Hello!
The steel beams of our roughly 12-year-old carport did not withstand the unusually heavy snowfall in January 2021. On one side, the steel beam is bent, and on the other, it is even cracked. These steel beams supported the curved roof on two steel posts (not four). The carport is 5 meters long and 6 meters wide (16 feet by 20 feet), so it fits two cars, and the roof is made of a kind of tarp.
A local resident offered to repair the carport by raising the roof and supporting it with two additional steel posts. However, these cannot be installed at the front corners because they would block the driveway to the garage. They would have to be mounted slightly further back, so the roof would still overhang freely. The damaged steel beams of the roof would be reinforced with attached plates.
We are wondering if this construction could hold. Our concerns are: The local resident is not a professional. The carport shows several rust spots. Rainwater has entered the hollow parts of the steel beams during the one and a half years since the roof was damaged.
Our insurance does not cover either the repair or a new carport, and since a new one is very expensive, we are considering the repair mentioned above.
The described situation can also be seen in the photos.
We thank you all in advance for your advice!
Best regards
Tim and Nora
The steel beams of our roughly 12-year-old carport did not withstand the unusually heavy snowfall in January 2021. On one side, the steel beam is bent, and on the other, it is even cracked. These steel beams supported the curved roof on two steel posts (not four). The carport is 5 meters long and 6 meters wide (16 feet by 20 feet), so it fits two cars, and the roof is made of a kind of tarp.
A local resident offered to repair the carport by raising the roof and supporting it with two additional steel posts. However, these cannot be installed at the front corners because they would block the driveway to the garage. They would have to be mounted slightly further back, so the roof would still overhang freely. The damaged steel beams of the roof would be reinforced with attached plates.
We are wondering if this construction could hold. Our concerns are: The local resident is not a professional. The carport shows several rust spots. Rainwater has entered the hollow parts of the steel beams during the one and a half years since the roof was damaged.
Our insurance does not cover either the repair or a new carport, and since a new one is very expensive, we are considering the repair mentioned above.
The described situation can also be seen in the photos.
We thank you all in advance for your advice!
Best regards
Tim and Nora
S
Simon-18924 Oct 2022 07:46Hello,
I would say that a few screw-on metal plates won’t help much here. The hollow sections are warped, and even their weld seam has split. In my opinion, the two curved tubular profiles are beyond repair, but that doesn’t make fixing the structure impossible.
To me, this carport looks like a kit that was sold pre-assembled somewhere. Find out who the manufacturer is and ask if these profiles are still available for purchase. If they are, order them and, if possible, have a local resident help install them. Since this person suggested the screw-on plates, they might have some metalworking or handyman skills.
The rusty weld seam running vertically on the support can be ground down with an angle grinder, then rewelded on site and repainted with a brush. It just won’t look as neat. This could be done while the old damaged tubular profiles are removed, so there would be no load on that seam during the repair.
I would say that a few screw-on metal plates won’t help much here. The hollow sections are warped, and even their weld seam has split. In my opinion, the two curved tubular profiles are beyond repair, but that doesn’t make fixing the structure impossible.
To me, this carport looks like a kit that was sold pre-assembled somewhere. Find out who the manufacturer is and ask if these profiles are still available for purchase. If they are, order them and, if possible, have a local resident help install them. Since this person suggested the screw-on plates, they might have some metalworking or handyman skills.
The rusty weld seam running vertically on the support can be ground down with an angle grinder, then rewelded on site and repainted with a brush. It just won’t look as neat. This could be done while the old damaged tubular profiles are removed, so there would be no load on that seam during the repair.
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