“Naaah! I don’t need no stinking contractor. I got a great deal on this baby over at the supermarket. It was in the toy section next to the kites. What? Why is it standing on end? O, you know, we had a little wind last night… Well, no matter, my boys are use’n it fer a baseball backstop now. A Contractor was telling me that I needed some’m called footings or footers. I think he’s talk’n bout those little ankle socks, right? I said, ‘sure buddy, have a nice day dude’. Contractors! what do they know?”
We have all made mistakes and cut corners; lets not make the kind that can hurt people! Now, lets answer that question: “Do I need a professional to install my carport?
Yes, even if you are handy with tools
Because this question is swimming around in your mind, you need to consider some important facts about carports:
Carports are unlike any other structure on your property
You may be familiar with the basics of building engineering and maybe how to build a wall, or even how to ad a room to your house. Notice, however, that a typical building has four or more walls and no openings which do not have doors or windows. A carport, rv cover or patio cover does not. It is wide open and all of them have a large invisible sign hovering above which says, “Hey, High Winds, I’m over here“.
The Stakes Are High
Staking down a store bought carport with rebar or something else may seem good enough, however when it rains a lot (and it does in Tacoma) the ground gets saturated and what usually comes with a lot of rain is a lot of wind! stakes are no match for a blustery storm here in Western Washington.
Yes, even if you are a contractor
Many of my customers are or have been building contractors and they more than most, understand that there is a lot to building a carport or patio cover. The chemistry of joining aluminum to steel, screws and attaching to a house, mobile home or garage. Do I need inside posts and where or when do I need a beam? How far apart should the posts be? How far can the panels project? How long can the cantilever be?
MAGNUM PATIO COVERS – LICENSED BONDED INSURED CALL 253-304-6859
Never yield to the temptation to just do it yourself when it comes to projects that are safety critical! High winds or high snow loads can cause injury of even death to those near us. Hire an experienced professional patio cover contractor to install your carport, rv cover or patio cover!
