Anyone with a good vehicle does not want it to sit out in the rain or to be damaged by hail. In July 2010 a violent storm ripped through the middle section of Montana, near Bozeman. Hailstones the size of golf balls and even softballs were hurled from the sky down onto the unsuspecting public. On the north side of town fancy homes in upper class neighborhoods had all the windows on an entire side of the house broken. Windshields and hoods of cars did not look much better. The city of Bozeman had over 100 cars that had to be appraised by insurance adjusters as a result of the hailstone damage. Carport kits are a good way to prevent hail from hitting a vehicle and damaging it.
Carports can be made of wood, poly, or metal. Carport kits are available for both the poly and metal types. Kits can also be found in the free standing or single slopt carport kit design. If choosing a poly carport the owner should be sure that the poly is of a high grade and thickness. The ripstop weave is fairly common. Low cost or inexpensive kits might have substandard material. Even warm climates can have hail, so the car owner should not assume that just because he lives in Florida that his new truck won’t get hurt by a hail storm.
Metal carport kits are usually totally pre cut and ready for assembly. If shopping around for one, it is important to pay attention to how strong of gauge the metal sides and roof are. Lighter gauge metal can also be damaged by hailstones and heavy snow loads.
Though the sides and roof of a metal carport are very important, it is a mute point if the superstructure is substandard. One carport on Amazon advertised a 14 gauge structural tubing. Fourteen gauge wire is pretty tough so I would assume that 14 gadge tubing would also be stout.
Free standing carport kits can be purchased and then assembled by the owner or a general contractor can be hired. Even though they are referred to as ‘kits’ very rarely are carports moved. Many carports are bolted down to cement slabs and become a permanent part of a piece of property. When someone sells their home and moves out most of the time a carport would be left with the home. This gives a little added benefit to the new owners. Building materials can get damaged when they are disassembled and moved. Also many times appraisers include the value of the carport with the overall assessment of the home. Therefore removing it without discussing it with all concerned parties could pose a problem. Garage plans can also be found with simple carport designs.
Tags: carport kit, carport kits, free standing carport kits, metal carport, single slope carport kit