Steel vs. Wood Carports

Adding a new carport to your property is an exciting project that offers many benefits. But before you get ahead of yourself and start thinking about all the ways you’ll use this new structure, you first need to decide how it will be built. More specifically, what material will you choose for the carport: steel or wood? Each of these two options can be used effectively, but they come with pros and cons that should be more closely examined before you make a selection.

At Carport Kingdom, we specialize in steel carports and other functional buildings for residential and commercial properties. If you decide to go with steel, use our Build & Price tool to create a design for your new carport and see what features we have available.

Key Factors to Consider

When choosing between a steel or wood carport, it’s helpful to understand the factors that you need to take into consideration.

Cost

This is the easy place to start, and it’s probably one of the top considerations on your list. After all, if you can’t afford a particular kind of carport, it won’t matter what other features it brings to the table. You are going to find that steel carports are almost always more affordable than their wood counterparts. Prices will vary from place to place and time to time, but the shorter construction timeline offered by a steel carport will always mean lower labor costs and a lower cost for the project overall.

Durability

The lifespan of a carport structure is going to help determine the overall value you get for your money. Not only will a metal carport cost you less to purchase initially, but it should also last longer as the years go by. Wood can erode and become damaged by water or pests and you may run into replacement costs over the years. Steel, on the other hand, is a durable material, and when you work with a trusted name like Carport Kingdom, you will get a sturdy structure that is ready to serve you well over the long run.

Maintenance

Most carport owners don’t want to deal with a long list of maintenance tasks that they need to check off day after day. With steel carports, there is very little that needs to be done in terms of ongoing maintenance, other than making sure the structure stays clean and free from debris. Wood buildings, on the other hand, can be quite a burden on the maintenance side of things. From watching for pests to regularly addressing paint issues and more, owning a wood carport is not a passive experience.

The Matter of Appearance

For some people, the argument may be made that a wood carport offers a better look on their property. They like the traditional appearance of a wood building, and think it will match better with the other existing structures that they own. There is an element of the “eye of the beholder” here as we can’t tell you what to like or objectively what looks better. What we can say is this: When you design a custom carport with Carport Kingdom, you’ll be able to customize the look of your steel carport down to the paint colors, trim pieces, and more. So, while it won’t look like wood, you can customize the design to make sure it looks great and fits nicely with what you already have in place.

The Choice for Steel is Easy

The comparison between steel and wood for a new carport is really no comparison at all. With so many benefits to offer steel is the easy choice. The countless advantages of a steel carport are why we are proud to offer these kinds of structures to our customers. Reach out to Carport Kingdom to learn more today!