Best Carports to Keep Your Car Protected
A carport is a great solution if you do not a garage to park your car every night, so we will look at the best carports to keep your car protected.
Not everyone has the luxury of parking their car in a garage every night. If you do not have a garage, it is worth your time to think about installing a carport at your home. Carports are covered structures designed to protect your car and are usually free standing. They offer less protection than a garage, but they do allow more ventilation. Most carports are made of steel, and offer protection against rain, hail, UV exposure and protect against bird and bat droppings as well as fall out from trees.
Carports vary greatly in price and the materials used for their construction. That means they are not necessarily easy to shop for, especially if you are unsure on how much you are willing to spend.
In this article, we will go into detail on things to look for when shopping for one. We will explain the pros and cons for the different types of carports, so you hopefully have a better picture of which product to invest in to protect your car.
How to Choose the Right Carport
It pays to think before deciding on which carport to buy. Choosing the right carport is largely dependent on where you live, the wind classification of your area/region and how much you are willing to spend. In a country of extreme weather conditions, flood, drought, fire and huge winds, there are some products you should stay well-clear of.
It is worth remembering the old saying; “you get what you pay for”. This applies to carports.
What is a carport?
Most of the legislation defines a carport as a structure primarily used for housing a vehicle that is open on at least two sides and one third of the shed or carport’s total perimeter.
In the Building Code of Australia (BCA), a carport is classified as a Class 10a Building.
Different Types of Carports
Shopping for a carport really starts with how much you are willing to spend and the weather conditions of the area you live in. The cheapest are certainly not the best and you should think very carefully about why you are buying a carport and how appropriate it is for your situation.
Cheapest Carports Available
The Canopy Tent Type Carport
These are just a metal frame with a canvas Canopy thrown over the top. They are obviously very flimsy. The biggest problem with these is that in any heavy downpour or storm, it is highly likely there will be a high wind too. These can not be secured firmly to the ground and it is common for them to blow over and damage the car they are supposed to protect. The soft metal is also prone to 
rust quickly although the canvas will probably be in shreds before the metal disintegrates. They are maybe good for portable shed tents for a day out at the beach or for a holiday. They are not recommended for car protection at home.
Tube Steel Carports
Generally ugly looking and semi-permanent, these are one step up from the canopy tent style carport. These are usually supplied with cheap imported steel roof sheeting although some of the ‘better’ ones may use Colourbond. They can be supplied in Gable roof style or flat (Skillion roof). They are unlikely to have any guttering. It would be impossible to get the appropriate permission to install these in most council areas. Again, the soft steel tubing can be prone to rust and the base plate installation, (if they can be installed with base plates), can be insecure. At roughly the same price as a permanent carport, these are not recommended.
There is a variety of carports that you can purchase online or from a local store, but a good place to start is to know the differences between all of them and why some cost significantly more than others.
The most basic and affordable carport is a canopy-style product, which is essentially a more rugged and larger tent. These carports are typically the lightest, but they are also not as stable or sturdy as other carports. Canopy-style carports are easily identifiable as they normally have poles serving as legs and a cover made from polypropylene. They offer moderate coverage for your car, essentially giving it shade and protecting the top from certain weather conditions. Some of these carports will cover all sides of the vehicles, while others leave the side exposed.
The Cantilever Cantaport Look- A – likes
Our big box stores and Ali-express have been selling some very cheap and nasty imports. They look very like the original precision made Japanese Cantaports. We wonder how these can possibly be certified to Australian Standards? They have a ‘bolt on’ approach to installation of a two-legged cantilever carport – just not strong enough. They do advertise a flimsy UV protected roofing panels but the prices, in some cases are almost the same as the original Cantaports with their extra-special polycarbonate roofing which is over 250 times stronger than a pane of glass. These would not be recommended on their cost alone and certainly not recommended in any medium to high wind areas.
The Budget Australian Made Carports
These are the cheapest of the permanent carports for your home. While fully made in Australia, the price is kept low by using imported steel. They do come with a 15-year warranty, they are quite easy to install and there is a small choice of colours. For a little over $1000 you can have a reasonable single carport, a double is a good bit under $2000 and they are also available in gable roof versions although, like all gable roof carports, they are a good bit more expensive than a skillion equivalent.
Want one? (Click here to buy)
The Off-the-shelf Lysaght Lite skillion
It is always less expensive to but a flat pack kit like a Budget carport or this Lysaght/BlueScope Lite skillion carport. All carports (that actually look like a carport) are made to order. Off-the-shelf is a fairly good description for these as what you see is what you get. They cannot be altered, and they are usually supplied in a limited range of colours.
This carport is 100% Australian steel and 100% Australian made. It is available in a single 3×6 metre format or a double bay 6 x 6 metre format.
Want one? (Click here to buy)
Custom Made Carports
When it comes to custom made steel carports, there is only one supplier worth looking at. For superb high quality and usually less expensive than inferior product on the market, the supplier is Professional Choice Sheds. Their carports are generally less expensive than the likes of Lysaght/BlueScope. They are also much better built and heavier and they are one of the few in Australia who can genuinely guarantee that you are getting a carport up to Australian Standards. Any dimensions and any colours can be supplied to your door at very reasonable prices. They are also a dream to install; that is why they are the professional’s choice!
Want to buy one? (click here to buy)
Wooden Carports
Custom built wooden carports can be well built, strong and look quite excellent but in comparison to the best steel kits on the market, they can also be awfully expensive. The only other drawback is that like all wooden products they do require maintenance. A good steel carport requires little to no maintenance..
Brick – Built Carports
Usually by far the most expensive is to have a carport built of brick the same as your home. While there are a few of these around, they were generally installed at the time of building the house. This means that all brickwork, facias, and colour match will be the same. This gives a beautiful flow from one structure to the other. Generally, it is more unusual for these brick structures to be skillion roof (flat). Most would be gable or hip roof making them even more expensive.
They can be difficult to retrofit and getting the exact match of colour and materials can be a harder task.