Month: November 2018

Anchors: The Best Option for You

Throughout every season, many customers wonder how we ensure that our metal buildings stay sturdy and strong for many years. The answer is fairly straightforward: we use anchors. American Carports uses four different types of anchors or tie-downs when installing your metal structures. Rebar anchors—pin anchors—are used for standard installations on ground, gravel, clay, and sand. We also offer asphalt anchors, concrete anchors, and mobile home anchors (MHAs) as upgrade options for ground installation.

Standard Rebar Anchors

Measuring approximately 36 inches, our standard rebar anchors are hammered through base rails and into the ground. Rebar anchors are commonly used for ground installations. However, these anchors do NOT offer any type of warranty whatsoever. That’s why many of our customers like to upgrade to mobile home anchors for the extra durability.

Mobile Home and Asphalt Anchors

Unlike rebar anchors, 30-inch mobile home anchors are screwed into the ground and latched to the sides of the base rails with bolts. Mobile home anchors can also be added to your unit to give you an extra wind warranty. To ensure the wind warranty, you need to purchase the suggested number of mobile home anchors. Asphalt anchors are also latched onto the sides of the base rails with bolts and are approximately 30 inches.

Concrete Anchors

These anchors are installed with the same method used for rebar anchors: drilled through base rails and into concrete. The only advantage of these anchors is that they come FREE with the purchase of the building, thereby offering you the wind warranty at no additional cost. However, this will also depend on your concrete slab.

Concrete Slab

When having concrete anchors installed, you can also purchase L-Brackets, which will ensure that we do not chip the edge of your slab if you choose to make the building flush with the concrete. If you allow a lip of 3 inches or more of slab around the building, L-Brackets are not necessary.

Anchoring is an essential part of carport installation, so having a level site is crucial. We suggest that the slope difference be no greater than 3 inches. Our installers can refuse to install on unlevel ground. To ensure everyone’s safety and per company policy, our installers will not install a carport or metal building unless they can ensure that it is properly anchored. We only install on ground, gravel, asphalt, and concrete. We do not anchor to railroad ties, cinder blocks, storage containers, floating docks, or bricks. Please contact our main office to inquire about installation on surfaces other than those mentioned above.

 

You can always refer to our contract or contact us at (866) 471-8761 for further information on choosing the best anchors for your building and site installation.

24′ x 41′ x 15′ Metal Workshop

Do you know that the tallest you can go in any of our metal buildings is 20’? There are certain restrictions that can apply when getting a building over 12’ in height, however, such as that the leg height cannot overpass the width of the building (for stability). Many of our customers often assume that we cannot go taller than 12’ due to the standard dimensions on our flyers. But don’t let the numbers fool you—we can certainly go tall. We do want to let our customers know that once a building overpasses 12’ in height, extra labor/equipment will be required.

Aside from that important information, take a look at his 24’W x 41’L x 15’H metal workshop:

  • A-Frame Vertical Roof
  • Horizontal Sides & Ends
  • 12′ x 13.5′ Roll-Up Door (front end)
  • 8′ x 8′ Roll-Up Door (front end)
  • 36″ x 80″ Walk-In Door (left side)
  • 4 – 3′ x 8′ Skylights

Outstanding, isn’t it? Now, you might be thinking, what am I going to store in something this tall? Well, metal buildings of this height can be used for many purposes. For example, if you’re looking to protect your RV, but you don’t want the typical cover, this enclosed building can definitely provide the shade and protection you need. You can also use this building as your workshop to work on your big toys; these are just a few options to give you an idea of the endless ways that you can use this metal building.

You can always customize the size, color, and features of any of our metal buildings displayed in our blogs and social media. All you need to do is give us a call and let one of our experts help you find and price the right metal building for your specific needs! Don’t forget that we now offer Rent-To-Own in all of our service areas. Give us a call at (866) 471-8761 for more information.

12’ x 16’ x 7’ Mini Storage

Have you ever thought about how much stuff we actually have in our homes? They say that you don’t really know how much stuff you have until it’s time to move out. If you think about it, there are belongings that we can’t just simply get rid of but that still take up space, like paperwork that might not be useful at that moment, but will be crucial at some point. What about our garden tools? There’s so much that can be stored.

However, what if you don’t have enough space for a metal building on your property? That’s when things get tricky—but you don’t have to worry: that’s why there are mini-storages.

Mini-storages are the best addition to your property when space is limited and all you need is to keep your belongings safe and protected. American Carports offers mini-storages for your special needs with many different sizes and options.

Take a look at this 12’W x 16’L x 7’H mini-storage, for example:

  • A-Frame Vertical Roof
  • Horizontal Sides & Ends
  • 6’x6′ Roll-Up Door
  • Wood Floor

Customization is another feature that we offer in our metal structures. As we mentioned before, all of our metal buildings are designed to meet your special needs and expectations. You can start planning now by giving us a call at (866) 471-8761 for a quick customized quote. Remember that all of our mini-storage buildings come with a ¾” pressure-treated wood floor.

Stay on top of our recently installed units by liking us on Facebook and Instagram!

Protecting your Investments Year-Round

In the summer months, they are all over the highway, weaving in and out of lanes, onto the shoulders, across the center lines, and nearly into the ditch. Clearly, many people sitting behind wheels of large recreational vehicles are not used to driving 40-foot boxes on wheels, even without wind. Their poor driving skills are most obvious when they try to negotiate the most basic right and left turns.

Driving skills aside, have you ever wondered how much those gas-guzzling behemoths cost, especially since the average price of a passenger car has surpassed $31,000? In 2018, the average cost of a new recreation vehicle is around $135,500. Depending on the options, prices can range into the millions.

It’s unfortunate that having money to burn doesn’t mean having the skill to actually drive an RV safely! Regardless of this, given the size of their investments, owners of RVs want them to look good as long as possible, hopefully until they’re paid off. After all, who wants to drive around in a vehicle that looks like it belongs to Cousin Eddie? Not driving it would defeat its purpose, but owners at least want assurance that they can keep their six-wheeled monstrosities safe when they’re off the road.

Most people don’t own barns or garages large enough to house a 40- or 50-foot RV, so the most practical way to protect it from the elements is with a prefabricated metal building or metal RV carport. Although steel buildings are colloquially referred to as metal carports, they are available in sizes large enough to accommodate the biggest RVs. It’s also good to know that these carports are affordable. This makes them excellent options for owners of boats, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles who don’t want to pay for offsite storage. The bottom line is that anyone looking to shelter their expensive vehicles from snow, ice, rain, and sun can get durable protection without spending thousands of dollars.

Although metal carport prices vary, even the largest, most deluxe metal RV port will be considerably cheaper than rented storage space. Owners will know to be happier knowing that their vehicles are safe and sound on their own premises.

f you live in an area with lots of adverse and unpredictable weather conditions, then you know how important it is to plan ahead and protect your vehicles during the winter months. If you haven’t made these preparations yet, you might want to buy a carport.

For example, hail, which is often not covered by car insurance, can be especially damaging to cars. In more than half the cases in which hail destroys the structural integrity of a car, the damages are not repaired. With the help of carport installers, however, you can ensure that your vehicle is not harmed by Mother Nature.

In particular, metal carports made of galvanized steel can be effective in multiple environments, from industrial settings to coastal areas. People who specifically near the ocean and own boats will find that these structures can protect their property well throughout the year.

An additional benefit of a steel carport is that it can be recycled in perpetuity without losing its strength or sustainability over the years. You can protect your prized possessions while being environmentally responsible.

When you choose a company to help you install your carport, you will want to base your decision on who can get the job done in a timely manner with the highest quality materials. When it comes to protecting your property from the elements, it’s important to make sure that you have peace of mind and can go about your day during a nasty storm without worrying about the physical state of your vehicle.

 

Standard 30’ x 26’ x 9’ Triple Wide

If you have constantly left your vehicles out in the open, exposing them to the sun or natural elements, you know this can be damaging in the long term. Protecting your vehicles or belongings shouldn’t be considered another expense: instead, think of it more as an investment. If you’re thinking about getting a carport, then you’re on the right track! Due to their durability, low maintenance, weather resistance, and sturdiness, metal buildings are now considered a superior type of outdoor building. And if you want all of this for a reasonable price, then American Carports is the company you should call!

With more than 20 years of experience in this field, our group of professionals knows exactly how to deliver a great experience—on everything from the simplest carport installed outside of your house to the most complex warehouse exclusively designed to meet your needs and expectations.

But since we’re talking about saving money today, we’re going to go for the simple stuff.

We must say that is up to our customers to add extra features and different options in order to make their carports or metal buildings more appealing to the eye. Now, is that necessary? This depends on what features you want to add. Some windows, for example, might be beneficial for illumination during the daytime. A couple of garage doors might be needed if you have multiple vehicles that you need to protect. You see? Each scenario is completely different, depending on our needs.

Maybe this 30’W x 26’L x 9’H partially enclosed carport might suit your needs:

  • Standard Roof
  • 14-Gauge Galvanized Tubing
  • (1) Full Side
  • (1) Full End

Remember that everything we do is custom made, and all we want is for our customers to be happy with their investment. You can create yours, too! Give us a call today at (866) 471-8761 to speak with one of our experts and get a FREE quote! Don’t forget to ask about our financing options. And remember that we’re now offering rent-to-own in all of our service areas.