Top Tips to Designing Your Home's Carport
A carport refers to a sheltered structure made up of a roof supported by vertically inclined posts. The structure can be constructed as an independent unit beside the house or attached to a section of the house for additional support.
Carports are an important accessory in any home. Other than providing shelter for your cars and trucks, you can use them for storage or accommodating guests when many people visit your home. This is why you must pay attention to your carport's design so that it can perform most, if not all, of these functions. The following tips will come in handy when designing your home's carport:
Materials You Can Use
The market has a variety of materials you can use when setting up your carport. However, the most popular choices are wood or metal. Both of them have different attributes, benefits and drawbacks as discussed below:
Metal – When compared to wood, metal is a rather inexpensive option for building a carport. Metal will offer you a more durable structure with little need for frequent maintenance. Reinforced aluminium and stainless steel can be fabricated to stand up to corrosion, although you can coat them with powder for optimal protection of the carport against corrosion. Metal also has an added advantage in the sense that it does not dent, chip or split unless the force used is too extreme, like in the case of a demolition. Lastly, pre-manufactured metal brackets make work easy during installation and assembly.
Wood – Wood is another option when building a carport. Its lightweight nature gives it some flexibility over heavy-duty metal pieces, allowing you to play around with various design elements. To add on that, wood is relatively easier to cut compared to metal. You can thus shape and trim pieces within a short time. It also has a natural aesthetic appeal that can be a great addition to your outdoor space and ambiance.
Possible Conversion
Carports can be converted into other living spaces or to serve other functions as a garage or storage room. If this is the case, design your carport in such a manner that you will only have to add walls and a door if necessary. First, use heavy duty poles in the corners so that you have enough support for any material that you add to the carport in future. In addition, the roof should overlap slightly on all sides for optimal protection of any additions you make to the sides of the structure.