Car Ports

[Rannsachair]

I am looking at putting up a car port, thinking it would be handy for working on vehicles in the occasional rain we get on the West Coast of Scotland.

Needs to look reasonable or Mrs Rannsachair will veto it.

Ideally 6mx3m

Any advice on what to look at, I was thinking something like:

Though just panels on the left side, the rear open to my shed and the right side by my house. where the Jag sits:

For a 6x3 in Spruce as above with roof its around £3k which is really the max I could Justify. I would add lights under the roof.

What do folk think?

I see Aluminium framed ones all the way up to oak (outhwith my budget).

I am not very skilled at woodwork, though happy to build a kit.

Is Spruce a reasonable compromise?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[badabec]

Make it as wide as possible. Open both ends it will be a wind tunnel.

 

[bricol]

I put up two aluminium car ports on the side of my pebble dashed bungalow - timber would't look right, and would need maintaining. All I do with these is miss them with the car, clear the gutters occasionally, and clean the clear panels in the roof.

As my drive slopes, I have two separate ones, slightly over-lapping. After I bought the first and realised how simple they were, I bought another on special offer, together with a couple of extra pieces from them, and cut and carved them into what I wanted, which included an infill panel at the highest end to close the gap up to sensible height. They didn't really want to sell me the extra bits, as they've seem the disasters some DIYers come up with, but I convinced them I was more design engineer than DIYer

Cheaper than timber, looks clean and tidy in white powercoat. Dead easy to put up, will be dead easy to pull the roof off when I get the house roof redone, save having to try span it or protect it from damage.

My neighbours have a timber one - which a good reason I went for aluminium. Put the first up with a mates assisance in less than a day, the second on my own in less time. Not including excavating the post foundation holes in my apparently mostly air in jumbled up brick, stone, concrete lumps drive under the tarmac. As a mostly mouse driver in CAD these days, my arms had forgotten how to use a spade!

 

[rtcosic]

That lends itself to a lean-to design spanning the full width to the lawn.
That lets you walk from the door to the bins in the pouring rain.
A garage, shed or carport can never be too big!

If your Ultimate Authority is anything like mine, though, you will be nagged into installing industrial-grade washing lines under the carport.

EtA: lights, barbeque, patio table and chairs.......................................

 

[jo1010]

3m wide sounds too narrow for much work on a vehicle. I'd be worried about Spruce - yes it can be pressure treated (examine the credentials of such claims carefully too)... but even then needs to be clear of the ground.
I think of a carport more like a cover from some rain rather than all rain, open sides reduce a wind tunnel effect - and prevailing wind direction is also an important consideration...

 

[Migmac]

“Occasional rain”
Sorry no help whatsoever

 

[gaz1]

have you got any galvanised steel posts in your area ?

pallisade fencing posts

you want 2.4m or longer pref 3m

 

[sako243]

Do you have a reasonably local sawmill @Rannsachair? Our local woodyard could supply 3/4" waney edge Douglas fir cladding for cheaper than the cheapest builders merchant stuff. I just framed some walls out of 2x4 and then the cladding nail gunned to the edge.

Longest they could supply was 6m so 8 had to split the back wall in half but he supplied some 2x2 posts to provide a neat join.

 

[Islander71]

Larch might be available locally for a good price. On the island here the larch trees have been hit by a disease and have been clear felled. They can only be processed by an approved sawmill to stop the disease spreading, but once planked the wood is fine. It will last much better than spruce. Of course telegraph poles are the ultimate for the uprights.....

 

[iNf]

Can't give advice on the carport but if going for timber posts I would recommend something like This to stop them rotting.

 

[Bobupndown]

This is a welding forum so obviously steel framed is the way ahead
50mm box for the uprights, 30mm for the rafters, get it galvanised then something like this for the top.

18 foot long Boxprofile roofing sheets .7 thickness amphocyte grey prisma coatin | eBay UK

Boxprofile roofing sheets .7 thickness prisma coating anthracite grey 1 m wide Cover these are top quality material really good sheet £3 per foot 100 available

ebay.us

Considering adding something similar to the side of my garage/workshop to keep the caravan under cover.

 

[gaz1]

now i know brundles prices

Galvanised

Galvanised Post For 3.0m High Pales 98 x 55 x 6.72 - 3925mm (+/- 5%). Buy online or call to order.

www.fhbrundle.co.uk

so thats plenty in the ground 4" width x4 for one side id go with

now you can also apex them as well but you would need to angle shape the middle and ends but if going flat topped then galvanised beam brackets are a good reference as they can be bolted together

galvanised beam brackets - Google Search

wood can fasten to it if you want in 4"x1s for front and longer for the sides but you wont have rotting posts only the wood things you fasten on will need to be replaced or fit decking wood instead or decking plastic your choice

 

[Ton-up]

Get some telegraph poles as posts, last for ever!

 

[dobbslc]

Do you have a reasonably local sawmill @Rannsachair? Our local woodyard could supply 3/4" waney edge Douglas fir cladding for cheaper than the cheapest builders merchant stuff. I just framed some walls out of 2x4 and then the cladding nail gunned to the edge.

Longest they could supply was 6m so 8 had to split the back wall in half but he supplied some 2x2 posts to provide a neat join.
View attachment 527736

That looks lovely.
A slosh of real creosote and it'll last for ages, I want one but without the hoss door

 

[badabec]

If you want to be posh, call it a cart shed...

 

[addjunkie]

Treated soft wood will out last you, if its well coated, and the feet are mounted in metal bits to keep them dry. Do not set them in the ground.

 

[addjunkie]

Something like this or make your own

Simpson Concealed Post Base 89mmx89mm Cpt44z | Low Prices

Buy Simpson Concealed Post Base 89mm x 89mm Cpt44z at LOW Trade Prices. Galvanised steel base for timber posts. FREE, FAST Delivery. Bulk DISCOUNTS.

tradefixdirect.com

My green house sits on 1/2 rubber strip to keep the wood off the concrete

 

[Smallfry]

That lends itself to a lean-to design spanning the full width to the lawn.
That lets you walk from the door to the bins in the pouring rain.
A garage, shed or carport can never be too big!

If your Ultimate Authority is anything like mine, though, you will be nagged into installing industrial-grade washing lines under the carport.

EtA: lights, barbeque, patio table and chairs.......................................

Agree with this. I would be fixing it to the house wall, above the side door, and out as far as the lawn, and as far front to back as you can get.

Don't know what its like for wind there, but I would only drop the "walls" if any, down to normal door level, unless you want it more enclosed.

I would use clear GRP box profile sheeting for the roof and sides, or it will be too dark

 

[ahebron]

If your Ultimate Authority is anything like mine, though, you will be nagged into installing industrial-grade washing lines under the carport.

Easy solution to that is make it just high enough that it is uncomfortable for her to reach easily. If anything like mine I am not allowed to hang her clothes as I do it wrong. But a disabled car is not going to permit clothes to be hung above it. The other option is to drive a dirty car in when clothes are out, after a few times the message will be recieved.

 

[badabec]

The other option is to drive a dirty car in when clothes are out, after a few times the message will be recieved.

I hope you have a good A and E department.