Someone wrote that these are manufactured by Tri_Steel and that is NOT correct. They are made by MBCI and Heritage buys that parts from diffrent suppliers. There is not a single person out there that knows more about ASH than I. I worked there, I bought a home from them, I live in a steel home, I built my own steel home, I have family that still works there today. They don't live in steel and thus they don't understand about steel. One of the best things you can do to prevent the cold from comming thru is to sheath the house in "WOOD" that's right dreaded wood. One of the house brothers did this a year or so ago when he built his own home. Now that dont tell you that when you buy, but that is a fact you can go to that bank with. But this is not his full time residence rather his weekend hunting lodge. You can build one faster than wood IF YOU HAVE THE TOOLS, AND THE EXPERIENCE TO WORK WITH STEEL. If not forget it!!! As others have pointed out most contractors with charge you more to work with steel. You also dont want to use a paper type of insulation. The steel forms condensation on the inside walls and you will develope mold like you have never seen if you do. Foam and only close cell foam will work. Open cell foam will hold mositure and then rust your home. They will always crack and pop day and night with the heating and cooling as well. The people who owned Heritage really really suck, but if you can live with the basic box desighn there is no house stronger than these.

Thank you very much for your post. Would you say more about using wood with the steel? How do you do that? It is starting to seem that the steel frame and roof makes good sense, but that "full steel" doesn't. Would you agree? How about the poster Dan who is thinking about concrete block and steel? Would you agree? Thank you for any feedback.

Steelhomeowner,

I can't thank you enough for your posts. I've just finished a year long song and dance with Classic steel homes-now out of business- about trying to get a simple hip roof rectangle designed. The game they play is trying to fit me into a pre-engineered model. Where can a person get info on getting a cut list for red iron post and beams or better yet someone like yourself or engineer who moonlights. I'm building with steel because i'm in the tropics. I looked into Classic etc because I figured they could order the steel etc a whole lot easier than I could and put a engineer stamp on the design for a reasonable price. They all say they can do custom. Boy was I wrong. If you have any ideas i sure would appreciate hearing from you.
patrickneid@yahoo.com

thanks

P.