The most popular options when looking for a good place to park your car are carports and garages. However, which should you choose? Which is better for you, a carport or a garage?
Carports and garages can be distinguished from one another very simply. Garages are fully enclosed structures – either attached to a building or freestanding, consisting of a roof, walls, and one or more doors large enough to move a car through. By definition, a carport does not have 4 walls or a door and can be as little as a freestanding roof supported by columns.
Make the best decision for your vehicle by learning more about these structures.
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What Is A Carport?
Carports (also known as car porches) are less substantial than garages but are still intended to offer some level of protection for a vehicle and shield occupants from the elements when entering or exiting a car. Compared to garages, a carport’s construction is much more defined by its materials.
Typically, a carport is made up of a roof that is supported on one side by pillars and attached to a building, such as a house.
Related Post: What is Carport Parking?
Advantages Of A Carport Over A Garage
On the other hand, a carport’s less enclosed nature is where most of its advantages lie.
Carports Are Faster And Easier To Build
Carports can be built more quickly and with less specialized equipment and labor than garages because there is simply less to them.
Cost Of A Carport
A carport is less expensive to construct than a garage because it requires less labor and fewer materials. Our team will completely custom-design and install your new carport for you and your house. For a detailed quote or more information, get in touch with us.
Is A Carport Subject To A Need For Planning Permission?
Carports are regarded as “permitted development,” so homeowners are not required to obtain planning permission in order to erect one. However, there are some circumstances in which they might, and a complete breakdown of the rules can be found on the government’s Planning Portal website.
Carports Are Very Versatile
In addition to serving as a play area, workshop, and barbecue station in addition to serving as vehicle storage space, an open-sided shelter provides a convenient haven from the sun or rain.
Carports Allow Superior Ventilation
Unlike carports, which are always open to the breeze and guarantee that there is always enough airflow around anything that is parked or stored there, garages are prone to becoming musty.
Modern Carports Are Small And Discreet
Compared to garages, carports are typically less noticeable and have less of an aesthetic impact on most modern homes.
Read More: What Is A Carport?
What Is A Garage?
In this context, a garage is a completely enclosed building made to house and safeguard one or more vehicles. It could be a standalone structure or one that is attached to a house.
Nevertheless, there are numerous garage design variations in use today.
In addition, garages are divided into sizes.
A garage could be a single, double, triple, or tandem design.
- In the UK, single-car garages are the most prevalent kind. They have enough room inside for one average-sized car or a smaller vehicle, as well as potential space for storage or a workbench.
- Because they are wider, double garages can accommodate two medium-sized cars parked side by side while still allowing access to one car at a time. Either two doors are installed side by side, or the garage door is twice as wide as in a single garage.
- Although triple and quadruple garages are extremely uncommon in the UK, they all have at least two single or double doors and are wider overall.
- Tandem garages are only one car wide but can accommodate two (medium or small) cars nose to tail thanks to their depth. Due to the inconvenience, these are less common as a way to protect two cars from the elements, but many people use the extra space for storage or as a makeshift laundry room.
Related Reading: Types of Garages
Advantages Of A Garage Over A Carport
A garage’s full enclosure is what gives it the majority of its benefits.
Garages Are Very Versatile
Many garages don’t even house vehicles; they are instead used to store belongings or are transformed into living quarters, offices, or even home gyms.
Garages Offer Excellent Protection From The Elements
‘The golden rule of weatherproof architecture for millennia has been “four walls and a roof.”
Garages Are Fairly Secure
Modern garage doors can be as secure as a home’s main doors if they are equipped with high-quality locks. This means that you can store a variety of items, including pricey tools, there reasonably safely, in addition to your car.
Garages Can Be Built To Match The Property
In order to match the aesthetic of the existing property, whether a garage is built along with the house or is added later, it can typically be made of the same materials and in the same style.
Difference Between A Carport And A Garage
The similarities between carports and garages are numerous. They both provide protection from the wind, rain, and sun and can either be attached to the side of your house or stand alone as free-standing structures. They differ from one another in terms of appearance, construction, and price. Garages are completely enclosed buildings with a door and a sizable shutter that allow access for both you and the vehicle.
They keep out everything the environment can throw at your car because they are totally enclosed. A carport, in contrast, is a building with at least two open sides. Although less effective because the elements can still enter your car through the open sides, it will still keep rain and sunlight off of your car.
A Garage Vs. A Carport: Which Is Better
Whether to construct a full garage or a carport depends on a number of variables. Carports are less large, less expensive to construct, present fewer planning challenges (if any), and have a much smaller impact on a home’s aesthetic appeal. To assist you in selecting the best scenario for you, let’s take a look at a few potential outcomes.
1. Your reason for building your carport or garage is to get equipment out of your home
Building a garage or carport is frequently done to facilitate the removal of tools and other equipment from the home. Carports can protect other items to some extent, but if they are valuable, that protection will not be adequate. A garage is a much safer option because it is less likely to be broken into for tools and sporting goods.
2. Your vehicles are very valuable
Your vehicles can be well-protected by both garages and carports. Even carports with only two sides of protection can shield your vehicle from 90% of potential damage from the elements. The best option, however, if you want the assurance that your car is hidden from the prying eyes of potential car thieves, is to have a garage.
3. You live in an area that is prone to heavy wind and rain at certain times of the year
If you’re sick of stepping out of or into your car in the pouring rain and strong winds, carports and garages can both be very beneficial. There is no need to leave your cover if you can connect a carport to your home; it will do the job just fine. In this case, either option will work; it just depends on your budget and whether you have any other uses for it.
4. You will be living in your home for a number of years and have no plans to sell
Although adding a garage can be more expensive, it does increase the value of your house. If you don’t intend to sell any time soon, you should probably ignore the added value that garages add because they eventually wear out and lose value.
5. You are short on funds but know you need something to protect your car
Consider installing a carport instead, which is much simpler to build and can be constructed from a variety of standard building materials. Even better, you can construct one yourself with the aid of some friends. Just keep in mind that a well-built garage will probably last longer than a carport.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of significant distinctions between garages and carports. While both carports and garages have advantages and disadvantages, neither is unquestionably superior to the other. Garages are more aesthetically pleasing and provide more dependable security. Carports are inexpensive and portable, but they provide only a little protection.
Choose the option that best fits your circumstances by taking them into account.
