Aluminum Carport Covers: have a finished look and come pre-painted, this is often desirable in residential areas. The aluminum materials and factory paint gives you a maintenance free product and a very long useful product life, often exceeding thirty or forty years or more. The shape of the roof panels and the thickness of the material dictates the load carry capacity of the materials.
For example: a 3” tall W pan formed from .025 aluminum will give you a 20# snow load at a 10′ span. Using thicker metal to make the roof panels gives you greater spanning capability for a given design load. Each suppliers’ design will have different spanning capabilities so check with the supplier for exact numbers. You local permit office can tell you the snow load for your area.
“W” or “V” pan style Carport covers are typically 2.5” or 3” tall and 8” to 24” wide, The name comes from the vee or w shape of the pans. The panels interlock and are used with a “G” shaped exterior fascia/gutter frame work to complete the cover. This style cover is available formed from .020, .025, .032 and .040 thickness aluminum. A few companies offer a steel version. This style cover is popular because of the excellent shade and weather protection afforded at a reasonable cost. “W” pan styles are more difficult to keep free of leafs, and hail damage dints will show, they do radiate some heat from the sun.
Flat Pan style covers roof pans are most often 3” tall, in a 8” or 12” wide pan. The most common thickness is .030 aluminum. This style cover is popular because of the excellent shade and weather protection afforded at a reasonable cost. The covers are most often sold with an attaching channel, side fascias and a front gutter section to complete the top of the cover. They are subject to hail damage, the resulting dints will show, and they do radiate some heat from the sun.
Insulated Carport Covers are made from two sheets of aluminum bonded to a closed cell foam core. The density and thickness of the foam core combined the thickness of the aluminum, all effect the spanning capability of the panels. Insulated panels carry greater loads, do a great job of blocking out heat from the sun. This type of cover gives you a ceiling, roof, and insulation in a low pitched compact area.
Because of the higher cost for this type of roof, they are most often used for patio covers rather then carport covers.
Steel Carports: Steel covers are more industrial looking. They are common at apartment complexes. A residential version is available from Homeimprovmentkits.com. The most common residential sizes are 10′ x 20, 12′ x 20 and 20′ x 20′. They are constructed with galvanized steel framing, white pre-painted steel roofing, pre-pined post and colored steel trim. Steel cover of this type hold up well in high wind areas, in hail prone areas and when a roof on a frame would be advantageous. Bent pipe or tube type carport covers are available from some suppliers, they are a less costly type cover that have some limitations as to loads carried, head room clearances, wind resistance, car door clearance and they are not as visually pleasing.
Eave attached or wall attached side mounted attached carports. You car cover can be installed like a patio cover on the eave or under the eave.