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5 Tips for Building a Carport
Admin • Dec 01, 2016
Has your garage become more of a storage area? Did you recently convert your garage into a workshop, living space, or addition to your home? If your garage space no longer accommodates a car, one of the best ways to protect your vehicle is with a carport.
A carport may attach to the side of your home, known as a "lean carport," or stand by itself. If you hope to build one of these straightforward structures on your property, use the following five tips.
1. Obtain Your Permits in Advance
Depending on the size and placement of your carport, you may need to obtain a building permit. If possible, get the permit from your city planning office well in advance. Receiving the permit could take some time, so don't try to apply for it the same day you want to build.
You also may not be able to finish your carport in an afternoon, so having the permit on hand ensures that you can build when you have the time and the weather allows.
To obtain a permit you may need to provide proof that you own the property, an application or worksheet, and your building plans.
2. Contact Your Local Utilities Companies
In order to create a stable structure, you may have to level the ground under your carport, and you will need to dig holes to set your posts in, as we'll discuss in section five. Before you do any groundwork, contact local utility representatives.
Ensure that your carport plans don't interfere with any sewer, water, or gas lines. Additionally, check your planned carport height to ensure that the roof won't obstruct any power lines, as this creates a fire hazard.
3. Create a Detailed Construction Plan
While carports are relatively simple, a small miscalculation could mean that your carport leans far more than it should. Draw up a construction plan, including the dimension of its beams and roof.
If possible, consult with a contractor or structural engineer to ensure that your plan accounts for all potential construction issues. You may need to provide this diagram to your city planning committee in order to get a permit, so include as much detail as possible and make copies of the final plan for your records.
4. Start With a Metal Frame
Many carports consist primarily of wood because lumber is a fairly affordable material option. However, to make your carport last longer, you should consider using a metal frame instead. This extra stability is particularly important if you live in an area with high winds, frequent flooding, or high seasonal snow levels that could put pressure on the carport and the ground around it.
You will likely want to work with an aluminum frame since aluminum is more affordable and less heavy than other metal options like steel. Once you've designed the carport frame, have a professional welder connect the beams.
5. Set Your Posts Well
As you start building your carport, prioritize the structural integrity of the posts that go into the ground. Dig post holes that are at least two feet deep. If you experience frequent soil erosion, create deeper holes.
Pour some concrete into the holes before positioning the posts. Ensure that the posts stand straight and are fully inserted into their individual holes. Then, fill the holes with concrete to permanently set the posts.
If you feel unsure about any portion of the carport building process, consult with a contractor. Many contractors offer evaluations and partial services. Taking advantage of a contractor's experience can ensure that the finished product is durable and stable.
Use these guidelines to build your best carport.
Most Popular Types of Welding
Are you hiring a welder to get something fabricated or repaired? Sam's Welding Inc. offers the following types of welding in El Cajon: Gas metal arc welding. Perhaps the most popular of them all, this method is also known by its abbreviations GMAW or MIG, for metal inert gas. It’s an average of five times faster than electrical arc methods and includes four material transfer options: spray, pulsed spray, globular and short circuiting. Shielded metal arc welding. A form of stick welding commonly known as SMAW, this process uses electrical current to form an arc between the rod and metals in production. Uses include industrial fabrication such as the construction of iron and steel structures. Gas tungsten arc welding. This method is known as TIG or GTAW and requires the most skill, as heat is continuously regulated by means of a foot pedal. If amperage is set too high, you can end up burning holes in the metal. If it’s too low, the weld won’t flow properly. It’s especially useful for combining thick pieces of stainless steel and ironless metals. Flux-cored arc welding. Unlike MIG and TIG, FCAW keeps contamination out by means of a flux. This process doesn’t require a shielding gas, can be done outdoors and is quite efficient. Working with different positions such as horizontal, vertical and tee joints requires different machine configurations. Serving San Diego, CA Whether you need several hundred pieces or just one, we’re happy to take on the project for you. We are combat veteran owned and have more than two decades of experience handling military projects with success. We serve El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, and the entire county. We have expertise with the design and fabrication of gates and fences. You’re welcome to walk into our San Diego shop or call us anytime at 619-281-2709 .
Whether you have some new projects lined up to modify and enhance your home or there are some significant repairs that need to be done to some of the metalwork, you want to have a professional metal welder on the job. There are numerous specific instances in which having welding done by a certified military group such as Sam’s Welding Inc. in El Cajon is worth your investment. Perhaps you need a car welder to perform some precise car part welding or you need to ensure the safety of a premises with some security door welding . Of course, not everything that involves metal fabrication or repair is on a large scale. More often than not, welding is needed for smaller things that see use on a daily basis, such as: Staircases Hand railings Gates Fences As far as stairs are concerned, our professionals can help with anything from a new hand railing to a completely new and complex spiral staircase. Even if the work needs to be done outside on fences and gates where the materials need to be more durable, our nearly four decades of experience in the field have given us the knowledge of how to complete jobs in a way that is both aesthetically pleasing and keeps you and your loved ones safe. Serving El Cajon, La Mesa and Santee Metalwork, whether it is basic framing or a more elaborate fence job, has a large impact on our lives every day. Therefore, when the time comes in which you decide to invest in modifications, fabrications, or repairs, you’d better be sure that you have qualified people doing the work. That’s what you’ll get when you call Sam’s Welding at 619-281-2709 . If you live in El Cajon, La Mesa or Santee, ask about our walk-in and mobile services to maximize our availability to you.
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