Got my metal carport

[Mosey]

This is actually the first year I've seen that "white stuff" so early here in the 5 years I've lived here. We've never got snow before the last week of December in previous years. It's not even winter yet and I'm ready for summer! The kids love it though!

 

[heehaw]

i think the company located @10 miles west of me, delivers these same carports all over texas. the toll free number is 866-267-3790; i got a 18x21, 6ft tall for $500, but my wife and i installed it. i'd sure like to see what the pros drill the holes with to be able to put one of these babies up in an hour. i tried everything i could think of, and it was still a chore.
heehaw

 

[Mosey]

heehaw - "i'd sure like to see what the pros drill the holes with to be able to put one of these babies up in an hour"

It was amazing! I video taped some of it. One of the requirements was that a 120V outlet was available close by. they plugged a long extension cord (heavy duty) into it that went to a multi outlet block. Then, they used heavy duty industrial drills (Dewalt) with nut drivers to put the screws in. They used self taping screws with rubber washers for everything. They were going so fast that the drills ran almost continuously! They would grab a hand full of screws and then go like mad. They would pause for a split second to put another screw in the driver and have it. The drills were set to a certain torque so they didn't twist off any screws. They were working as if their life depended on getting it done in an hour! They parked about 30' from the site and would run back and forth getting tools and supplies. It was a sight to see.

The only time they slowed down was to level up the frame after they put it together. They used metal spacers, made of the same material as the frame, and put spacers under one end (it was about 2 1/2" low, I knew it was off but didn't have time to do anything about it). They used a line level to level it up.

To do the roof, they got on step ladders on one side and laid the first panel (26' all one solid panel) on top and then pushed it to the top. Then, one guy got on top and screwed it down, except for the bottom edge. The guy on top stayed there until it was done. The other guy pulled another panel off the trailer, put it on his back, carried it over (about 30'), and then tilted one end up so the guy on top could reach it and pull it up. Then, they put the top edge of the new panel under the bottom edge of the one already there and screwed it down - again except for the bottom edge. They repeated this process until the last panel was on. I sure never expected them to go from the top down! The guy on top just walked around taking big steps to make sure he stepped on the frame rails.

The only bad thing about them was they were not very personable. They arrived with a pickup pulling a trailer and backed it onto the driveway from the road. The driver started to drive off the edge of the pavement with his pickup and I asked him to stop and straighten it out and I explained that it was new pavement and the pavers told me not to drive on the edge of it or it might crack it. He seemed irritated at my request. He could only speak enough English to get by and the other guy could not speak any English.

 

[heehaw]

i used what i figure was the same self drilling screws to put my carport together: tried several different approaches: pre-drilling with a smaller bit, i bought a new one to try to make sure it was in good shape: center punching with a sharp punch to try to get the drilling to go easier, but it was all in vain. the sheet metal is a snap, but without being able to put a lot of pressure on the drill, like on the top, leaning over, the holes took a long time to drill. the part about being on top, so you could put downward pressure on the drill would help a lot.
the folks i bought my carport from had trouble with english too. so far, i am sure glad i put the thing in, it beats the heck out of havin to deal with ice on the windshield.
heehaw

 

[Mosey]

Just a word of warning to anyone planning on getting one of these. If you put it up oriented so wind blowing in the "front to rear" direction is common, be sure and get the gable ends! Fortunately for me, the wind doesn't blow in that direction very often, but when it does the high open end is a problem and freezing rain/snow will get on the windshield.

 

[Mosey]

Anyone who lives in a cold climate where you get snow, sleet, and freezing rain, a lot would not be happy with one of these! Even a dense fog that filled the air and then froze left my windows frosted last night! I felt pretty silly scraping the ice off the windows under my carport. I moved south from Michigan to get away from the kind of winter we're having here in southern Indiana this year. Fortunately for me, this not normal and I still plan to build a pole barn anyway. But, for someone who lives farther north, don't get one of these unless you plan to enclose it completely!