What is a carport?

The dictionary defines it as “a shelter for a car consisting of a roof supported on posts, built beside a house.”

The two key terms within the definition is “a shelter” and “built beside a house”: Yes, carports do provide a roof or cover for your vehicle(s) yet are not fully enclosed when you compare to them to garages that are fully enclosed and traditionally connected to the rest of the house.  Meanwhile, carports in NC generally skip out on an automatic garage door (though some do feature a manual sliding door) thus keeping the vehicles dry from skeet, rain, hail or snow.

The primary drawback of carports is that they are not as secure as a garage. Even if you do have a sliding door for the entryway, it may only prevent burglars from breaking a lock. Carports are also not capable of keeping a steady room temperature like a garage because it is not fully enclosed. Consequently, you can’t fully heat the interior during the winter nor have air conditioning in the summer. Lastly, carports are not connected to any other building, so you need to be outdoors for a period of seconds or minutes from the house to the carport.

In North Carolina it is not necessarily a horrible drawback compared to somewhere in the north like Minnesota or Michigan. There are some cooler days in the winter, yet they are mild compared to several other states in the north and Midwest.

As a result, carports in NC provide shelter for the state’s biggest threat when it comes to weather – heavy rain or hail. Because North Carolina is located in a subtropical climate connected to the Atlantic Ocean and also the Gulf of Mexico – humidity contributes to fast-moving fronts that can deliver tremendous thunderstorms without much warning.

Without a doubt, a new carport constructed on your property in NC will shelter your equipment from such storms while also being conveniently located not far from the home. A lot of North Carolina residents actually utilize a new carport as an extension of their home business, ideal for mechanics, farmers and ranchers, to name a few.

In conclusion, it does not matter if you live on a multiple-acre property in rural North Carolina or in the suburbs, you should definitely consider carports if not all of your automobiles or other pieces of equipment are capable of being sheltered from the weather above 24/7. They are relatively affordable (especially compared to building a new garage), do not require a master woodworker to install and serve a multitude of functions. Ultimately it is a decision that you will not regret.