Utility building terms glossary

There is a bit of confusion about some of the terms used in the world of storage, so we thought we might try to define some of these terms, and cut down on the haze.

Utility buildings

A utility building is a multi purpose building. Such buildings can be used to meet a variety of differing needs, of which storage, is most common. Besides storage, they are often used as workshops, offices, hobby shops, game rooms, equipment maintenance buildings, wood working shops, and many other purposes, limited only by the individuals imagination. “Utility building” is the most general, and most accurate description for such buildings.

Portable buildings

Portable buildings are, of course, portable. They can be moved from one place to another with relative ease. They are movable because of their size, and the fact that they are not bolted or otherwise connected to a slab or other type of permanent  foundation. They are portable by virtue of the fact that they are single self contained buildings. You may here or see the term in conjunction with other terms such as “portable utility buildings, portable storage buildings”, and “portable storage sheds”.

Storage buildings

Storage buildings are generally utility buildings used for the purpose of storing something. These buildings are often portable buildings, but not always. They can be anything from a pole barn used to store inventory, to a warehouse, to an 8 by 10 building moved on to the property to store Christmas decorations or documents.

Storage sheds

This term is often used as a synonym for storage building. Technically, it is a shed used for storing something. A shed is most often a “lean to” type building, such as the type of open sided building built in conjunction with another building, or a free standing building on poles which has a roof oriented to “shed” water in one direction. These types of buildings are often used to store farm equipment. A typical shed type structure is the common carport connected to the end of a home, which is usually connected to the home at an angle proceeding down and away from the home.

Carports

Carports are often sheds attached to the side of a home, in a more or less permanent form. With the introduction of modular building technology however, they have now become widely used as un connected individual structures. A carport differs from a garage because a carport has at least one open side. Garages are  enclosed structures, carports are open structures. Modern modular building systems will allow for the building of a garage on the frame of a carport, increasing the buildings utility.

Garages

Garages, like carports are often built directly into, or onto homes. This has changed a good deal with the steel building industries use of modular, pre fab type structures. which allow for more flexibility in placement, and function. Now, many garages are built separately from the home as free standing structures.

Steel buildings

The term “steel building” is commonly used to refer to carports or garages of the modular type built from steel frames, and coated steel siding. The term really refers to any building built from steel.

Metal buildings

Metal buildings are, of course buildings made of metal. This term is usually used in reference to garages, carports or other similar buildings, of which the primary metal would be steel. There are also buildings made from other metals, particularly, aluminum. in actuality, it can refer to any building built from any type of metal.

Public storage

This is a term for storage rental space. Typically, it is a compound full of buildings with storage areas rented for individual storage. The term mini storage is also used for this type of storage rental.

Self storage

Self storage is commonly used as a synonym for public and mini storage. The terminology is a little confusing. It is self storage because the system is somewhat automated, and therefore, you can use this facility to store things yourself.

Steel Garden Shed

There are two types of storage. That which you own yourself, and that which you rent from someone else. Self storage and mini storage or two forms of public storage, which is the type you pay your hard earned cash to rent. Storage sheds, or storage buildings are utility buildings which are most often used for private storage, which is the type of storage you pay for once, and then own forever. Let us show you why owning your own storage is better than renting public storage.

Peace of mind.

• You can rest easier knowing that your cherished belongings are tucked away safely within the confines of your own property, and within easy reach.

It’s green.

• In these days of environmental awareness, we have become aware, that it makes more sense to store your items closer to your home to avoid wasting energy and adding pollution to the atmosphere. What better way of reducing your carbon footprint than to avoid extra, and unneeded trips?

Fuel cost.

• You have to pay rent to someone else to get them to allow you to put your stuff in their building located miles from your own home. Fuel prices are in a state of flux, but wasting money on fuel is always out of style. All those extra trips to get boxes from some “self storage” place 10 miles away can wind up costing you a lot of money.

Rent cost.

• If you buy a building, you are paying for something that is yours, so instead of perpetual rent, you have something to show for your money, and it can be used in many other ways, and for many other purposes if the need to store something is over. What you have left after paying rent, is more rent! When you stop renting, you have nothing!

Your safety in transit.

• Any time you drive, you take risks. That is part of our everyday lives, but why take more chances than you have to?

Your safety on site.

• Most storage places are somewhat remote, and while there are usually security systems in place, (whether they are working or not is another story entirely) the very layout of the buildings present safety issues. Besides, having a nice video of you being robbed outside your self storage unit will help the police to catch your mugger, but that is, after all, "after the fact."

Your convenience.

• The ability to grab what you want from your own building at any time of the day or night, without having to leave your premises, waste any time, or fight any traffic will go a long way toward stress reduction, and that is one thing that most of us would prefer. In that regard, buying instead of renting is good for your mental and physical health, and consequently, your longevity!

Your time is important.

• Even if buying instead of renting won't increase your longevity, it might just increase the amount of time available for doing the things you want to be doing.Time is our greatest asset, wasting it just might be our greatest failure. You have soccer, and baseball, and piano, and school activities, and shopping and...! It is much less time consuming to step into your back yard than to make a trip across town.

How to Choose Between Public Storage and Private Storage

I am going to be practical in this discussion, and tell you what you really need to know when working through the options of storing items, or choosing storage type buildings for other purposes.

When it comes to using space for storage or other reasons, it is obviously better to buy than to rent! That will crawl all over a few people, but it is just the truth, nothing more, nothing less.

Just look at the facts. Owning is better than renting. The cost for owning the building you are using is less than the cost of perpetual rent. Owning a building placed on your property adds to your properties value. It is more convenient, and it is yours! enough said!

In the event that you do not have a place to put your building, or if your needs are very short term, a public storage facility might be the ticket.

How to pick the right public storage

When choosing a place to lease, you should check out everything about the company you are thinking of renting from. You should see if the building space will have the amenities you need for your particular application. It would be wise to find out about the hours that you can come and go, and look at any safety concerns you might have. The closeness of the building to your location should be a part of the considerations, especially in these times of fluctuating fuel prices. Your time is valuable, and you don’t need to waste any of it suffering back and forth through cross town traffic.

After the initial decision making process, and the ritual signing of the lease, the suggestions made in the rest of this series for how to organize your storage space can be followed.