Carports are used to protect your car, boat, or other vehicle from the elements.Some are built on top of secure foundations, while others are freestanding structures.If you've been parking your vehicles outside, investing in a protective structure to house them in can increase their lifespan and even increase the value of the home.It's a lot easier to plan and build a structure from the ground up than you may think.
Step 1: You have to get the necessary permits.
Make sure your building project is up to code by checking with your city planning office.It's important to clear projects with the city because additions and construction on residential property can affect the value of the home.Building drawings with the signature of a licensed structural engineer are required in some areas.If you want to get the necessary permits, you'll need to provide proof of property ownership.
Step 2: Purchase the building materials.
Depending on the style and type of precipitation you hope to protect your vehicle from, wood or metal can be used.Depending on the climate where you live, different materials and designs may be more or less appropriate.Depending on the type of Carport you want to make, feel free to modify the basic design and use whatever materials are available or cheap.It's a good time to experiment.It will prove to be more durable in the long run regardless of the climate.A wooden structure will be much stronger than other structures.If you want a long-term place to park a car, go with lumber.Carports are less sturdy in the long run, but they are cheaper and quicker to install.It's a good place to house a daily-driver.If you're in need of a quick project, a pre-fabricated carport made of galvanized metal is the best bet.
Step 3: Take a measure of the ground.
To fit an average-sized car, measure a rectangular at least 16 feet long and nine feet wide.There is a plot on the ground.A basic carport requires six posts, one at each corner of the rectangle, and two more at the middle positions along the 16 foot (4.9 m) length.If you want to make a carport for multiple vehicles or have a bigger car, you should make the necessary adjustments.
Step 4: It is necessary to level the ground
Remove any grass in layers with a shovel, raking over the under layers using a metal rake and foot-pressure.It doesn't need to be perfect, but you might consider measuring for grade to make sure your ground is as flat as possible.It's perfectly appropriate for you to build a carport on an existing concrete pad or the end of your driveway.Measure the dimensions of your concrete pad and shape it to the ground.You can either anchor the poles to the ground or build the structure with them.
Step 5: If necessary, pour the ground cover.
In some cases, bare ground is fine, but consider putting down a layer of crushed granite to keep dirt out of the house.If you don't want to lay gravel, there's a better way to keep grass and weeds from re-growing.It is the best idea to pour concrete or build on top of a pre-existing concrete slab.This will make your carport last the longest.
Step 6: Consider using a pre-fab Carport kit.
A pre-fabricated kit might be more appropriate, given your wishes and abilities, as the materials and time can make building a carport a fairly intensive project.The metal building materials are usually cheaper than the lumber kit.You can put it up in a day or two.
Step 7: The holes for the posts need to be dug.
Post-hole diggers can be used to dig the holes around the perimeter of the carport.If you live in an area that gets a lot of heavy snowfall or where frost occurs at grade, the holes should be at least two feet deep.
Step 8: The six posts should be set.
For the simplest kind of structure, you'll need heavy-duty posts at least nine feet high on one side of the carport and 11 feet tall on the other side to give the roof enough of a slant to clear any amount of rain.Water should be diverted away from the foundation of the home by placing three higher posts on the side of a carport.To set the posts, pour concrete six inches deep in the hole and plant the post into it.After the concrete has hardened, this will become your post footer, now you can back fill the hole with soil.Continue pouring until the hole is filled.To make sure the post is vertical, use a level and make adjustments.Allow the concrete to cure for at least one day.
Step 9: The front and back beams have to be fastened first.
A simple rectangular box with nine feet wide and seven feet high is all you need to secure the walls of the carport.Two crossbeams on the top of the corner posts should be extended to the higher posts by two feet.T-shape hangers can be purchased at any hardware store.Make sure the beams are level before they are nailed down.
Step 10: Fasten the beams.
Crossbeams are used to secure your posts.The beam on the lower side should be nailed on top of the front and back beams, which have already been nailed to the corner posts.If necessary, you can connect them by attaching a nail on top of the middle post on the lower side, making the beam level across all three posts.If you live in snowy, windy, or other severe climates, it's important to make your structure as secure as possible.You need to research the requirements in your area for load-bearing specifications.You should always defer to your local guidelines because there's no single, universal way of doing it.
Step 11: Attach the rafters to the side beams.
The six rafters that will support the roof can be fastened to the core box in one of two ways.The front and back rafter should be fastened with the front beam and the back beam.The rafters should be arranged equidistant from each other along the length of the side beams.They want to rest them on the edge of the beams.If you want to know where the front rafter comes into contact with the side beams, you have to put it in position.If you notch the rafter with the circular saw, you will be able to sink 1/3 of the four inches onto the beam.Take the first rafter down and use it as a template to notch the other five rafters.Attach the rafters with angle nails through the side of the rafter.If you need it to remain flush with the beam, notching won't work.There are metal joist hangers at the hardware store.There are many different styles and shapes of metal hangers that can be used to attach 2” x 4”s to other structural elements.The rafters to the beams angle is about 25 degrees.Don't worry about finding the perfect metal hangers, they can bend to accommodate small variations.The rafters rest on top of the beams, unlike with the notch method.Your nails will go through the rafter and into the beam.
Step 12: Fasten the roof boards to the rafters.
There is a six-inch overhang on the front and back of the carport if the plywood sheets are arranged correctly.This will give you a uniform look.You can buy large sheets of plywood.They come in 4' x 8' sheets.The roof is 10' x 17'.Cut elements with a circular saw.There is less potential for water to leak from the seams.The rafters are ten feet long and the core box is nine feet wide.When the roof elements are in place, you will need enough plywood for a six-inch overhang on either side of the cart port.Buy more plywood if you want it to be longer.There are different thicknesses of Plywood.You can use 12 inch thick plywood for this project.
Step 13: The structure needs to be checked to make sure it's stable.
Your structure should be solid now that the roof is in place.If there is excessive movement, you will have to add stability braces on the outside of the structure to reinforce it, because nothing you do from this point in the process to the end will improve the overall stability.
Step 14: The plywood roof is vulnerable to being caulked.
To keep the elements out, it's important to cover the roof with tar paper or synthetic paper and create a waterproof surface before shingling over it.If your car leaks, you shouldn't build a carport to keep it out of the rain.Is it better to insulate the structure?Maybe, but probably not cost-effective.A simple structure to keep junk off your car is not an addition to your house.
Step 15: Fasten shingles on the roof.
You can buy enough three-tab shingles at the hardware store to lay over the plywood and finish the carport.Before you lay the shingles, it is a good idea to nail some weather sheeting over the plywood.If you don't want to shingle the roof, you could install a metal roof over the shingles.You'll be closer to being finished if you have a slanted aluminum roof.If you like the look of it and the sound of rain on metal, it might be a good idea.
Step 16: Use metal plates to reinforce joints.
It's a good idea to reinforce where the structure meets with metal bracing.Your hardware store sells a variety of metal plates that can be nailed onto the various joints in the structural composition, especially where the posts meet the beams, and at other places.
Step 17: There is a possibility that this is true.
It's a good idea to treat the exposed wood with a coat of protecting stain since you've gone to all the work.You won't have to repeat the project in a few years if you increase the life of the wood.Keeping the life of the structure up is a good idea.Don't stop working until you catch up with repairs before they become a problem.