Why Carports Are Better Than Garages

Carports

Nobody really wants to leave their car outside exposed to the elements. When a car is parked in under a carport or in a garage it is protected from sun, rain, dust, hail, snow, and other weather that might damage it. Either option also makes a car less visible, preventing potential thieves. However, what are some reasons you should install a carport instead of a garage?

Affordability

One of the most obvious advantages carports have over garages is the price. For even a simple, one-car garage, it is easy to spend a lot of money; while a carport, on the other hand, costs much less.

Because building a garage is a big project, you will have to find a contractor or remodeler you can hire to complete the project. You don’t always know what you could be getting yourself into when you have a stranger come in and work on your house. A lot of garages connect directly to high-traffic areas of the house, so you will have construction workers actually in your home for the least part of the building process. Even if you decide to build an attached carport, it is very unlikely that anyone building it will need to enter your home. In fact, while a garage can take weeks for remodelers to build, most carports can be assembled by you and a friend in just a day or two.

In addition, because a garage is a much larger project and needs a foundation poured, it is much more likely that governing bodies in your area will require you to get the project permitted, though you should always get any major home improvement project approved beforehand and make sure you don’t need to fill out any extra paperwork.

Carports

Aesthetic Advantages

The aesthetic of a carport is also very different than that of a garage. A garage can seem impressive and make your lot look much smaller, especially when built as an addition. A carport design, on the other hand, is open and feels much smaller.

Versatility

A carport also has more versatility than a garage. When you have parties, you can bring picnic tables and chairs under the carport so your guests can be out of the sun. You can tie a rope between the support posts of your carport walls and hang laundry out to dry even when it’s raining and it will be protected. If you get creative, you can find all sorts of uses for a carport besides just a place to store your car.

You also have more options for decorating a carport. You can put seasonal plants around the edges so that they will grow up the supports. You can also hang things like wind chimes, plants, or lights from your carport. You can even use your carport as a staging area for a more extravagant holiday decoration setup that will be better protected.

Less Work

Building a garage can be more disruptive to your daily routine than a carport. Since garages are larger, they are most likely connected to high-traffic areas of your home. The construction process of a garage can also take weeks or even a month before completion. Since most carports are freestanding structures, there wouldn’t be drastic changes to your property. Within a day or two, you can already have a fully assembled carport.

More Decorative Options

With a carport, you have more freedom to decorate. Some homeowners place seasonal plants and vines along the edges and around the beams of the carports. This gives it a rustic appearance that would suit the design of many homes. Others take advantage of the carport’s freestanding layout to hang lights, wind chimes and other elaborate holiday decorations to spruce up their home.