Do you want to build a carport on your property to suit your home’s aesthetic and offer you versatility? Well, you came to the right place. Next to a garage, a carport is the best way to protect your car from the elements. But it doesn’t just work for vehicles. You can design your carport to fit an RV, boat, or even outdoor work area if you like.
In this article, we’ll cover some of Australia’s most popular carport designs and give you some ideas for customising them.
Why build a carport?
Building a carport is an investment, so, like any big investment, we need to consider its benefits first. Carports serve as a protective barrier for your vehicles from the elements. It’ll provide shelter for your car from the rain, and harmful UV rays that can damage your car’s paint. But, that’s not all carports can do.
When you have guests over, you can use your carport as an outdoor living area where you can host a social gathering. You can also design it in a way that perfectly complements your yard and the rest of your house.
When building your carport, you can use a gabled roof design and install a mezzanine in it for extra storage. Finally, you could build it close to your front door, providing you with cover from your car into your house.
Popular carport designs in Australia
If you take a drive around an urban suburb in Australia, you’ll likely spot one of these four carport designs set up on multiple properties: the Flat Roof, Dutch Gable, Skillion Roof, or free-standing carport. Here’s a closer look at the:
- Flat Roof Carport
As the name suggests, flat roof carports have a flat roof that’s installed with a slight slope to provide a direction for water to flow when it rains. This design is quite popular because of its simplicity and affordability. Thus, you’ll notice several homes with them.
Benefits of a flat roof carport
In Australia, you can get a custom-built carport made from wood or steel. Most carports are made with durable Australian steel to give them a longer life span. Flat roof designs are also sophisticated and simple, making them a versatile option for different homes. Because their design is so simple, they’re also a lot more customisable, allowing you to alter them to suit your needs perfectly.
Who should build a flat-roof carport?
For homeowners who are looking for the most cost-effective solution, the flat roof carport won’t disappoint. Likewise, if you want something simple and sleek, it would be a suitable option.
- Skillion Carport
Now we getting a little more sophisticated! Skillion carports have a similar roof design to the flat roof, but with one section of the roof with a specific slant for drainage. You can install two types of skillion roofs. The first is called the skillion roof, which has a single slant that’s often higher than the second section of the roof.
Then there’s the reverse skillion which has the slope in the opposite direction to the standard skillion roof. The angled point of the roof is angled upwards, offering more clearance space for vehicles on downwards-facing driveways.
Benefits of skillion carport
Skillion roofs have many of the same benefits as the others above; for instance, they can be customised in colour, shape, and size. That said, they also offer a decent amount of roof space for a sunroof or solar installation. If you want to direct water into a specific area, you can use a reverse skillion to direct rain more effectively. Generally, the skillion roof carport is used for larger homes with a similar roof style.
- Dutch Gable Carport
Dutch gable carport designs have been around for a while. They involve a typical gabled design from the sides, but the front and back gables are cut off by the sides, which complete the gable at the highest point of the roof.
Benefits of a Dutch gable carport
The Dutch gable is a more complex design, offering your home a more modern, sophisticated look. Because of the roof style, you can utilise the open ceiling space for storage by installing a mezzanine. Or, you could install a ceiling and add lights to it for when you come home in the evenings. A Dutch gable design is also stronger, offering more structural integrity.
Who should build a Dutch Gable carport?
Installing a Dutch Gable roof on your carport is best for homeowners who want to make a statement or match the aesthetic of their home. Dutch Gable carports are also great for those who live in windy areas and need something more durable.
- Freestanding Carport
Say, for instance, that you don’t have space to build a carport directly attached to your house, but you have space further up the driveway. Or, maybe you just don’t want to build anything onto your house. In this case, you can build a freestanding carport that isn’t attached to your house in any way but can still serve its purpose of protecting your cars. Freestanding carports can incorporate any of the above roof styles. Ironically, the only thing that separates them is their separation.
Benefits of a freestanding carport
Freestanding carports are versatile and can be put anywhere, basically, as long as there’s space. They’re also easy to construct and take down if you ever need to. They offer minimal maintenance and a long lifespan, too.
Who should build a freestanding carport?
In cases where you can’t attach a carport to your home, a freestanding carport would be ideal. Likewise, if you have a unique design that you want for your carport and it’ll need more land to build, you might need to consider a freestanding carport.
Final Thoughts
Next to a garage, a carport is the best way to protect your car. That said, carports do offer you something garages don’t. They don’t have walls or doors, so you can move more freely in and around them. You can even use it as an outside social area if you need to. Anyway, we hope these popular carport designs have given you the inspiration you need to design and build your own custom-built carport.
