Buying Carports

Carports make a wonderful addition to your home.  Not only do the add value but, if done correctly, they also help to beautify your house.  What is the primary purpose of a carport?  Put simply they keep your car looking like new by minimising the amount of fade that you get on the paint work and interior.  But on top of that they also enable you to gracefully alight from your car in even the harshest of weather, whilst remaining dry and untroubled as you can empty all the children and groceries out of the car.

Building Materials

You will be surprised at the wide range construction methods and materials available to your and great way to find out your choices is to cruise your local neighbourhood.  You will find materials that lend themselves to decorative finishes like timber, or sturdy wide spans like steel.  The strength of your carport will be determined by the roofing material you choose.  Some materials are much heavier than others and so posts and roof framing also needs to be similarly strong if you choose the heavier option.

Anchor It Securely

I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your carport down! Don't let this happen to you!.  Securing your carport to the ground and/or your house is a crucial step that must not be overlooked.  Forget this step then the first big wind you have will see you new treasure cart wheeling down the street causing untold damage and endangering lives.

Roofing Material Choices

Steel is strong, light, and easy to work with.  Tiles are heavy, expensive, and require more specialised skills to construct.  Your choice of roofing material is the most crucial decision you can make, as it will not only dictate the type and strength of framing materials, but also the design you choose.

DIY Versus Custom Built

So there you go your main choices are stand-alone versus lean-to, timber, steel or brick piers, sheet steel or tile roof!.  The only choice left now is to decide on the builder.  Unless you know what you are doing I recommend getting a building company to construct your new carport for you, and indeed you local building authority may demand it.  Building it yourself can be rewarding, but if you make a mistake then the savings are all gone of rectifying the problems.  For me its worth the extra cost to get my new carport built for me.