How Do You Stop a Carport from Swaying in High Winds?

If you live in an area that has hurricane season, tornado season, or periods of high winds during the year, you may want to consider adding extra support to your carport. In a severe storm with high winds, trees can be torn from the ground, cars can be rolled down the street, and homes can be leveled. Imagine what those winds can do to a carport. In a scenario like that, the roof would turn into a giant sail. According to Verisk’s Property Claim Services, “Tornadoes accounted for 39.9% of insured catastrophe losses from 1997 to 2016.” That means insurance claims made due to tornado damage made up over one-third of the total claims. Tornadoes can happen in many parts of the country, so it’s a good idea to protect your carport from high winds and potential damage.

So, just how do you stop a carport from swaying or being blown down? Take some precautions ahead of a major storm event, and make sure your building is secure enough to withstand high winds.

When you install the carport, you want it to stand on concrete for the most stability and durability. You should anchor your carport to the concrete slab, as it provides the best defense against swaying. There aren’t winds strong enough to lift a slab of concrete off the ground. Make sure the slab is installed with anchors buried deep so the vertical supports can be attached to it. If your carport is put directly onto the ground or a bed of stone, there are earth drive anchors available that will help secure your building. They’re usually around four feet long, made of steel, and are screwed into the ground.

For some additional support, you can cross brace the vertical supports of the carport. Cross bracing your carport will give it more stability in lower winds and keep it square. The extra support also makes for a more solid structure in all weather conditions. This may be especially important to do if you have a triple carport due to their size. To do this, measure diagonally from the bottom of one support to the top of the next one. That’s how long the piece of metal you will need should be. Put an additional cross piece between each support to make the carport stronger.