Metal Carports

Carports can be constructed from a wide range of materials, and metal is one of the strongest and most durable that you could choose.  Basically there are four main material choices to constructing a carport.  From the top down they are:

1.     Carport Roof

A carport roof can use all of the same materials that your home roof can.  A cheap and lightweight alternative is to use flat metal sheets.  These are typically corrugated and need to be screwed or nailed to your roofing frame.  Other styles include channel sections that are clipped to the roofing frame on one side, and is crimped so that the other side clips onto the previous section.  These channel sections are very good in high wind areas. 

Whilst most metal roofing sheets are made from galvanized steel, you can also buy aluminum sheets that are not as strong, but very light weight.

2.     Carport Frame

The use of metal in the carport roof frame is not as popular as timber, but it is a serious consideration when making your choice of materials to use.  Whilst not as aesthetically pleasing as timber, the use of metal on roofing supports allows a much wider span than is achievable using timber.  Of course using a metal roof also means that roofing materials secured to it must be screwed or riveted. Roofing materials may be box, "C" or "H" sections.

3.  Carport Plumbing

The choice of plumbing materials to use on your carport is somewhat more limited.  The two obvious alternatives are metal and PVC.  Metal plumbing materials are in general harder to work with than PVC, but are stronger and more durable.  In most situations I have opted to use metal plumbing supplies all the way down to the stormwater.  Please note that in many municipalities a licensed plumber may be required to install gutters and down pipes, and maybe even roofing sheets.

4.  Carport Posts and Footings

Your choice of posts should match your other construction material choices.  Metal carport Metal posts provide excellent strength and rigidity in relatively narrow profiles.  They also have the benefit of being able to be anchored directly into concrete footings.  Posts are typically tube or box sections.

Pros and Cons

The great benefit of metal as a carport constructions is not only its strength, but also its resistance to termites.  The great downside for using is rust if your live near salt water.

My final word is that is you are still uncertain about using metal as your main carport construction material then you should go for a drive around where you live.  Check out what your neighbours are using on theirs and see if rust is a big issue or not.  This can give you an excellent guide not only what other styles of carport exist around your house, but also if your new metal carport is the right decision from an environmental perspective.