Expert: Dan Griffin - 10/30/2007

Question
i have one of those metal carports that you buy for a couple hundred bucks and is already together. My husband is wanting to enclose it, making it into a building what would you suggest as to getting it started or the best way to do it rather.
Thanks... Ashley

Answer
I'm not sure exactly what you have.  I'm guessing it has 3 to 5 main ribs pinned to the ground or a slab with enough sheets of metal building siding to make a roof.

I am not telling you that you cannot.  I don't know.  We have been thinking about doing it to one we have at work.  My concerns have to do with wind loading.  The little thing lets the wind go through, over, and under the few roof sheets now.  It sways and wiggles like a willow tree in a hard wind.  To close it up will make it funciton like an oak tree and it must be strong enough to beat the wind.  I have seen some of these toppled and wind blown off location.  The one we have has 3 foot spikes holding it to the ground, we have had some very substantial winds, and it is still in location.  When you close one in, it will catch a great deal more wind and will have a much higher possibility of pulling itself off its anchors.

If it is what I describe. I would increase the anchor condition substantially and close it in with the same metal building R panel as the roof.  Continue in the same directionas the roof sheets and place screws on each side of every high on the sheets to increase it's wind loading strength.  Make sure to close both ends and sides, an open ended structure catching a full load of wind will probably not survive.

Contact a local seller, they may have some input and you will need to acquire some of the same sheeting.