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Florida Dad Builds Batting Dome for Two Daughters

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steel quonset hut building with sliding doors

One dedicated Florida dad wanted to do something special for his two tiny softball players who needed a safe place to practice their skills every day.

Thanks to his new SteelMaster batting dome, Frank Hodges’ two daughters now have a place where they are protected from the blinding sun, extreme heat and heavy rain. It’s also a special place where dad can spend quality time with his 8 and 9-year-old.

Frank Hodges initially dismantled an old airplane hangar in 2009 and made it into a batting dome for a few years. The old hanger wasn’t tall enough and it was badly damaged by hurricanes. It was time for the Hodges to upgrade. That’s when they called SteelMaster.

“I decided it was time to go ahead and tear it down, and I started researching on the Internet how I could get a building with the height I needed it to be that could also withstand any hurricanes that hit our area,” says Hodges.

Hodges shopped around, but was unable to find a company that could provide a building that was strong enough and big enough to meet his needs. He also did not want to spend a fortune on hiring a construction crew to construct the dome. He knew SteelMaster’s buildings were not only durable and affordable, the main thing that he says attracted him to our company was the fact that he was able to build it himself with minimal construction skills.

“That was the real selling point with SteelMaster—the fact that I could put it up myself. I talked back and forth with a representative from SteelMaster in terms of the width and length I wanted, and he worked it out so that we got the height that we needed.”

Steel batting domes are designed to withstand all kinds of weather, especially in areas like Florida where strong hurricanes are common. SteelMaster’s structures provide 100% usable interior space which allows for batting, pitching, and weight training.

Hodges says he had plenty of help during the building process. He called SteelMaster’s support staff and anytime he hit a bump in the road, someone was there to talk him through it all. It only took him and a few friends three Saturdays to get most of the building finished.

“If I ran into a speed bump, it was as simple as a telephone call or email to their technical support, and I had the answer right away.”

They started the project in November, and were able to start batting home runs in January.
Not only did this provide a great place to practice for his two little ones, they also invited the entire softball team over a few times a week.

Hodges was proud of his new SteelMaster.

“I am just extremely happy with it. The building looks good, and more importantly, it’s a wonderful place for my daughters and me to spend quality time together.”

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