Carports a great way to keep your assets covered

Carports are a great way to preserve your investment in your vehicle. Cars can cost almost as much as some first homes. Ranging from $15,000 to $55,000 and more, these assets are worth protecting. For many erecting a garage or pole building is not feasible, so consider instead a carport. Carports do have lots of styles, options available. From a simple portable car canopy, to wooden additions to a home, there is a wide spectrum.

Carports can have three main roof line styles. The gabled, single slope, and flat are all useful. A gabled roof has two slopes to it. Similar to a house roof, the gable rises to a triangle peak. This type if carport design is very good in snowy areas. The roof slope prevents the snow and ice from accumulating on the roof. Also a sloped construction is stronger than a flat one.

A single slope roof line is also known as a shed roof. This can work well when adding a smaller shelter to the side of an existing building. Also this type is useful if there is only a small space to sit the carport. This variety of roof line takes less skill to obtain the correct roof angle than on a gabled one.

The third type, the no slope roof, is best in warm climates. Flat roofs are prone to collapse under the excessive weight of winter snow and ice. Sometimes a flat roof carport will be built onto the house and a patio or deck built on top of it. If planning to add an outdoor living space above the carport, consider constructing it on the side of a house where a window could be converted into a door opening.

A car port can be made from metal, wood, or polyethylene (a vinyl type material). Construction can range from four sided all the way to just a roof and no sides.

A polyethylene car canopy has a powdered metal frame and then a poly cover. Polyethylene is a very strong heat bonded material. It is advertised as being 100% waterproof. With a special weave called "ripstop" it is made to endure some bad weather. Some of these carports have an extra fourth side with a zipper closure. This helps to fully seal the weather out. Other speciality designs have a door at each end to facilitate driving through the shelter.

Poly shelters are very light weight for transporting and also quick to assemble. Some other uses for it include covering yard sale items, children's swimming pools and play areas, and to set tables under at family reunions.

Wooden carports are more permanent structures. They can be built right onto the side of a home and the same roofing as found on the home extended over the carport area. This makes is look very professional and also would increase the value of a home. Wood ones can be either no sided and used similar to a breezeway for driving under and unloading items, or two or three sided.

Metal carports are very durable. They come mainly in steel and aluminum. Many different sizes can be found available in carport kits. These kits are all laid out for the person erecting it, so a general contractor is not necessary.

Metal carports can range from simple one roof shelters to multiple car covers. Lots of parking garages in condos are simply commercial grade carports. RV carports are specially designed to host a tall RV. Others are made very wide to hold round bales of hay or lots of 'toys' such as boats, four wheelers, or two or three extra cars for the teenagers. In rural areas metal carports can be found out in open fields as livestock shelter.

As you make your plans for a carport, be sure that it will accommodate you needs. These are very versatile structures that are worth investing in. From metal to poly, just about every need can be met with the ones available on the market today.