6 Most Popular Metal Building Interior Ideas
Metal buildings are durable and sturdy. They are built to withstand high winds, earthquakes, and everything.
They are also easy to customize. Whether you want a warehouse, an office space, or even a home, these metal building interior ideas will give you a better idea of what you can do with yours.
Remember that if you want your metal building interior to feature drywall and a ceiling, specify this as you order your framing from a manufacturer. The structure you will be provided with will be different than if you didn’t want any wall or ceiling inside your building.
That being said, here are ideas on how you can customize your metal building interior.
Idea #1: Insulate your metal building to keep it comfortable
If you want to live or work inside your metal building, you must insulate it properly. If you fail to do this, it will get too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.
As you insulate the interior of your metal building, you also need to apply a vapour retarder to prevent condensation, mould, and rust. Although fibreglass is the most common insulating material, insulating your metal building interior is possible with spray foam or foam board.
If you don’t want any drywall inside your building, the vapour retarder installed along with your insulating material could become your final interior finish. In that case, you could choose a white vapour retarder.
Idea #2: Partition the space inside your metal building
If you want, you can divide the interior space of your prefab metal buildings into rooms of different sizes. Be sure to prepare your floor plan before you order your building to be sure you are choosing the right size for your needs.
The framing for your interior walls can be made from steel or wood. Using steel studs might be more expensive than wood studs, but you must remember that steel is more durable, stronger, and more resistant to moisture and rot.
Idea #3: Get professionals to install wiring and plumbing for you
Another important metal building interior idea is to install wiring and plumbing. Of course, this needs to be done before you finish your interior walls.
But don’t try to do it yourself, as hiring a professional electrician and a plumber is the only way to ensure you comply with your local building codes. You can, however, be the one to determine what your electric and plumbing system should look like.
Think about the floor plan of your metal building and the different equipment or appliances you might be using in each room.
Idea #4: Choose the type of interior finish you want on your walls
If your metal building was designed to support interior walls, you must decide what type of finish you want on these walls.
Covering your metal framing with drywall or plywood before painting your walls is a simple option. But you can finish your walls with various materials, just like you would for a building constructed with wood framing.
For example, you can choose wood planks or panels for a warm and rustic look. You could also opt for corrugated metal panels, flat metal panels, or interior liner panels. It all depends on what you will use your metal building for and how you plan to decorate its interior.
After all, just because it’s a metal building doesn’t mean it has to have an industrial or modern look.
Idea #5: Choose the type of ceiling you want
You have two options regarding the ceiling of your metal building interior. You can leave the steel framing exposed, with only the vapour retarder as a finish. Or you can install a drop ceiling.
This is a suspended type of ceiling that can be installed below the structural ceiling.
However, if you did not specify that you wanted a drop ceiling when you ordered your metal building, you simply can’t decide to add one now, as your framing might not be sturdy enough to support this type of ceiling.
Idea #6: Install flooring or keep a bare concrete floor
Finally, you can decide whether to keep a bare concrete floor or choose a different type of flooring.
Depending on what you will be using your metal building for, you could install pretty much any type of flooring, including waterproof vinyl tiles, epoxy flooring, laminate flooring, wood flooring, or natural stone.
Along with your chosen wall finish and ceiling finish, the type of flooring you choose for your metal building will truly customize the look and feel of its interior.