Your Garage Just Isn't Cutting It

Many people are protective of their cars, as they should be.  After your home, your car is the next biggest physical item you invest in that you use nearly every day.  Since you invest so much money in your car – insurance, repairs, maintenance, etc. – it only makes sense to protect it in any way you can.

Sources of protection come in many different forms, the most popular being the garage.  But sometimes, the garage just isn't enough.  Either it's not practical or it doesn't offer enough space.  Luckily for you, there's another form of protection that's aesthetically sound ...

A carport.

In its most basic form, a carport is an outdoor ceiling held up by four support beams or pillars.  Its goal is to protect your car from the hot Australian sun and other damaging elements that dull paint color.

Even if you already have a garage, there are carport designs that match your needs.  And, if you don't have a garage, there's a handful of designs to match your needs and complement your home's exterior.  Below are three of those design options.

Carport Design #1: Detached Carport

The detached carport is a great option if you don't want your carport attached to your home.  It's also a great option if you own two or more vehicles or have frequent visitors come to your house.  Since one or more of your cars are already taking up space in the garage, it's important to have another source of protection for your other cars or visitors'.

A detached carport might benefit you if you have ...

• a house without a garage 
• a house that's not connected to a main road (see picture)
• more cars than can fit in your existing garage
• extra space on one side of your house

In addition to acting as a space for car protection, a detached carport can also serve as a space for storage.  For instance, if you live in a rural area, you can store animal feed, tools, tractors and other items under your carport.

Carport Design #2: Patio-Connected Carport

If you have an existing patio, a carport can be attached to it fairly easily.  In addition to offering you space to store your car, a patio-connected carport also gives you the opportunity to expand your patio space. 

For instance, when you have visitors over and need more space outdoors, all you have to do is remove your cars from your carport.  It's like having two patios – one that's always there and another when you need it.

This is a great option for people who don't have a garage and are thinking about building an outdoor patio.  You can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.  And, even if you already have a patio with a ceiling, many home improvement contractors can match its style with that of your new carport.

Carport Design #3: Garage-Connected Carport

To many, this carport design looks awkward at first.  But after looking at it for a little while, it makes sense.  Plus, it also starts to look good.  If you have a garage, this carport design is the most practical. 

For instance, if you have a two-car garage and 4 cars, a garage-connected carport can protect two of your cars while the other two are in the garage. If you have more than 4 cars, your carport can be extended.

With the garage-connected design, you can also do a number of other things including ...

• wash your car outside while shielding it from the sun
• use your carport as a source of shade while relaxing outside
• protect cars of visitors from sun and weather if you only have two cars
• and much more ...

With these three different designs, there's definitely an option for you.  All you have to do is discover which one works best with your home.  For help, look at pictures of different designs online or contact your local home improvement contractor.