Choosing a carport

Selecting the right carport is no easy task. There are many decision to be made. But, confusing as it may seem, there’s really only three choices that need to be made:

•     Constuction: freestanding or attached
•     Roof style: flat, gabled, or skillion
•     Construction material: timber, steel, or brick

When choosing a carport, consider both the practical and aesthetic aspects. You need a carport that will protect your vehicle – but you also want to make sure it blends with the style of your home and property to improve its resale value. For older or more unusual homes, it pays to consult with an architect or building designer to ensure the style of your property is maintained.

Construction

Freestanding

Freestanding garages offer considerable flexibility in placement, so long as you abide by local council and national construction codes.

Before you decided where to place your freestanding carport, you will need to ask local and state authorities the following questions:

•     How close to the boundary can it be?
•     What are the rules concerning the appearance of the front of the home?
•     What are the rules with regards to access to the carport from the road?
•     Will you affect your neighbours' car access, views or flow of natural light?  

Attached

Attached carports can provide savings as you don’t need to pay for supporting one side of the carport – it’s already on your property! You do, though, need to give careful consideration to ensure the stability of your existing and new structure. Questions you need to ask of your home’s designer include:

•     Is the fascia of the existing structure capable of supporting the additional weight?
•     Will the roof framing need to be strengthened?
•     If you have a hipped roof, how close to the corners (the weakest part) will the carport be?
•     Will the resulting combined structure be able to withstand reverse loads for uplifts?

Roof style

Providing you have the finances and imagination, you can have any style of roof imaginable on your carport. Most Australian homes, however, have one of the following: 
Flat roof

Flat roofs are possibly the most popular type of carport roof, as they are cheap and quick to install. As with other flat roofs, however, flat carport roofs can be difficult to drain and susceptible to damage from water pooling and ice forming. A slight incline can make a big difference in the drainage of the roof, without altering its appearance. 

Read more:http://www.build.com.au/choosing-carport

Related Article:Tips for getting the right carport