Steel Buildings Rise Of The Car Port

Steel Buildings.

The word “carport” originates from the same idea of a “ship port”. Basically a home port for your car.
It is commonly believed that the term became widely accepted sometime between the 1930s to 1950s. During this time period, vehicles tended to be less waterproof than they are today, so the need to cover a vehicle from the elements was even more prevalent than it is today. Yet, even as far as we have come in modern day vehicles, the need still exists. The sun is a major driving force in the degradation of pigments in paint causing them to become lighter in vibrance and have a dull, faded look. The sun and other elements breaking down the clear coat on a vehicle only speeds up the degradation of the actual paint color itself.

In the early days of the car, they were often stored in a barn, but the convenience of a dedicated metal carport has become very popular over the years. Many houses are built without an attached garage and often even without a detached garage. Carports can be used in either situation not only as a car port, but also to store atvs, motorcycles, tools, general storage and even RVs. As the material wealth has grown in the country, so has the need grown for the storage of that wealth. Vehicles are generally much more watertight these days than they were in the 30s, but the value retained from a well protected vehicle is usually far greater than one left to bear the elements.