How to Prevent Your Carport from Rusting

Rust is one of the most damaging elements to carports. Even if your carport is made of the toughest steel and capable of withstanding all types of weather conditions, steel materials are still vulnerable to rusting over time if you don’t properly maintain your carport.

Here are some ways to make sure that your carports don’t suffer damage over time due to unsightly and harmful rust or oxidation.

Keep Your Carports Clean

Keeping your carports clean in general is ideal to prevent any buildup of any kind, whether it’s moss, rust, or dirt. All you need to keep your carports clean is a mixture of soap and water, which you can apply using a sponge, scrub, or brush with soft bristles. If you don’t clean it quickly enough, you could wind up with stains that detract from the overall look of the carport.

Apply a Sealant

One of the best ways to keep your carport from rusting is to apply a sealant to the metal fixtures once installed. You can do this by first cleaning the metal panels and letting them dry. Once the entire carport is dry, you can apply a sealant (such as an epoxy paint coat for steel) to the roof. This will help protect the carport from rapid deterioration over time while also making it easier to clean overall.

When using epoxy sealant, many may recommend two-part epoxy resin paint to fully reinforce the underlying metal. This is because ordinary paint has more pigmentation that bridges over the top of the rust, which enables moist air to stay in the rust and continue oxidizing and corroding the metal, while epoxy paint doesn’t have this pigment and soaks deep into the rust regardless of viscosity.

Prevent Oxidation with Scrubbing

While some metals are impervious to rusting, oxidation can still occur over time. Metals like aluminum will benefit from the use of metal polishing paste. You can also purchase rust remover to keep your carports consistently clear of rust. For areas that are badly damaged by rust, you’ll need rough scouring pads. However, make sure that when applying rust remover to the roof or using scouring pads, apply with a telescoping post so you don’t need to step on the roof, as most carports aren’t designed to hold a lot of weight.

Regularly scrubbing away any rust buildup will help prevent further oxidation and keep your carports in great condition.

Get Top-Quality Materials

The better the construction, the easier it will be to protect your carports from rust and other types of damage. Top-quality steel or aluminum carports will hold up well with sufficient maintenance. Simply make sure that the carport stays clean and sealed to get the most from your installations.

Taking all of these steps can help ensure that your carport is protected from rust for many years, giving you a long-lasting carport designed to hold up in all types of conditions.