ᐅ Securing a Carport with Ground Anchors – How to Align It?

Created on: 26 Nov 2022 08:52
T
Thinkpad
Hello everyone!

I want to build a carport on our garden plot to store wood and provide weather protection for a wheelbarrow and similar items. It doesn’t need to have a particularly precise or strong foundation since no car will be parked on it. Because this is a leased plot, I’m not allowed to dig too deeply or lay gravel or anything similar. I will roughly level and compact the ground, then place the base plates directly on the grass/soil.

Since the ground won’t be completely even, I’m wondering how to align the ground anchors. These have to be screwed into the ground like large screws, but it seems unlikely you can keep them perfectly vertical over the full 90 cm (35 inches).

So my question is: what is the best way to align these so that the posts that go into them will have the correct spacing at the top, where the roof will be?

I would appreciate any tips you might have!
Tolentino27 Nov 2022 11:27
Normally, the beams have a bit of clearance. So for 90mm (3.5 inches) posts, there are 95mm (3.7 inches) beams.
H
hanghaus2023
27 Nov 2022 12:58
You should screw the ground anchors in as vertically as possible. The mounting angle has elongated holes to compensate for deviations.

There are countless videos online showing practical ways to do this.
T
Thinkpad
27 Nov 2022 15:37
These dowels are only available in 70 and 90mm (2.8 and 3.5 inches) as far as I could find.
And what are "Langlöscher"?
Could you send a link to the videos via private message? I haven't seen any really good ones on YouTube.
Tolentino27 Nov 2022 15:58
External links are unfortunately completely prohibited in this forum.
Sorry, 91mm (3.6 inches). If you search for that, you will find what you need. 1mm (0.04 inches) should also be sufficient over the length of a carport post.
He meant slotted holes. I have to say, the ones I have found so far don’t have any. But as I said, 91mm (3.6 inches) should work well for you.

By the way, if I were you, I would choose concrete foundations that are 80cm (31.5 inches) deep. A covered shelter acts like a sail. Depending on the soil, the ground anchors could just be pulled out of the ground since they have no weight. The slight friction of the thread... well.
T
Thinkpad
27 Nov 2022 17:43
Thank you! Yes, concrete would certainly be even more stable, but it would also make things more complicated, such as aligning the H-anchors in the concrete. Since the carport is very close to a high fire wall, the wind there should not be too strong, and there are at least 9 threaded rods because I double the posts on one side of the carport to store firewood.
T
Thinkpad
29 Nov 2022 08:54
Tolentino schrieb:

Insert a piece of wood about 40cm (16 inches) long at a right angle (secure it firmly with screws); you will need it anyway as a support for screwing. Attach a spirit level to it using duct tape.
When screwing at the beginning, check the level bubble after every 3 to 4 turns and adjust if necessary. Later on, you can check less often, but at that point, you won’t be able to make many corrections.

Correct the rest using a corner spirit level on the post during the installation of the post onto the beam.


I wanted to ask again how this is supposed to work. I can’t quite picture placing a wooden piece inside a U-profile, since the posts are installed by inserting a rod into the holes. That wouldn’t be possible if there’s wood inside.