How to winterize your carport

A carport protects your valuable car from precipitation and prevents you from having to scrape the windows free in light frost. But before you start the cold season, it makes sense to pay a little attention to the open wooden shelter. Because it is important to Carport winterproof to avoid damage. In snowy areas, you should also check the Snow load at the carport keep an eye on it.

A Karibu wooden carport is designed in such a way that it can easily withstand the weather. Because we only use robust Nordic woods , which can be applied under high pressure by impregnating salts Protected against fungal and insect infestation . To this end, we construct each Karibu carport in such a way that the design protects the material from harmful weather influences. Nevertheless, it is important that you winterize your carport in order to Prevent damage caused by moisture and frost .

With the following checklist, we will show you all the necessary checks and work, so you will certainly not forget any important point.

Checklist to winterize the carport

• Check the Foundation on cracks or crevices that lead to leakage or instability.
• Shake all posts to determine whether the timber is firmly anchored in the anchors and whether they are stably anchored in the concrete foundation.
• Now turn your attention to the Roofing and see if these Tight, clean and free of algae growth .
• Check whether the water drains cleanly from the carport roof. If you are winterizing the carport, also clean any existing gutters and check the permeability of the drain pipe.
• If you want to drain the rainwater from the roof of the carport in a Rain barrel catch, empty before the onset of winter.
• Did you only set up your carport in the last summer season? Then it is possible that the wood has dried and shrunk. Tighten the screws . Even with older models, it makes sense to check the screws when winterizing the carport.
• Check all wooden components for damage. Water can collect in cracks, joints and hollows. This leads to damage due to Waterlogging . If the water freezes, it expands and exacerbates existing damage clearly. Winterizing the carport also means professionally repairing existing damage.
• While you are checking the wooden components, also check whether the Wood protection still sufficiently available in all places . Otherwise, you should repaint the carport with wood preservative before the cold and wet season begins.

Our tip: We recommend taking a look at the insurance documents right away when you winterize your carport. This is a good opportunity to check and optimize insurance coverage.

After you have winterized your carport, you can sit back and relax and enjoy the winter time by the warm fireplace. Unfortunately, this does not apply if you live in a snowy region. Here, as with other roofs, you have to use the Pay attention to snow load . Because in fact, the airy, light flakes quickly reach a considerable weight in the mass. If the snow load of the carport exceeds the load-bearing capacity, the entire structure can collapse.

Calculating the maximum carport snow load is complicated.To calculate the snow load, you need information on the typical snowfall of a region, after all, much less snow falls along the warm Rhine Graben than in the foothills of the Alps. Another factor is the roof pitch. A flat roof has to bear the full snow load, while the pressure of the white flakes on a roof with more than 60 ^{​​​​​​​o} roof pitch does not come into play at all . In addition, the altitude of your place of residence plays a role, because the higher the residential area, the more snowfall is to be expected.

Luckily, you don't have to calculate the carport snow load yourself. The following values apply to our carports:

• 0.75 kN/m² (equivalent to about 76.5 kg) for carports with PVC or gable roof
• 1.1 kN/m² (equivalent to about 112 kg) for carports with steel roof

Now, of course, you are wondering what snow weighs. The following overview shows: what snow load your carport can carry per square metre for different types of snow . ​​​​For simple estimation, the information refers to the snow depth, which leads to a snow load of 100 kg/m²:

• Loose, dry fresh snow: 200 to 300 cm
• Heavy, bound fresh snow: 100 to 200 cm
• Heavily bound (wet) fresh snow: 50 to 100 cm
• Dry old snow: 25 to 50 cm
• Wet old snow: 20 to 35 cm

With this information, you can easily estimate when you need to winterize the carport by clearing the snow on the carport. Best remove the snow in strips , alternately on both sides.

Our tip: Many janitorial services and also some chimney sweep companies will be happy to take on your roof clearance order. The costs incurred are well invested before you handle a ladder and broom in icy conditions.

Every autumn, remember to winterize your carport and prepare it for the cold and wet season. Because the thorough maintenance and care in autumn has a positive effect on the service life and prevents major damage caused by ice and moisture. Also remember to reduce the snow load on the carport by clearing snow if necessary so as not to overload the structure.