FS Construction Services strong columns machine storage

Project Profile: Strong Columns for Unmatched Space

At FS Construction Services we love an impressive feat of engineering. We work with so many construction materials so often that it’s genuinely exciting when someone comes along with a new and better way of doing something, including strong columns.

Superior Strength Columns Support Massive Space

For the past few months, we have been discussing the pork farm machine storage project we recently completed, which was a massive 81’ x 200’ x 20’ agricultural building. The project included a variety of highlights and features that we have since been breaking down in further detail.

Perhaps one of the most impressive things about this project is just how big the building is. Yet for all of its size, the interior of the structure is one giant, clear span of uninterrupted space. So we thought we would spend some time discussing how those big spans are achieved and how a building of this size can be constructed to last the test of time.

Our partners at Walters Buildings have used their in-house engineering team to create columns of superior strength in every way. These 3-ply columns utilize their Shear Transfer Plate technology which increases the load capacity of each column, essentially making them twice as strong as a solid 6×6 post. These columns were then fastened to the concrete foundation with L brackets, securing them in place along the entire length of the building.

The end result is a huge building that can easily accommodate large machinery while withstanding the wind, rain, and snow. If you are in the market for a new building, even if it’s not an 81’ x 200’ behemoth, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services Walters buildings

The Walters Buildings Difference

We spend a lot of time with buildings and building materials here at FS Construction Services, so we know a good quality building when we see one. Which is why we’ve been so happy to have been able to partner with Walters Buildings for as long as we have. We wanted to take a little time to highlight why they have been such good partners and maybe give you an idea of what to expect if you are in the market for a new post-frame building.

FS Construction Services and Walters Buildings

Walters Buildings has many of the same advantages of larger manufacturers while maintaining the advantages found in smaller companies. Walters’ buildings are fully engineered to meet compliance and safety needs. They produce their own steel, trusses, and trim to maintain quality. But one of things about them that our clients have appreciated the most over the years is just how customizable they are. Their buildings are produced with innovation and customization in mind, meaning they can be fitted to a wide variety of applications.

On the material end, Walters uses 28-gauge steel with G-90 galvanizing on that steel, making it protected even if it gets scratched. Their 14’ heeled trusses provide more room for insulation, and those same trusses can be customized to fit your exact building profile. They also use patented sheer transfer plates, which can tolerate more stress than traditional columns.

But none of that would matter much if Walters didn’t operate with integrity and care for their customers. Walters is a family-owned business with local representatives and a commitment to keeping their standards high.

So if you have been thinking about a new post-frame building, know that when you work with us you get the best of both worlds. If you have any questions, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services building uses

Building You the Best: New Building Uses

Maybe it sounds dramatic to say, but when you think about building a new building there is really no end to the new building uses. At FS Construction Services, we have constructed our fair share of buildings over the years and each of them was its own, unique structure with its own, unique purpose. So while we like to think that any building can be anything you want, we also know that there are certain types of buildings that are better suited to specific tasks and needs than others.
 

Many Uses of Post Frame and Steel Buildings

 
Post-Frame

Many of our clients choose to construct a post-frame, or pole barn, building on their property. These buildings have almost limitless size, color, and layout options. Often, these buildings work as part garage, part recreation, part storage, part horse barn, or a variety of other uses.

A quality post-frame building goes a long way. From a backyard shed to house your lawn equipment to a machine storage shed to house your agriculture equipment, these buildings scale up and down and in and out to fit your requirements. With help from our partners at Walters Buildings, we can build you anything from storage space to a retail space to a horse barn to a church.

Steel

Now just because we’re talking about steel doesn’t mean that all customizability is gone. Our partners at Sukup Manufacturing and Butler Manufacturing allow us to provide strong, tailored steel buildings to our clients. Whether you need a huge, clear span for large machinery, or you need warehouse or retail space for your business, we can get you the steel building you want in the timeframe you need.

No matter the type of building you choose, we will work closely with you to make sure that it not only suits your needs, but looks and feels the way you want it to. If you are considering a new building, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services building types

Building You the Best: Building Types

One thing we know very well at FS Construction Services is that every tool has its own purpose and function. And in a similar way, every building has its own purpose and function. Now often that function is multi-faceted, but that also doesn’t mean that in any situation, any kind of the several building types will do. If you are dreaming up a new building for your property or for your business, there are a number of things to consider, not the least of which is what kind of building do you actually want.

FSCS Can Help Decide Which Building Type is Best for You

Over our many years we have worked extensively with wood, steel, and pole barn/post-frame buildings. Our partners at Walters Buildings, Sukup Manufacturing, and Butler Manufacturing manufacture some of the most well-built, customizable buildings around. Meaning that we can work within your limitations to meet your needs.

When you work with us to build your dream building, you get fully-engineered structures with thick, galvanized steel support, clear, open spans if you need them, endless window and door options, and a variety of insulation options to improve your building’s thermal efficiency. From agriculture to residential to commercial to horse barns to community buildings to machine storage and pretty much everything in between, if there’s a need for it, we will work to find a way to make it happen.

Whether you choose a wood, steel, or post-frame building, you will get a strong, functional structure that has been designed to meet your needs and your budget. And perhaps most importantly, we are a community-minded business that partners with other community-minded businesses. Because at the end of the day, we know that it’s you, our clients and friends, that matter the most.

If you are thinking about a new building, or have some questions about what we can do for you, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services buildings storage needs

Project Profile: Solving Storage Needs

It can be easy to think of a building as something immovable and permanent. And while we certainly want our buildings to feel that way, we also know that doesn’t mean that a building can’t change once it’s been constructed. At FS Construction Services, we know that things change all the time. Life circumstances, careers, storage needs, and so on. We build durable, longstanding buildings that are designed to withstand the test of time. But that’s not to say that they can never change, grow, or adapt.

Sometimes You Need a Little More Storage Space

This past October, previous clients of ours found themselves in a situation where they realized they needed just a little bit more space on a building we had previously constructed for them. Rather than tearing down a wall and starting over, Tom Marcheski and his team took a more creative, more efficient approach. They extended the building by adding a 15’ x 48’ x 9’ lean-to onto the side of it.

The lean-to was tied into the existing roofing and sided to match what came before and was engineered to be open on both ends for ease of access. This extra storage provided our clients with just the right amount of space and protection for them, without needing to create an entirely new, totally closed-off section of a building. In just a week, they had exactly what they would need to be ready for the cold months ahead.

We are big fans of problem solving and finding solutions. So whether you are looking at new construction or need to find some update or modification to an existing building, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

steel building preventative maintenance FS Construction Services

Steel Building Maintenance Throughout the Year

A steel building, just like everything else, needs some care and attention from time to time. While they are strong and designed to stand through the decades, a little maintenance here and there will increase their longevity and keep them operational. Our partners over at Walters Buildings put together a handy guide for steel building maintenance throughout the year which we will take a look at here.
 

Steel Building Preventative Maintenance

 
Since we just flipped our calendars to July, we’re sure that you already have several annual summer maintenance projects started. Take a look at the suggestions below for your steel buildings to be sure you’re on track. And we don’t need to remind you that with the passing of the Fourth of July, fall is just around the corner. We have some fall maintenance tips as well.

Summer

  • Check for any sticky locks. If you find one, be sure to oil it. Check the bottoms of your windows for debris in their drain channels.
  • Look around your building for signs of pests like: termites, carpenter ants, hornets, wasps, and more. Inspect closely around the columns, splash boards, eaves, and any attic spaces.
  • Inspect your siding and trim for gaps, cracks, dents, and holes. If anything is need of repair, be sure to use the appropriate sealant.

Fall

  • Check your roof for broken shingles, gaps in flashing, etc. If you have a chimney, make sure it’s still secure.
  • Clean your gutters and check your downspouts for debris.
  • Inspect your foundation for cracks and look for signs of water damage. Make sure the dirt around your foundation is graded so it will drain water away from your building.
  • Trim back any plants that are growing up against your building and don’t spray any weed killer on or near steel panels.
  • Replace cracked or missing caulk and weather stripping around doors and windows and anywhere where brick and wood make contact. Check your attic’s insulation.
  • Oil door, window, and garage door hinges.

 

If you have any building questions or needs, or if you’re in need of any repair services, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services pole barn

The Many Uses of the Humble Pole Barn

At FS Construction Services, we spend lots of time with highly-specialized equipment, like seed treaters and grain bins, which each have a pretty specific use and wouldn’t serve much purpose outside of what’s intended. And we love equipment that’s designed to do one job and do it as effectively as possible. But there’s also something exciting about building something that has two or three or four possible uses, which is one of the reasons we always enjoy talking about pole barns.

Versatile and Functional Pole Barns

Pole barns are some of the most customizable structures we get to work with. They can be used to build garages, sheds, agricultural storage, churches, auto repair buildings, horse barns, and even airplane hangars. The possibilities are really just how much someone can imagine. On top of that, our partners at Walters Buildings offer a huge variety of color options, window options, and more. A pole barn can be outfitted with a standard garage door, sliding doors for large equipment, Dutch doors, Dutch porches, or a combination of all of these.

Over the years we have built pole barns for clients that are part storage space, part recreation space, part horse stables or simply large, wide-span structures to keep agricultural equipment safe from the elements. The simple, yet dependable idea of a pole barn matched with superior materials and tried-and-true construction methods mean you can get the building you want, designed the way you want it, and you won’t have to wait around for it to happen.

If you are looking at how a pole barn might suit your needs or if you have interest in another kind of wood or steel building, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Gateway FS Construction Services metal building

Project Profile: The Little Details Make a Building Unique

At FS Construction Services, we have constructed our fair share of buildings over the years. From every shape and size to a whole host of different functions and purposes, we have had the opportunity to see just how much variety you can get in a wood or steel building. In many cases though, what really sets a structure apart are all the extra details. Whether it’s huge, sliding doors, an insulated living space, or stalls for horses, the variety of additions here and there are what really make a building, the building.

Metal Building for Storage and Maintenance

Recently, we had the chance to build a new structure with enough extra features to set it apart from the other buildings like it. This 42’ x 80’ x 16’ drive-through facility was built on a concrete slab to be used for storage and maintenance. We lined the building with R42 ceiling insulation and R19 wall insulation to increase the building’s thermal efficiency and help keep it warmer during the cold months. Along one side of the building we installed 10 7’ x 2’ fixed glass windows to provide the interior with plenty of natural light. On each side of the building is a 14’ x 14’ Raynor garage door featuring windows and exhaust ports.

The structure uses 5” x 6” standard columns and laminated columns that have been staggered for strength. Along the exterior, we have installed sectional gutters with 4” x 3” down spouts to drive water away from the building and slab.

While this particular project may not have had anything completely out of the ordinary, it featured just enough of the little kinds of extras and details to make it the exact building our client wanted. If you are looking for your own custom steel or wood building, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services Red Bud IL multi-purpose building

Project Profile: A Building For Many Purposes

Here at FS Construction Services, we know that a building can be many things: a place to relax, a place to keep your stuff dry, a place to keep important things protected. And sometimes, a building needs to be a little bit of all of those things at the same time. Recently, we worked with a client who needed just that.

Unique Multi-Purpose Storage Building Features Horse Stables

The 66’ x 120’ x 17’ building was built on a 12” stem wall and was designed to function as part agricultural storage, part machine storage, part general purpose, and part horse stables. This durable structure includes 5” x 8” laminated columns set with L brackets on the stem wall as well as a metal roof with ice guards and a seamless gutter system. The roof also includes three cupolas: one 4’ x 4’ cupola with glass windows and two 3’ x 3’ louvered. The roof is finished with DripStop protection to prevent excess moisture from building up on the roof and falling to the ground below.

The building features three overhead doors, two 16.5’ sliding doors that combine to create a 33’ wide opening, and two 12’ x 14’ doors for additional access. These are Raynor garage doors that provide weather protection and thermal insulation.

Increasing the multipurpose function of the building, three double Dutch-style doors lead to three interior horse stables. As for the exterior, the building features 3’ charcoal-colored wainscotting accents and a large, covered patio to provide extra covering and protection.

Though this building was built to serve a number of needs, we build wood and steel structures to fulfill a wide variety of functions and purposes. If you are in need of a new building, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Walters Buildings FS Construction Services

Partner Profile: The Strength of a Walters Building

It can seem like we say this a lot sometimes, but it always holds true, at FS Construction Services we are privileged to work with some of the best people in the business. Not only do we have the greatest customers and clients around, we have some incredible partners that we’ve had the pleasure of working with for many years.

Durable Post-Frame Steel Buildings

One of those partners, Walters Buildings, has been our go-to for post-frame buildings for a long time now. There are a number of reasons why Walters stands out, and although we talked a little about Walters just recently, we’d like to share a bit more. We think one of the greatest strengths of a Walters building is strength itself. Their buildings are designed to stand the test of time, and provide long-term storage, recreational space, and more. Walters utilizes Steel Transfer Plated columns in their buildings, which have proven to provide more strength than traditional lumber grade. With this kind of durability in the bones of the building, it allows for more customization in building appearance, function, and more.

In addition to the physical strength and durability of the building, we rely on Walters Buildings because of the strength of our relationships with them through the years.  Part of the attraction of Walters is the fact that they are a large enough company to build almost anything but small enough to be ultra-attentive to your needs. They have locally based representatives that are with us every step of the building process and we have built great, long lasting relationships with them.

For these reasons and many more, Walters Buildings has been our go-to for post-frame buildings, and we have an expansive list of clients who would agree. If you are interested in constructing a new post-frame building or have any questions about other wood or steel buildings, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.