Frequently
Asked Questions about our Carport
Kit & RV Covers
Remember,
every carport kit and RV cover
is made for the Do-It-Yourself
customer. If you don’t want
to build it, it should be fairly
easy for you to find someone who
has the capabilities to put your
kit together. A local contractor
or even just a good general handyman
will have no problems completing
the work in just a few hours.
We’ve
been doing this a long time and
we have developed excellent sources
for your exterior carport panels.
If you live in an area that we
are unfamiliar with, we will call
the company representative of
the finest panels made and find
out where to send you. 99% of
the time we can refer you to a
local source for the panels or
you can purchase these panels
in most any length and color from
most building supply, hardware
or farm supply stores.
Your local Yellow
Pages under the heading of “steel
roofing” or “metal
roofing” probably has several
sources that can supply you with
this product. Prices vary based
upon quality etc., but a 29 gauge,
siliconized paint, galvanized
aluminum panel will cost you in
the range of $2.45 to $3.00 a
linear foot. Color coordinated
screws are purchased from the
same supplier. For screws, you’ll
need a #12x1” self-tapping
screw in the same color as the
panel.
To Determine
The Number of Carport Panels Needed:
Take the width of the carport
, rv cover or canopy and add 3’
to it. Then divide by 3 and round
up if it’s not a whole number.
For
Example: If you purchase
a 14’W x 20’L carport,
add 3’to 14’ and you
get 17’. Divide 17 by 3
and you get 5.67. That’s
not a whole number so round up
to 6. Bingo! You need six 21’
long panels (includes 6”
overhang on each end) for that
carport. This particular carport
would extend down past the eaves
by about 24”on each side.
If you want the roof overhang
to be shorter in length…say
a total of 20’6”,
then 20’3” would be
the length of panel you’d
order…overhanging it 3”
on each end. We find that carports
look better with some panel extending
past the frame. The exact amount
is up to you.
Each panel has
3’ of coverage in the width
so if you want to come further
down the side, you can figure
out how many panels you need by
the sidewall height.
To Determine
The Number of Color Coordinated
Screws:
Take the total square footage
of the panels and divide by 1.50.
Since they usually come in 100
count bags, round up to the nearest
hundred. In our example above,
you’ve got 6 panels that
are 3’ wide and 21’
long. That’s 378 square
feet (3’ x 21’ x 6
panels). Now you divide that by
1.50 and you get 252. Now you
round it up to the nearest 100.
Bingo! You need 300 color coordinated
#12x1” self-tapping screws.
Your cost should be about 15 cents
each.
The key word
is SIMILAR. If
you do your homework, you’ll
find that these are the differences:
A. Our metal carport and rv cover
kits contain a standard frame
package that fits into the back
of a pickup truck (Some of the
larger RV covers may require a
small flatbed trailer in addition
to the pickup truck). Don’t
be fooled by others who neglect
to tell you that you’ll
need a 20’ long flatbed
trailer when you pick up theirs.
B. Ours
is the only carport frame kit
on the market that is manufactured
especially for the Do-It-Yourselfer.
The difference is in the assembly.
Other kits have connections that
have two female ends that are
attached by a sleeve that fits
into each female end. Not only
does this add about 33% more parts
(plus twice the amount of work)
to assemble but it also requires
that each connection be measured
to match the other so that rooflines
etc. are level. As many as three
or more people are required for
assembly, very often using string
lines, to hold these parts together
in precise positions while another
person affixes them together with
self-tapping screws. Our frames
have a male end and a female end.
Simply slip them together, tap
them snug and use the self-tapping
screws to affix the joints together.
Frame assembly is a one-man job!
C. There are several carport kits
on the market. The most inferior
ones are made of PVC, or round
metal tubing. Some are made of
tubing that measures a flimsy
2”x2” square or less.
Ours frames are made of 2”x3”
14 and 15 gauge galvanized (G-90)
rectangular tubing. Then we apply
three coats of a patented clear
coat over the galvanized plate.
The competition
uses bare imported galvanized
tubing that has no rust or corrosion
protection. Our frames are wind,
snow load and salt spray certified.
The competition’s
are not!
D. Our carport kits are pre-engineered.
The competition’s are not!
For an additional
charge, Absolute Steel & Storage
can supply you with originally
signed engineered plans which
contain all elevations, the appropriate
structural calculations meet your
area’s building code requirements,
and the concrete/foundation plan.
Everything you’ll need to
obtain a permit except your own
hand drawn site plan. These plans
will be prepared, signed and sealed
by an independent engineer, licensed
in your state.
The competition
can’t do this!
The truth is,
if you want cheap, buy the competition’s
but just remember, you get what
you pay for.
Buy
quality—it lasts long after
the cheap price is forgotten!
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