If you want to build a carport that is attached to your house you might need to build a lean to carport which is also called a single slope carport. These types of carports allow for rain drainage and will allow ice and snow to melt and runoff evenly. Carports that need to fit in a small space generally can only be a lean to carport (single slope carport) or a flat roof carport.
Any carport with either a gable roof or shed roof might not work for a few reason reasons. The first reason is space available to build the carport. Both shed roof carports and gable roof carports need considerably larger space to be at a proper angle for water runoff and to look proportional to the height of the walls. Any less than a certain minimum amount of space just won’t work. You simply can’t crunch gable roof carports into small spaces. Another reason is aesthetic. The flow of the roof lines may look awkward. A strong delineation between house and carport takes away from the attractiveness of your house. You want your home and new carport to look as though they blend together naturally. A carport that looks stuck to the side of your house as an afterthought will not bring any satisfaction.
Lean to carports or single slope car carports tend to look more blended into the home than a flat roof carport. If the roof line pitches march then the two roofs look like they are meant to be together. The same roofing material can be used and the pitch of the roof can be matched exactly. Even a slightly different pitch can look awkward and take away from the appearance of your home. If you are considering adding a carport that has a roof at a different pitch or angle than the roof on your home do yourself a favor. Take a picture of your current home and print off two copies of it. Make sure you know what you are getting and what it will look like before starting the carport construction.
Flat roof carports have one advantage over the other types of carports. Using the flat roof as a base for a second story addition be it a deck or screened in porch or fully fledged extra bedroom is a great idea. It is made even easier if there is a pre-existing window that would over look the new carport. Changing this window into a doorway is an easy and inexpensive proposition. In order to support a deck the supporting posts in the carport would need to carry extra load.
You don’t need to make the roof into a second story bedroom immediately or even build a door to allow access. You can always add this later. However, if you think you might use the top of the flat roof as the base of another story then you need to calculate the potential load and build the supporting posts accordingly.
In conclusion, think seriously about what type of carport roof is suitable for your family. Consider location and purpose. Once the carport is constructed you will have to look at it for a long time. A lean to carport or a single slope carport might suit your needs best.
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