DIY Approach For Building A Flat Roof Carport: Part One

By John Moore

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

About the Author:

Look for more carport plan information at the car port.

What Options Do I Have For Driving Lessons?

By Nathan Lewit

Something that we all get excited about sooner or later is when we learn to drive. Remember when you were approaching the driving age and the excitement that you felt? There are many ways that a person can learn how to do this. Here we look into the most popular ways that people tend to lean towards when thinking of driving lessons.

Many people think that getting private lessons from a teacher is the best way to go. There are many places that offer this option which means that you have a teacher in the car at the same time as you. This trained teacher will help you in the ways that they feel that you need the help while you are actually driving it. This can be a bonus for the person that is very nervous and is having a lot of difficulties learning the skill.

Schools have been offering driver's education programs throughout the years and have been high on the list for popularity as an option. Kids like that they can still be with their friends while learning something of such importance. Parents like that the cost of the classroom and the in car portions of the course are all included in one price.

The price of this is usually fairly reasonable with all that it includes another thing that parents like.

No matter which of these two options you choose look into the qualifications and prices carefully before signing up for the driving lessons that they offer. Prices can vary depending on the location as well as other factors. Making sure that the choice that you make regarding driving lessons is reputable can make a huge difference on the benefits that you will receive from taking them.

There are a lot of people that are taught by family members that have been driving for a long time. Many young people feel more comfortable with them then with a stranger, especially if they goof something up. This is also by far the cheapest option available to a person as the only cost that they really have is that of the gas to keep the car running.

Learning to drive at home with the help of a family member or friend that has driven for a while is another choice that a person has. This is by far the most economical one as it will only cost the person gas for the car they use. Family members or friends can be a great choice but they also can be a hindrance as well. Be careful with who you choose to teach you as you want to be comfortable that they will not yell at you all the time.

There are now websites that offer written tests that can help the new driver to prepare for the written part of testing that they have to take in order to get their license. They also have videos that provide visual aids that may be of huge help to some individual's. Informative articles regarding all aspects of driving are another significant bonus that these websites also offer people that are thinking of taking driving lessons. - 21396

About the Author:

Nathan Lewit is the president and the hands on instructor of Nathan's Driving School located in Georgia. Before you select anyone else for driving lessons in Georgia, make sure you check out Nathan's Driving School's crash course driving lessons.

How to Buy a Car with Bad Credit

By John Knight

Are you running out of ideas on how to buy a car with bad credit? The first thing for you to do is own up to yourself that you have a problem, then and see what your credit score is. A report will cost you from $30 to $40 in fees.

Think of it as an investment. You could save hundreds of dollars on a car deal because of your credit-score report. Even if you are financial status is in the red, go to a car dealership to buy a car.

Dealerships are there to sell cars. If you agree to their deal, they make money. The choice to buy is with you; you can decide to turn your back on their deal and go see what another dealership is offering.

The salesmans constant patter and all-around knowledge of the product he is trying to sell might get intimidating. Do not let him cow you; you are a potential customer. Whether he sells to you or to someone with a better credit, it is still money.

Show confidence; that is a way on how to buy a car with bad credit. You will have more confidence if you could get a bank loan before going to a dealership. If you have the loan secured, go to a dealership with money in your pocket, and just as easily walk out if you do not like the deal they are offering.

Be conscious of your negotiating position when attempting to buy a car with bad credit. Bank financing can improve you position. And another thing, a realistic approach by someone in your situation will save you time.

If your credit score is very low, do not bother going to a bank and waste your time trying to get financing. Rather get dealer financing, although they can charge exorbitant rates, which you may refinance at lower rates with a bank in six months. This is a method on how to buy a car with bad credit. - 21396

About the Author:

How To Buy A Car With Bad Credit. There are simple steps you could take if you want to really own a car despite the fact that you have bad credit. If you read through this article, it will show you how. Simply visit this site at http://www.howtobuyacar1.com to know more about it.

Business Auto Insurance - Online Quotes For Car Insurance

By Matt Hellstrom

There's no denying that we're in a deep economic slump. Unemployment rates have passed the 8.5% mark for the first time since the early Eighties. The financial institutions - banks and insurance companies - hog the bail-out trough. And second to them are the automakers. All of this complicates the issues that must be taken into account when making tough economic decisions for your business, including tasks like shopping for business auto insurance.

If a business is of a type that requires a vehicle fleet, it has a business relationship with a car company and a vehicle insurance company. But this year those relationships are going to change for more companies than ever before.

As fluid as the situation must become, the existence of the Internet and the ability to get instantaneous vehicle insurance quotes online will only make things even less likely to stay the same.

With the collapse of large insurers like AIG, what will that mean for insurance rates? With insurers under ever-mounting pressure to show profits, will they be offering lower rates to keep customers, or raising them to squeeze even more out of what they've got?

An online quote for business auto insurance isn't just a way of getting a competitive advantage for companies with fleets of vehicles. Anyone who takes a tax deduction for vehicle expenses needs to look harder when vehicle insurance renewal time comes. And the Internet is the only way to do the kind of due diligence that these hard financial times require.

As the restructuring of the Big Three moves forward - particularly for General Motors and Chrysler, less so for Ford - the product loyalty factor will become less important, meaning many new car and truck buyers will be looking at models they never considered before. For the business decision maker, particularly in the SOHO market, the loss of confidence in the business auto and subsequent insurance market will be disruptive of previous business practice. It is in assisting the business vehicle buyer with business vehicle insurance data that shopping online will prove the value. Due diligence in the business vehicle insurance decision making process is best done online.

Due diligence is the buzz word for anyone whose bottom line is impacted by business auto insurance rates. And who has the time to work their way through endless voice menus trying to get to an agent? If you are a small business owner you know that success depends on how much work you have to do to get work; and getting business auto quotes online is the most efficient way to obtain the proper information you need. - 21396

About the Author:

Are you in the market for car insurance? The internet has totally changed the look of the car insurance industry. Get online quotes for car insurance and learn about where to buy auto insurance online at http://onlinequotesforcarinsurance.com today.

Business Auto Insurance - Buy Auto Insurance Online

By Matt Hellstrom

There's no denying that we're in a deep economic slump. Unemployment rates have passed the 8.5% mark for the first time since the early Eighties. The financial institutions - banks and insurance companies - hog the bail-out trough. And second to them are the automakers. All of this complicates the issues that must be taken into account when making tough economic decisions for your business, including tasks like shopping for business auto insurance.

How many companies have built up a good relationship with a car company over the years? And many of those businesses will now have to reconsider buying, for example, General Motors products with the company possibly headed for bankruptcy as early as June 1st.

The Internet, with its ability to deliver instant quotes on business auto insurance, will do nothing but make it harder for things to stay the same. As much as some would like things to remain the same - they have changed and will never be the same.

The bitter taste left behind by the downfall of the insurance giant, AIG has done little to calm the fears of business owners faced with fewer options for business auto insurance. There is little doubt that premiums will rise, perhaps more drastically than ever before. Could the company afford to get coverage if it added some to the fleet? Or will it be left hanging with increased exposure to risk?

What about the small business owner, or the person who is in a job that allows them to take a deduction for their car expenses. What does this turmoil in the American auto industry and in the insurance mean for them? It means that there is opportunity and danger. Are you going to be purchasing or leasing a new vehicle? That only complicates the situation.

With the Big Three having to totally revamp their product line-ups, many businesses will be considering autos and trucks of makes and models they are unfamiliar with. One will not be able to use the same familiar process that has been used for years in buying and insuring new business vehicles. And this will also be true for the employees who uses their own car for company business. Product familiarity is, in car purchases, a huge factor. Product churn in an industry a very disruptive force, and that churn is going to be huge over the next year and possibly well beyond that.

Word from General Motors is that the company may go into Chapter 11 as of June 1st. Does this mean that you, as a small business owner, are going to have to reconsider your decades long attachment to General Motors automobiles and trucks? Will more expensive hybrid or fuel-saving features factor into the cost of insurance? Whichever decision you come to may boil down to ongoing insurance costs. The Internet is the only way to get the wide range of business auto insurance quotes that you are going to need as you do your due diligence. - 21396

About the Author:

Are you in the market for auto insurance? The internet has forever altered the look of the car insurance industry. Get online quotes for car insurance and find out about where to buy auto insurance online at http://onlinequotesforcarinsurance.com today.