Carport Construction Ideas

Carport construction requires some simple, yet important decisions.  Issues such as materials and construction methods must be made early as they will influence your design.

A carport can be constructed from many different materials The choices you will have to make are which material you want for your piers, your roof structure, your roof and your floor.

What you make your carport roof from should be close to the roof of the house you are attaching it to. Let me illustrate, a cement tiled roof would blend perfectly with a cement tiled carport. Unfortunately sometimes these materials are no longer made, so if that happens to you then consider a material that you can blend, rather than match exactly. A good example of this my own carport. The house I was building my carport on had colored roof tiles. The roofing structure I wanted was simple, so I chose a lighter colored metal roof that was pre-finished in the same color as the part of the color scheme of my house. This enabled a lightweight yet decorative and style consistent solution.

I chose a flat roof style, and so had to use 12 x 2 inch timber beams that could span a wide area. I could have built a hip and valley style of roof to match the house, but given I was not using the same material on the roof as the house I thought it better to go with a different, yet sympathetic style rather than an 'almost match'. To match my carport construction to the house would have meant a complicated design, and as an owner builder I didn't want to do that.

Carport piers can be either timber or steel posts, or more interestingly made with brick, stone or cement block construction. Whichever material you choose to build your uprights from, they need to be strong enough for the roof you choose. I recommend that they be strong, decorative, easy to paint and easy to access and maintain.

Your final carport construction choice is the kind of flooring material. A good, cheap option is gravel or pebbles, yet most people prefer something a little more substantial. A poured concrete floor is a tried and true option My favorite by far is brick paving in a herringbone pattern.

1. Metal Carports
   Metal carports offer unique advantages. The use of metal in the carport construction is not as popular as timber, but it is a serious consideration when making your choice of materials to use.
   
   
2. How to Build a Carport
   How to build a carport: Your first question is whether to do so as an owner-builder, or to engage a building company ...
   
   
3. Prefab Carport
   Thoughts about prefab carports: We will examine the reasons why you would want to build one
   
   
4. Wood Carport
   Wooden carports appeal to both the professional and amateur builder alike.