors went in smoothly and worked great.
If your confidence is high going into a project like assembling metal building kits, and you have the tools and help you need, then you will have no trouble at all.
The first time I was involved with metal building kits I happened to be in the role of friend who had the tools and know-how to go save a friend of mine who got in over his head. He had purchase the kit thinking he could assemble it with no trouble. The thing was, he didn't even have basic tools. He didn't have a socket set. He had no wrenches. I don't think he even had a saw. I think he just had a screwdriver and a hammer. In his case, he clearly should not have attempted such a large do-it-yourself project. He made a bad decision. I think the marketing behind the product misled him and it just wasn't a good fit. In the end, we were able to make the best out of a potentially bad situation. We all had a good laugh out of things at his expense (something we still get mileage out of), but when the building was finished, he had what he originally wanted.
The next time I dealt with metal building kits was when I purchased and built one of my own. It was a large one with windows, a pedestrian door, and a garage door. I was feeling pretty confident going into the project. I saved quite a bit of money on my purchase and was pretty excited to have some extra storage space on my property. I thought it was a good idea to have another covered area for my old truck project and for my Harley. I was right. Anyway, the big day came when the kit arrived. We unloaded it and got familiar with the plans. We had prepared a concrete foundation in advance of delivery so we were good to go.
As we started working, I remembered helping my friend with his job. I remembered that the thing about assembling metal building kits was to lay everything out, verify that all the needed materials and tools were at hand, and then follow the instructions carefully. So, that's what I did. The frame assembly took no time at all and before I knew it we had it bolted to the foundation and were moving on to covering it. I was happy with how quick and easy assembly really was. I don't have a lot of construction experience, but even so, the windows and doors went in smoothly and worked great.
If your confidence is high going into a project like assembling metal building kits, and you have the tools and help you need, then you will have no trouble at all.
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