Types of Carports

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People today care quite a bit about the condition of their vehicles; they pay a good deal of money to get them and a good deal of money to keep them in good working order. Not every home comes with a two garage to protect their automobiles and not every middle class family can afford to have a big garage built for the purpose.

For those people that love and want to protect their cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles but don't have a garage to do so, a carport can be a very good alternative. There are a wide variety of carports such as metal carports available to suit just about any purpose a person could have; they vary in the materials that they are constructed from, the style of framing and the size - there is one out there for every situation and here is a good cross section of what's available to make the correct decision when choosing which type of carport is right for your situation.

Different Materials
This is probably the most important deciding factor in your choice of carports. It will determine both the price and the structural integrity of the building.
Polyester and polyethylene construction is probably the most economically priced type of carport available, though the prices of all raw materials have gone up in recent years; polyethylene is still a more cost effect alternative to aluminum or steel framing. You won't have quite as sturdy a carport as you would if you'd gone with steel framing, but these carports protect well against the wind, rain, sunlight and light debris. Though they don't have the most rugged construction, they will provide more than enough protection for your automobile in light and regular duty applications and the light weight materials make them much easier to move than their steel counterparts.

Aluminum carports are a bit sturdier than the polyethylene variety and still come in with a lower price tag than a steel carport. The lightweight aluminum carport is fairly easy to assemble and, though not quite as portable as the aforementioned, will still be able to be moved without a whole lot of trouble. An aluminum carport is perfect for situations that need something with some reliable durability, but where cost is still a factor.

Steel carports are among the sturdiest available, but you will pay for the added integrity due to the cost of the raw materials. They offer the same basic principals of protections as both of the aforementioned models, but come with the piece of mind of being a much more permanent structure.

Sizes and Styles
Carports of all materials come in a wide variety of standard and custom sizes and can easily be built to suit any purpose. The most popular sizes are made to house one automobile or are 'triple wide' for those that want to protect more than one vehicle under the same carport. Once you determine how much space on your property you have available and how many vehicles you are looking to protect you can determine what size of carport will best suit your needs.
The styles of carport can be nearly as varied as the sizes; there are standard frames with open sides or fully enclosed, A-frames with open sides or fully enclosed, A-frame 'utility' with an open frame for vehicle protection and an attached enclosed structure for storage. Many manufacturers also offer custom styles where you can decide how you need your carport to be and they will manufacture it to order.

A carport is the most economic and readily available alternative for a homeowner with no garage, who is on a budget. Whatever function you should require of it, whether it's just to provide basic protection of your automobile; or whether you need a fully enclosed, semi-portable steel garage building for secure storage there is a carport out there for you.

By: Amy Nutt

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