Off-topic....Metal Carports..Thoughts

[Poacher Hater]

Sorry for the off-topic, but I need your thoughts/suggestions on metal carports. Is there a company/website to order a kit from? Anyone buy a kit from Lowes/Home Depot? I want one about 22x22 feet. What ball park price will I be paying? Thanks for your help. I need to cover my Kubota and other goodies I have for it.

 

[SnowRidge]

My thoughts on metal carports are this: They are some of the ugliest structures out there. They are a blight on the communities in which they are erected. Please don't buy one.

I'm sure no one will disagree with me.

 

[Bird]

Yep, I'll have to disagree with SnowRidge to some extent. I can understand his opinion, and he may be right, depending on what else is in the neighborhood. But when we lived temporarily for a couple of years in a mobile home park, and didn't know for sure how long we'd be there, I bought a 20' x 20' from T-N-T Carports. Later, a daughter bought an 18' x 20' from the same people. Our only choices were that type of carport or leave the vehicles sitting out in the Texas sun and heat in the summer and rain at times, which makes it a bit uncomfortable. Many others in that mobile home park had the same type of carports.

Of course it's been a few years since we bought those carports, so I don't know what current prices would be. And at that time, they did not sell them as kits; a 2 or 3 man crew would show up and install it in about 2 hours. So you could call them and ask about a price. There may be other companies that might have a better deal, but it's a place to start.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I thought about the metal carport for the tractor. There are several places arround here that sell them. The prices range between $800-$1200 depending on size. After checking prices I found I could build a wooden leanto with metal roof for less. Go to menards, they have a computer that you pick the style and the size and it tells you the cost and materials.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I have a couple. I like them. The 18x20 size is about $800 installed and no break for DIY. Other sizes are much more per square foot.

Cheap shelter, pick your colors and a couple of weeks to schedule installation. You can get an overhanging roof for about $100 extra if you don't like the round edges. Extra height is also available sold by the foot.

 

[Bird]

Mine cost $860.59 in October, 2003, while the slightly smaller one cost my daughter about a hundred more a year later. Of course, I got the 5' legs while you might want the 7' ones for a tractor and that would add a little to the cost, too. But 5 years ago, the cheapest I could find locally was $1,195 and from that up to $1,600.

 

[ninefinger]

I too understand SnowRidge's point of view but I believe placement on the property is a big factor. I am looking at the one with the overhang with plans to side it with board and batten. We are somewhat off the beaten path so few people will ever see it. I do not think they are all that much of blight but then I do not live in a $300,000 neighborhood.

 

[2manyrocks]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Here's one thing to consider. Some of the carports have a rounded edge and no overhang. Some of them have an overhang. It makes a difference if you decide you want to add siding to it later. Without siding, your tractor still has some exposure to the weather and to UV rays.

I think you have to carefully shop around for what is in your market right now. I've seen lots of $695 shelters advertised, but then the price escalates with "options."

Installers will throw them up in record time. If you plan, however, to put siding or doors on it later, you'd better prepare a level site and work on the installers to put your carport up plumb and level or it will be a pain later to add anything else to it. They will put it up, but they won't do much, if any, site prep.

I think it goes beyond what you're asking about, but there have been some posts here about putting metal shipping containers on either side of prefab metal carport type structures that make a lot of sense to me.

Whatever you spend today, it will likely be more expensive to do the same thing in a few years. Just don't rush into anything and blow your budget before you figure out what you can get for your dollar today. I got by with a tarp for a while before building a wooden tractor shed with sawmill lumber.

 

[Bird]

plans to side it with board and batten

Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want, but I've also seen some where they simply continued the same metal panels all the way down to the ground. You can also get it with or without gables (mine was without) and you can close in one end. Of course, you can close in both ends, but that means buying or building a door.

 

[LBrown59]

Ugly .... is leaving a tractor or good equipment seting out in the yard unprotected. Unless you are stupid enough just trying to impress your neighbors with all your stuff while it rots ....

A snobish attitude is ugly to me.lol

 

[LBrown59]

I'm sure no one will disagree with me.

Ya missed it on this one.

 

[Dmace]

I love my T-N-T carport, I bought it last year and it has been great. Very sturdy and has had as much as 2ft of snow and ice (which would crush a fabric shelter) on it before I cleaned it off with no problem. The size (18ft x 21ft) is perfect for my tractor, all accessories, and 1-ton dump truck with a 9ft plow. The folded edges and overhang give it a finished look even if you don't enclose it. I would highly suggest at least 7ft sides too, if I had he 5ft sides I would never be able to park so close to the sides due to the roof line.

Here is my thread with plenty of pictures.

 

[ninefinger]

Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want, but I've also seen some where they simply continued the same metal panels all the way down to the ground. You can also get it with or without gables (mine was without) and you can close in one end. Of course, you can close in both ends, but that means buying or building a door.

Bird, my Grandmother had a house with deep green painted boards and white battens, prettiest house I have ever seen. I like the style well enough that is the way I sided my shop, would do the house but it's brick, keep bending nails lol. I would want them to enclose the gables but as with everything the extras start costing bucks.

 

[gd165623]

Another A-plus for T-N-T carports----------you cant build one for what they cost--and they have it up in a couple hours--it may not be the prettiest-but i dont remember seeing a truly pretty carport---it does what it is supposed to do

 

[Dmace]

My thoughts on metal carports are this: They are some of the ugliest structures out there.

Look at these pictures of Champy's carport and tell me that doesn't look good... You could put that next to any house with any landscaping and it would still look good.

 

[Bob_Young]

I've got a big woodpile and am tired of fighting with tarps to keep it covered. Since woodpiles are kind of ugly anyway, I don't think having a carport cover the whole thing would detract much from the scenery. It would save fighting with tarps, winds, tiedowns and clearing fresh snowfall all winter; maybe keep the wood bit dryer. The plastic tarps I've been buying don't last long, get torn & leak, and I'm constantly replacing them.

Anyone using a metal carport to keep their firewood covered or is this overkill?
Bob

 

[Bird]

Anyone using a metal carport to keep their firewood covered or is this overkill?

People used to (and I guess some still do) have a "wood shed" to keep their firewood dry, so the metal carport sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[SnowRidge]

Look at these pictures of Champy's carport and tell me that doesn't look good... You could put that next to any house with any landscaping and it would still look good.

Not too shabby. To bad that isn't the norm.

 

[Phineas7]

I looked as some of the nicer metal carport, this was about the same price, maybe a bit less, but a lot more labor. It was a lot more that the simple metal one you see so much of. <$2500 in materials (not inlcuding the retaining wall and concrete. But I like a lot better. (26 x 26)