Have you been parking your vehicles on the road? If yes, you are constantly exposing them to rain, snow, hail, strong wind, and bird dropping.
Carports are standalone areas built for protecting cars, boats, and other means of transportation from the above elements and more. A few are freestanding while many lie on top of stable foundations. By investing in a carport, you can increase the lifespan of your vehicle and at times the overall value of your residential property.
Prepping the ground, creating a plan, and building carport is quite easy. You just need to collect the right materials and implement the steps stated below as diligently as possible.
What are the materials needed to make a cheap and reliable carport?
How to build a homemade carport? The first step is to buy the necessary building materials.
Carports can be constructed from metal or wood, based on your personal style and the kind of precipitation from which you wish to safeguard your car. Always take into account the climate of the place where you live. Doing so would help you narrow down different designs and materials. You can change the basic layout as per your requirements.
Pressure-treated lumber is the best for dry weather. It has proven to be customizable and sturdy down the road. A wooden makeshift carport will last longer with little to no maintenance. If you want a place where you can park cars for years, please opt for lumber.
When looking for the cheapest way to build a carport, galvanized metal is the ideal choice. Metal carports are not at all expensive and they can be installed within a short period. Almost all the time, prefabricated carports are manufactured from galvanized metal.
Apart from materials, you also have to collect a few essential building permits. Check with the city planning office to see if your DIY project adheres to the code. You have to produce permit worksheets offered by the city, evidence of property ownership, and construction drawings.
Steps to build a carport
- How to build an inexpensive carport? Start by measuring the ground. For an average carport, you need an area that is around 16 feet long and 9 feet wide. A typical carport needs six posts, one at four corners and two at the center. If you have got a big vehicle or if you want to build a carport for several vehicles, please make appropriate adjustments.
- Get rid of the grass using a shovel. Rake the under layers. You have to make the ground smooth. You can also build carports on a concrete pad as well as at the end of your driveway. Measure the size of the pad and take into account its shape. You need to anchor the poles on either side. Bare ground is absolutely fine but some use cover. You can out crushed granite or matted dark weed. Pouring concrete is the best idea. This makes the carport most durable.
- Dig hole posts at equal distance around the border of the measured ground. The holes should be 2 feet deep. If you want the structure to be more secure, the holes should be 4 feet deep. When the holes are 4 feet deep, your carport will be able to endure heavy snowfall or rain in a hassle-free manner.
- To place the DIY carport post, pour enough concrete in the holes. After the concrete has become hard, this becomes the post footer. Now add tamp and soil in layers. Allow everything to rest for a day before nailing the beams. Fasten the beams in the front and back first. Nail the beams on the side. For load-bearing stipulations, you have to find out the protocols in your locality.
- Now it is time to build the roof. Secure the rafters to the beams on the side. If you have to notch the rafters, you must fasten them on the edge using angular nails. To hang the rafters, you must purchase joist hangers made from metal from any hardware store. Hangers can be found in various shapes. They can accommodate a few variations so do not waste your time in finding the perfect hanger.
- The next step to building a cheap DIY carport is fastening plywood boards on the rafters. Arrange the boards in a way that they create a sort of overhang on the back and front of your carport. Purchase big plywood sheets. The typical size of a plywood sheet is 4’ x 8’ but the whole roof is 10’ x 17’, so you will need several sheets. Plywood comes in a wide range of thicknesses. You can go for ½ inch thick sheets.
- For keeping the elements out, you must cover the entire roof with a synthetic or tar paper. It is necessary to create a waterproof surface. You would not want any leakage, right? Should you insulate your carport? You can but that would not be cost-effective. You are not adding an upgrade but building something to prevent junk from accumulating on your car.
- Purchase three-tab shingles to place on the plywood and finish the carport. It may be great to nail weather sheeting before laying the shingles for an additional protection.
- Check if your easy carport is stable. If you feel the structure is a tad wobbly, you can incorporate stability braces. This will strengthen the carport further, and it would not tumble down.
- Finally, stain the wood. This will allow the wood to last and you do not have to repeat the above steps again. Re-stain the wood after every few months. Also, closely observe the carport to keep pace with the repairs.
Conclusion
Is it cheaper to build a carport or buy one? If you have confidence in your expertise, you should go ahead and build carports. You can customize designs, save a lot of money in labor, and acquire a sense of accomplishment. However, if you have never been involved in DIY projects, you must purchase a carport. The wooden carports are available in the market for only $3000. Thank you for reading 🙂
