DIY Approach For Building A Flat Roof Carport: Part One
I am just about to start to build a flat roof carport. I have spent some time considering what type of carport would be cheapest and easiest to build. Although I suppose the cheapest and easiest would be a metal carport kit, I wanted to have the build it myself experience so that eliminated carport kits as an option.
While I was researching the steps necessary for a project like this, I discovered that the first thing I needed to do before putting a shovel to the ground is to apply for a building permit from my municipality. This will need to include fairly accurate and detailed drawings, including elevations, of what I have planned, the measurements, the lumber dimensions, and materials, and any electrical and water runs that I will be including. The city doesn't require that I have this computer generated or anything, so accurate hand drawings are fine, but it does have to meet structural requirements for the snow loads expected in our area, as well as any particular building code requirements.
The only hiccup that I ran into when applying for my permit, and this was not so much a hiccup as an oversight on my part, was the fact that my property taxes are going to increase as a result of building my new carport. I shouldn't have expected any different, of course the carport will increase the value of my property, therefore my taxable value will increase. One minor comfort is the fact that my carport is not going to increase my taxes nearly so much as a fully enclosed garage would.
Next on my list of to-dos is to actually get a conceptual plan on paper. I have looked at quite a few different designs, and have decided that a wooden carport with a timber frame sort of look is what I will be going for. Using wood for any type of project lends a lot of flexibility to the design, and in this case there are a lot of details that I can add to give my carport a unique look which is important to me that I blend the style of my new carport in with the existing style of my house.
Finally I need to break my artistic rendering plan down into a building plan, and for this I will be consulting an engineering friend of mine. I have worked on a fair number of DIY projects myself, but I'm a builder not an engineer so I rely on someone else to make sure my plans will be up to code. Also, part of the reason that I'm building a flat roof carport is that I think I may want to use the roof of the carport as a second deck sometime in the future. This means that the loads and spans etc need to be calculated with that in mind, and it is just safer to have things properly engineered from the start.
I am very excited about getting this project started. I hope to actually get a shovel to the ground by the start of July. It will be strictly a weekend project for me. My hope is that my new flat roof carport will be finished by the middle of September with allowing myself a few fishing weekends. - 21396
While I was researching the steps necessary for a project like this, I discovered that the first thing I needed to do before putting a shovel to the ground is to apply for a building permit from my municipality. This will need to include fairly accurate and detailed drawings, including elevations, of what I have planned, the measurements, the lumber dimensions, and materials, and any electrical and water runs that I will be including. The city doesn't require that I have this computer generated or anything, so accurate hand drawings are fine, but it does have to meet structural requirements for the snow loads expected in our area, as well as any particular building code requirements.
The only hiccup that I ran into when applying for my permit, and this was not so much a hiccup as an oversight on my part, was the fact that my property taxes are going to increase as a result of building my new carport. I shouldn't have expected any different, of course the carport will increase the value of my property, therefore my taxable value will increase. One minor comfort is the fact that my carport is not going to increase my taxes nearly so much as a fully enclosed garage would.
Next on my list of to-dos is to actually get a conceptual plan on paper. I have looked at quite a few different designs, and have decided that a wooden carport with a timber frame sort of look is what I will be going for. Using wood for any type of project lends a lot of flexibility to the design, and in this case there are a lot of details that I can add to give my carport a unique look which is important to me that I blend the style of my new carport in with the existing style of my house.
Finally I need to break my artistic rendering plan down into a building plan, and for this I will be consulting an engineering friend of mine. I have worked on a fair number of DIY projects myself, but I'm a builder not an engineer so I rely on someone else to make sure my plans will be up to code. Also, part of the reason that I'm building a flat roof carport is that I think I may want to use the roof of the carport as a second deck sometime in the future. This means that the loads and spans etc need to be calculated with that in mind, and it is just safer to have things properly engineered from the start.
I am very excited about getting this project started. I hope to actually get a shovel to the ground by the start of July. It will be strictly a weekend project for me. My hope is that my new flat roof carport will be finished by the middle of September with allowing myself a few fishing weekends. - 21396
posted by X - Men @ 3:09 AM
0 Comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home