There are many great reasons to purchase a carport, but most of them center on protecting your vehicles or other valuable items. So when shopping for a carport, it is wise to consider more than just the cost of the unit when making your selection. It is important to remember that this structure is going to need to endure all of the elements that your region has to offer including rain, snow, ice, wind and sunlight. With this in mind, a Home Depot carport really isn’t a good investment.
Professional Quality Versus Do-It-Yourself
There are some DIY projects that can save homeowners a great deal of money. But there are other projects that are going to appear to provide some initial savings only to end up costing a great deal more in the long run. A carport is one of those projects that is best entrusted to professionals and to professional grade materials. Heavy gauge steel supports and durable steel sheeting are critical to the overall protection provided by a carport. Lower quality materials are also going to pose a much greater risk to whatever you are parking in your carport. No one wants to walk out and find that their carport has collapsed on their car or boat after a heavy snow fall.
Warranty
It is always important to get a good warranty on an expensive investment. But most of the Home Depot carports offer only a 30 day warranty. And this is mostly to cover any parts that were damaged during shipping, as they offer to replace the parts for free during that 30 day period. But a high quality professional grade carport offers a full one year warranty. This is because the manufacturers know that they are offering a quality product that will last far longer than the one year period. But it sounds like Home Depot is just hoping that your DIY carport lasts for more than a month.
Invest Once In Quality
As with most things, you get what you pay for. If you are interested in investing in a product to provide you with an extra storage area and covered parking, then quality is important. Spending the money for a commercial grade structure will provide you with a long term solution to your storage and parking needs without the worry of damage to the structure and your belongings from a storm or the elements. The Home Depot models are only sure they can offer you that benefit for 30 days. So go professional now or risk paying twice for a carport.