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!
i_b_n_a_n17 Jan 2023 19:58
Do you have a long transparent hose available? (Otherwise, get one at a hardware store.) It works great as a water level. You can look up how to use it if needed ;-)

Using a string and spirit level is very prone to errors (I tested this to determine the slope over about 11m (36 feet) for my garden. That definitely didn’t work :-(. The landscaping professionals then fixed it using "heavy equipment."
Nida35a17 Jan 2023 21:36
Thinkpad schrieb:

Unfortunately, I don’t have such a long and straight beam.
Do you not have the kit yet? How did you determine the positions of the ground anchors?
T
Thinkpad
17 Jan 2023 23:39
I simply measured them using a tape measure, etc.
I don’t have the kit yet; I wanted to align the ground anchors first. But the boards from the kit aren’t suitable either because they are quite warped. (this is the 299 carport from Hornbach).
H
hanghaus2023
18 Jan 2023 09:17
When it comes to a carport, millimeter precision isn’t crucial. The main thing is that the posts are perfectly vertical. Everything else is hardly noticeable, so a spirit level is sufficient.

I used a 2 m (6.5 ft) straightedge and a spirit level to measure the height difference at the base, then cut the posts accordingly.

However, the carport from the home improvement store seemed too low quality to me. I built it using laminated timber (glulam) to prevent any twisting.
T
Thinkpad
23 Jan 2023 11:08
New issue: how do you drill through 9x9 posts (about 23x23 cm (9x9 inches)) so that you hit the exact spot on the opposite side? Is there a trick for this?
H
hanghaus2023
23 Jan 2023 12:27
Of course it exists. Drill exactly vertically. A drill press is suitable for this. You can also get a suitable drilling jig or make one yourself.