3 Ways to Protect Your Carport This Winter
In northern climates, winter weather presents a significant challenge for both people and buildings. With cold temperatures and the potential for ice or snow, precautions must be taken to keep humans and structures safe until spring arrives. If you own a carport, or are thinking of adding one to your property in the near future, here are some things you can do to protect the condition of that carport throughout the winter months.
Get the Snow Off
As a starting point, it’s important to get the snow off the roof of your carport relatively quickly after a storm. All that snow might look beautiful up on the roof, but it is quickly going to get heavier and heavier – and it could lead to a problem for even the most durable structure. Knock off some of the snow before it starts to melt will go a long way toward protecting the health of your carport as the winter wears on. Reducing the amount of snow on your carport also reduces the amount of moisture that stays on the metal. You don’t want to run the risk of your carport rusting or sustaining water damage.
However, be careful when you knock snow off your carport’s roof. Depending on how steep it is, you run the risk of the snow landing on your or other vehicles and people. A vertical roof design may mitigate this risk as the snow can more easily slide off the roof. Going with a vertical roof will cost a bit more when ordering the structure, but that investment should pay off nicely when it comes to reduced maintenance and improved durability.
Check Your Foundation
The foundation that supports your carport is going to play a big role in how well the carport gets through the winter. If you decided to put in a concrete slab for your carport when it was installed, you should be in good shape – just perform a periodic visual inspection to make sure the carport isn’t cracking in any significant way.
However, if you opted to install your carport on bare ground, winter weather conditions could eat away at the stability of the footings. Keep a close eye on how the ground is holding up around each of the legs of the carport, and take action if there are any signs of trouble.
Consider Some Tree Trimming
Beyond snowstorms, another threat to your carport in the winter months is wind. If there are any sizable trees around your carport, you’ll need to think about the risk of a tree limb – or an entire tree – coming down on the roof of the carport during a storm. Wind storms are common in the winter months for many northern climates, so this isn’t an unlikely event. A large limb that comes down on the top of your carport could easily do major damage to the structure. If an entire tree were to fall, the whole carport may be a loss.
Of course, doing your own tree trimming could be dangerous, and you might not know what to look for when trying to cut back on dangerous limbs. This is a job that is better handled by a professional. If you have trees that could pose a threat, bring in a tree trimming service to assess those trees and develop a plan to cut them back appropriately. Not only will such a contractor have the right knowledge for the job, but they will also have the necessary equipment to do this task for you safely.
Prepare for the Coming Weather
Adding a carport to your property could make handling the next winter season far easier. To order a carport that will be strong enough to hold up to harsh weather conditions, be sure to work with Carport Kingdom on the project. Our metal carports can be designed specifically to deal with tough weather, and you can get started today by trying our Build & Price tool to design something that will suit your needs. Also, you are welcome to contact us at any time and our team will answer any questions you may have. Let’s get started today!
