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I purchased a metal frame building from Versa Tube, which their engineers designed for the area of Minnesota I live in. The building collapsed!

I purchased a VersaTube metal frame building from Menards in Hermantown, Minnesota. The building was designed by the engineers at VersaTube, for the area of minnesota I live in. The building was 32' wide X 36' long and 12.5' tall. I purchased the building in September 2013 and it was built that same month.

On Febraury 21, 2014 only 6 months after the construction of the building, it collapsed during a snowfall. The warranty states "The VersaTube Product Pledge What exactly is a Product Pledge? It's quite simple . .

. the Pledge is our way of showing that we're proud of our products and the level of quality that they represent. Your building will go through an extensive inspection process prior to leaving our plant, but if any component should not meet your expectations, we'll be glad to replace the part at no charge within 30 days of purchase. The only criteria that must be met is that you bought the building from VersaTube, the damage wasn't caused by customer modifications or mishandling, and that the building was erected within 4 months of purchase.

This section of the Pledge applies to any of the materials supplied with our building kits for one year from the date of purchase. The second part of the VersaTube Product Pledge provides a 20 year structural warranty on all framing components of our buildings from the date of purchase. Of course, the defect can't be caused by customer modifications or negligence, an unanticipated Act of God or nature, an accident, or any type of internal or external impact. Improper assembly or installation may also void the warranty.

The customer is responsible for performing standard building maintenance and inspections on a regular basis. We reserve the right to repair or replace any part that might not meet expectations. VersaTube is proud to put our name on the buildings we manufacture for our customers and stand behind their quality with our industry leading Product Pledge." I have contacted VersaTube, and they are not willing to honor the Warranty. VersaTube told me that I should file a claim with my homeowners Insurance company.

The building was designed by VersaTube Engineers for the part of the country I live in before I ever built it. Now they are saying that It has been an abnormally snowy winter and because of this, they don't have to honor the warranty. We have not broken any snowfall records in Saginaw, Minnesota this year. These buildings should not be sold to customers in Minnesota or other states that get snowfall.

VersaTube uses Homeowners Insurance as a copout to honor their warranty. I paid 6300.00 for the metal frame from Menards.

Menards tells me that all warranty issues go directly thru VersaTube.

Monetary Loss: $6300.

Location: Saginaw, Minnesota

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Guest

The roof snow load for that building is only 20pfp. You need at least double that in MN.

Guest

Didnโ€™t you take the snow load off when it was heavy

Guest

Poor install. Never install roofing panels horizontally.

Whomever started this ridiculous trend of installing ribbed panels on the horizontal axis, obviously had the intelligence of a rock.

Your first mistake was making the purchase through Menards. Next time order directly through VersaTube with the guidance of your local professional builder that's familiar with your local codes...especially wind and snow load criteria.

Guest

was gonna buy from them but not now

Guest

I WONT BUY VERSATUBE NOW.. THANKS.

Guest

All the other comments aside about poor installation, there looks to be 3-4 feet of snow in areas. When it has no where to go, no amount of engineering can help you. That being said, have a pro put it up next time.

Guest

Car port style sold at Menards, check your local โ€œsnow code requirementsโ€ and never run your steel panels horizontal. Just asking for this to happen.

Unfortunately uninformed and uneducated customers purchase inadequate structures and suffer consequences.

Versa Tube does offer a reinforced, vertical steel, model. Probably would have performed much better.

Guest

Wow. I also was looking to put my order in for a building. Nothing worse than no customer support.

Guest

So you had a free standing structure that was 32 feet across, with snow on it, and what appears to be no supports whatsoever to strengthen it, and you can't understand why it collapsed?

Guest

I don't have a problem with the way its put together. Had to scrap the snow off my mom's roof her house was old and needed TLC in the winter I like the way the carport is mine is a 20 x 20 x 10 I put in 4 trusses to make it stronger.

a person has to think about what your doing when your putting stuff up in Minn. we have high winds and snow No Brainer

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1344935

Move to Florida...problem solved :)

Fredonia Phb

Darn! I was wanting to buy a Versatube building and now I have to find something else...

Guest

Car port style unit, no bridging (reinforcements), and the steel roofing is run the wrong way. This style unit is NOT "engineered" for Upper Midwest.

Unfortunately the parties involved had no knowledge of this prior, and this is the outcome.

"Do it yourself" also entails making "sure yourself" that the structure conforms with local building codes. Putting blame on the manufacturer and or the product distributor only proves that prevention would have out performed reaction.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1245820

Went onto the Versatube.com website and designed the same exact car port (LxWxH) with open ends and horizontal steel. The biggest thing missing in the posted photos is the "Truss Brace Type 6R." Those would be the reinforcements for snow load, which is explained in detail on the manufacturers website.

You also have the option of putting in a higher snow load capacity.

This would ensure the structure could handle heavy loads. Like I said "do it yourself" and save the headaches.

Guest

So glad that you posted this. I live in MN also and was looking at one of these for an extra garage.

Don't care to waste my sheckles now.

Guest

typical American way of doing things, NOW DAYS, I was thinking about buying one of their buildings. but now ,NOT A CHANCE.

Guest

I don't know where this guy learned how to build stuff but is lacking basic skills. My wife looked at the pictures and asked me why would anyone install steel the wrong way on the roof.

It like putting blocks to hold the snow up there. If his homeowner's insurance paid him the adjuster was not much more informed and why insurance costs so much with paying a claim caused by lack of common sense. He probably threw the instructions away as he knew better. I needed a good laugh today!

Do not let this incident cause you to mistrust the Versatube engineers. I have put these buildings up in lake affect snow areas with NO problem!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1145980

The roof sheets do run length ways, thats how these buildings are designed, and putting blocks up to hold the snow is better than letting is slide off and kill little old Grandma or anyone else, or your pet dog/cat, BBQ. maybe its you thats not informed.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1145980

THE BASE-DESIGN OF THE VERSA-TUBE BUILDING HAS THE SHEETMETAL RUNNING LONG-WAYS, EXACTLY AS THE OP SHOWED. THIS WASN'T HIS MISTAKE AT ALL BUT THE WAY VERSA-TUBE "DESIGNS" THEIR BUILDINGS.

THEY DO IT TO CUT COSTS SINCE THE PANELS COME IN 2-FOOT WIDTHS. TO RUN THEM VERTICALLY AS DESIGNED BY OTHER MANUFACTURERS COSTS MORE BECAUSE MORE TRUSSES ARE REQUIRED SO IT'S NO WONDER THAT VERSA-TUBE, A COMPANY KNOWN FOR CHEAP JUNK DESIGNS THEM TO RUN LONG-WAYS.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1291012

I donโ€™t know where you got your (mis)information but Versatube offers sheet metal that runs horizontally or vertically, the sheet metal is 3 feet wide.

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