Carport kits should not be confused with garage kits. Garage kits are different in that they enable you to construct a building that will resemble a garage more than a carport does. With a garage kit you can erect a building that has walls, garage doors and is a bit sturdier. There are many good carport kits available that will enable you to build a good solid carport that will withstand quite a lot.

ShelterLogic 12x28x11 Homestead Barn Canopy Carport:
This carport kit includes an all steel frame, fitted cover and 2 door panels that have double zippers. It also features roll up door kits, a vent kit, steel foot plates and 10 30” auger anchors. You can choose from a variety of colors. This carport is fairly easy to assemble although time consuming. It is big enough to house auto or boats and RV’s. With the cover, it is even safe to use for storage. It is a great value for your money and will withstand most of what Mother Nature has to offer.

Universal 20×10 Enclosed Canopy Carport:
This enclosed canopy carport kit combines a 20 gauge steel structure with a white drawstring cover and includes the wall kit needed to fully enclose it. The walls include 1 plain wall for the end, 1 zippered wall for the other end, and 2 sidewalls with clear plastic for the windows. This is another quality carport kit that you will get your money’s worth out of.

This is a brief overview of 2 of the top selling metal carport kits that are available, both of which will stand up to harsh winter weather and winds and protect your vehicle, boat or RV. They both feature full canopies and will even protect items that you might want to place in storage.

Be it heat that fades the paint, hail that causes dents, or snow that can cause unwanted damage, the weather can be nearly as bad on a vehicle as an accident. For those without garages, it has long seemed as if their was nothing that could be done. Fortunately, there is a solution – a metal carport.

Metal carports are free standing or attached structures that provide both shade and weather protection for a car. Unlike enclosed garages, there is no need to worry about insulation, wiring, plumbing, or any of a hundred other minor difficulties that construction can impose on a builder.

Metal building kits are often available for those that want to construct a carport, greatly simplifying the entire process. Simply purchase a kit, gather the necessary tools and equipment, follow the directions – and soon, there will be a sturdy shelter for one of life’s largest investments. Once the structure is complete, it requires little maintenance, so this is one project for a car that will not require months and months of effort.

The weather can wreak havoc on an often expensive for of transportation, and for those without garages, a carport is really the only defense. There are few times in life when the solution to a major problem can be as simple and relatively inexpensive as building a carport, so one should be willing to act when such an opportunity presents itself. If a car is worth buying, it is worth protecting, so consider choosing a carport to care for your vehicle.

Polyethylene

This material is considered the most economical so you won’t have to worry about it costing you a lot. It’s designed to be lightweight so it’s very easy to move around making construction of your carport relatively easy to do. While it’s still capable of protecting your car from being exposed to all sorts of weather conditions, in terms of overall toughness, polyethylene still can’t be compared to the next two materials we’re about to mention. But it’s still good enough for those working on a tight budget.

Aluminum

A lot sturdier than its polyethylene counterpart, an aluminum carport is also just as economical so you won’t have to dig deep when it comes to expenditures. Since it provides a stronger foundation, you’ll be able to enjoy better protection against harsh weather conditions. Plus since it’s also lightweight, this material can be moved around easily as well.

Steel

Considered the strongest of the four, steel gives you the best protection money can buy. And since it’s pretty pricey, so it’s going to cost substantially more money. But even though you’ll have to shell out a lot, you’re getting your money’s worth since your vehicle will stay safe against the sun’s rays, snow, or rain, no matter how troublesome they get.

Wood

Although this is very much the top of the range (and correspondingly expensive) option there is no doubt that a wood carport not only offers nearly as much strength and protection as most metal carport kits, but looks way nicer too. With wood you can easily match details already present in your property and make it seamlessly blend in.

The rocket-high price of real estate also contributed to the rise in garage conversions to create more storage or living space in a home. Additionally, many garages are simply already too crowded so when you think of buying another car and there’s no place in your garage where you can squeeze it in, investing a little bit of money for a prefabricated metal carport is the most cost-effective solution.

A carport is a fairly economical venture because it not only provides protection for your car but can also be utilized as a covered outdoor living space when you take your car out. It’s an ideal place for parties, yard sales, cookouts, or even as an enclosed playground for children during bad weather conditions. These multiple functions of prefabricated metal carports add up to their value even more making the affordable shelter especially attractive to the average consumer.

Another benefit of choosing carports is the reality that they are reasonably easy to assemble. That is why they are called, “prefab” or “prefabricated” metal carport kits, since all the parts needed to assemble and install the structure are pre-assembled at the manufacturing plant. In most cases, all you have to do is connect the large pieces together and fasten them together using specially designed fasteners and bolts.

In most cases, no specialized skills or experience is needed in constructing carports and only basic tools are needed such as hammers, screwdrivers and wrenches. Some manufacturers or dealers offer free installation so you should definitely inquire about such perks before you make your final purchase. Free carport installation can save you a lot of time and effort, and if it’s FREE then why spend your own time?. In some cases, the price of a carport kit already includes the installation fee as well.

So although a wood carport is undoubtedly the best where looks and quality are concerned, there is certainly a case to be made for the much cheaper and easier to install prefab steel carport.

The task seemed really daunting. I am definitely not handy with the tools, but I knew I could follow the instruction manual by the letter. The other thing was finding enough time to actually put the carport together. I work some pretty crazy hours, so I would have either one day to put it all together, or devote about one hour per day for a week to put it together. But there was another option I was considering, and that was hiring a contractor to do it for me. That way it could be up in a short amount of time, and I wouldn’t have to worry about if I put it together correctly.

The contractor option sounded the best, but I wasn’t really sure where to start. I mean, most of the contractors I had dealt with in the past were either crooks that didn’t get the job done and charged me a lot of money or ones that quit in the middle of the project. I couldn’t let that happen this time around.

The first thing I did was ask my friends for referrals. I figured this would be the fastest way to get a great referral and cut down on the search process. I called each of my friends, explained my project, and asked if they knew anyone they thought would have the skills and know how to complete it. I got two great referrals from it.

The second thing I did was do a Google search to find local contractors in my area. I quickly found out that most contractors in my area don’t have websites. So I headed to Yelp (it’s a service review website) and did a search there. I found about three contractors who were in my area with five star ratings. So I called each one and set up initial consultations with each one.

In the end, I decided to go with one of my friends referrals. He was easy to get along with, straight-forward on the costs of the project, and was within my budget. The other contractors were also great, but they were outside of my budget. And I knew I didn’t want a DIY project and put the metal carport installation kit together myself. So in the end it cost me around $200 to have it put together in about 2 days. That’s a job well done if you ask me.

If you’re interested, these are two of the best selling carport kits available currently.

One of the most popular choices which will add value to the home is a garage. An enclosed garage has a number of benefits including not only somewhere to park your vehicles but as a laundry or workshop. It is even possible to install a television, seating and a refrigerator and use it as a place to entertain friends or hang out with the family.

This picture shows an “outrigger” style carport/patio awning that is simple, inexpensive and flexible. And as you can see it greatly enhances both the look and usability of this outdoor space.

With a smaller property or a tight budget you may find that you do not have enough room or spare money to erect a garage. If this is the case, then the next best option is to look at a carport. They can be used to store a car, boat, motorbike or whatever you like underneath. They also come in a number of sizes from a single up to a triple, and can be made of various materials so you can can have plastic or fabric at the budget end, different types of metal and of course wood carports.

Many people think of carports as open structures which is correct for most of them. However, it is possible to enclose them and fit a foll up door. This makes them a more affordable and portable alternative to an enclosed garage. What they’re obviously not able to compete with is the kind of secure garage storage offered by custom garage cabinets since they’re basically open to casual access.

Most metal carport kits are constructed from steel and are available in an abundance of sizes and colors. There are also a multitude of enclosure options and roofing options, including a pitched or flat roof. Commonly, they will allow access from both the front and rear. As with the enclosed garage they have a number of uses including storage for garden tools, children’s play area and even a place to keep livestock!

As you can see, a garage or carport will add a lot of extra storage to your home and if you invest in a wood carport which is frankly much more attractive that metal then it can also add extra value when it comes to selling.

• These structures provide extra overhead storage space to house a car or other vehicle if you don’t have a garage or if your garage is not large enough to house all of your belongings plus your vehicle(s).
• They don’t cost nearly as much as a garage to build or install.
• There are many different styles to choose from and you can go with a very basic or even a portable model costing less than a hundred dollars or you can custom build a structure that almost rivals a garage but with a few less bells and whistles.

The picture below shows imaginative use of bamboo (from Bambutec) to construct a lightweight and attractive frame over which has been attached clear corrugated plastic. It gives an idea of what you can achieve with a carport if you think outside the traditional boxes a bit.

Obviously there is no security as such with an open carport, but then again it depends on what exactly you’re trying to protect. Modern cars are so well protected with their own built-in anti-theft devices that these days car thieves often have to first break in to your house to steal the keys before they can then steal the car! A carport is designed to shelter a car from the elements and frankly it is at little more risk of being stolen from an open carport than an apparently locked garage (for more on this subject read this article on secure garage doors).

A carport can also bring some surprising benefits if you’re prepared to reconsider the whole concept, and in particular the use of materials. So if you’re not that bothered about using natural wood, then why simply opt for say aluminum (boring!) when you could instead use solar panels as a roof. As this picture illustrates, a “solar carport” can look incredibly stylish as well as providing useful amounts of free electricity. In fact, if the main roof of your house is unsuitable for mounting solar panels for one reason or another (trees, aspect, strength, etc) then this could be a great workaround.

Other advantages of moving your car from the garage to a carport include (perhaps surprisingly) better protection against rust in the bodywork; a carport protects against the elements i.e. sun, rain and frost to a degree but it also provides better airflow around the car. It is well known that parking a car in a garage will ensure that any moisture on the car will sit there and over time slowly corrode the metal.

And of course, parking your vehicles under a carport means you can make use of extra garage storage, free up auxiliary space to work or play in or whatever you want really. No need to make space for the car or be careful not to scratch it moving the lawnmower for instance. This additional flexibility is also likely to be reflected in the overall value of your property too.

If you are looking for a more permanent structure, then a wooden carport may be a good option for you. These blend in nicely with the existing structures of most homes, whether they are attached to the home or even if they stand alone. Also, because they are constructed from wood they can be finished to coordinate with the home’s exterior by staining or painting the wood to match. Because wood is inherently versatile and easy to work with, you can build a wooden structure in just about any size or shape you need and can add a flat roof or an angled roof, depending on your preference.

If you want something that is less expensive to erect and/or more portable because you want to be able to set it up and take it down whenever you need to (or possibly you want to be able to take it with you on the road when you travel) then you might want to consider a model made from a nylon or canvas cover instead. These covers are draped across a framework made usually from PVC or a lightweight metal such as aluminum. These portable structures will still provide ample protection but will obviously result in a rather different look and feel compared to permanent wood carports.

In between these two extremes you then have a large range of prefabricated metal carports that are for many people a reasonable compromise between the ultimate in looks and quality versus the rather more flimsy portable car shelters.

You also have your choice of using wood or metal carports. The wood structures are not as easy to assemble and disassemble as the metal ones are, but the main advantage of wood carport kits to a homeowner is that they are generally far more attractive.

If on the other hand looks are not a priority and you want a structure that is easy to transport you would be better off choosing a metal one. This is more advantageous for a business use such as a construction company that might want a vehicle shelter for on the job use. The metal units are also widely used as more permanent fixtures in some business structures such as businesses that have a drive-thru area.

You will also want to consider the type of posts you want to use with your carport. If you want the unit for business as a more permanent structure you might want to choose concrete posts as they are more durable and will hold up over time. You can also use the structures to add additional parking shelter for an apartment unit that might not have any type of shelter or garage units. When installing a structure in a residential are you will need to adhere to any regulations that are enforced by the city. It would be best to find out what building restrictions there might be before choosing the size of the unit you want to construct.

Wooden carports in particular are a great addition to any property where you want to park a car and give it some protection from the elements, just make sure you put a little thought into your purchase so that you get one that is suitable for your needs.