For protecting your vehicles, you have two choices: a carport or garage. Here we take a look at the benefits of both.
A gable-roofed carport
Benefits of a carport
A carport is a structure of variable appearance – it can be a simple a flat roof on top of four poles or a more elaborate structure with a gabled roof and semi-enclosed space. Even with these variances, carports have the following benefits in common.
Inexpensive
Carports are much cheaper to build than garages, as they use fewer materials and offer more flexibility around material choice, including whether or not to have a concrete slab floor.
Quick
A carport can be erected in very little time – in some cases just a day. This means you’ll have protection for your car sooner and the building process will have less impact on the day-to-day operation of your family.
Flexibility in placement
Unlike a garage, that needs to ensure the foundations can hold the weight of a concrete slab and the upper structure, carports can be placed in many places. They are also subject to fewer council and building regulations (although you still need to double check all of these before making a decision about where to place your carport).
Benefits of a garage
While they may require a bit more of a financial commitment, garages offer significant benefits that can repay this initial investment. These include:
Protection from the elements
While carports offer some protect from sunlight, rain and hail, garages offer protection from the whole gambit of elemental damages – wind-driven dust, extreme temperatures, and sideways rain, to name just a few.
Security from thieves and vandals
A locked garage provides extra security to protect your car (and other possessions) from thieves and vandals. This can, in turn, reduce the cost of insuring your car.
Additional storage
In addition to protecting your car, a garage provides a place to store all of those things you just don’t have room for in your house: tools, garden equipment, sporting goods and other bulky items.
