Most of these structures are of the aluminum frame and polyester canopy variety. This includes the larger canopy structures which, in many cases, are called wedding tents. Although wedding tents can sometimes have a square formation, these are more rectangular, with poles in the center holding up the structure. In general, these types of canopies are appropriate for the event, as each can be put up and taken down quickly and will protect those under from the sun. The canopy material, whether polyester or polyethylene, is treated to be UV resistant, or at least reduce UV rays, and waterproof, in case of rain. Although the Taste of Wallingford wasn’t hit with rain that day, the vendors were prepared with the appropriate structures for any inclement weather.

Some tarps and portable garage dealers carry specific replacement canopy covers for these shelters. More specifically, specialized designs, such as these rounded roof, barn-style, and horse shelter portable buildings may need a specialized canopy. Some portable garage retailers, such as CanopyHut, carry these specific replacement canopies for your structure, particularly if it is covered all over – and not just the roof – by this tarp like material. As specified on the website, these canopies also come in sizes designed for your shelter.

But what about if you just have a standard portable garage or carport that doesn’t have walls or a specialized shape? Other dealers of portable buildings and tarps carry replacement canopies for your building. A1 Tarps, the retailer under the link, carries individual tarps for various sized portable buildings, as well as steel replacements for the canopy itself, if it doesn’t last its full fifteen to twenty year warranty. If you’re purchasing a standard tarp for your canopy, one thing to keep in mind is that most tarp sizes shrink, maybe even up to three inches less than the dimensions specified. To make sure your portable garage or carport has the correct size, order a tarp size slight larger and, once it shrinks, it should be the ideal size for your portable storage building.

The two types of frames seen in the Shelters of America video are a pointed roof portable garage, while the other has the look of a barn. The former is considered a typical portable garage or outdoor canopy, in which a polyethylene canopy roof can be put on top and side walls, as well as front and back doors, are optional. The height on this portable garage building, in addition, indicates that it’s designed for a larger vehicle, such as an RV to be stored for several months or as a taller truck for daily storage, much like a carport.

The latter portable storage building is shaped like a barn. One option for using portable garages is to store farm equipment, as farm equipment like tractors can be used regularly or can be stored for seasonal use. The design doesn’t have practical value, necessarily, but the barn-like shape gives the structure some additional width, which is ideal for larger pieces of farm equipment. Barn-shaped portable garages, on the other hand, are designed more like the rounded-roof style, in that the canopy stretches from one side of the building to the other and both a front and back door are used. These barn-like shelters, in addition, often have a zipper front door, which is used for both regularly-used and seasonal farm equipment storage.

Parts of this article mention the use of tarps. Although tarps are kept outside in the winter to protect seasonal vehicles like boats and RVs, they’re also used in the summer, too, to protect investments from being wet. Regardless of whether you’re covering a vehicle up in warm or cold weather with a tarp, the same principals needs to be used. First, this includes holding the tarp in place with a bungee cord to prevent it from moving and, also, to give the tarp a tighter surface. As mentioned in the article, a slack surface allows for the formation of stagnant pools of water which, in turn, lead to mosquitoes breeding.

Another aspect pertaining to tarps is cleaning or emptying any water on the surface. While tarps are treated to be mildew resistant and waterproof, the tarp should be cleaned for mildew and excess water during the summer months, as well. For the latter, any water that accumulates on the surface should be dumped off. While some vehicles, such as a motorcycle, may be covered in a looser but secured tarp, any excess water after a storm should be shaken off so it doesn’t grow into a bigger pool and attract mosquitoes.

What are some ways for protecting a motorcycle? The most convenient option is with a small portable storage shelters. Although these are generally used for cars and larger vehicles, some storage shelters are designed for smaller vehicles and smaller amounts of storage – think the size of a traditional tool shed. Or, if you own both a car and a motorcycle, one of the medium-sized portable garages can be used for storing two vehicles or having two vehicles use it like a carport. Many portable shelter companies carry motorcycle canopies, such as Portable Garage Depot, in specific sizes.

What if you can’t afford a full portable shelter? Another option for protecting your motorcycle outside is with a tarp. Heavy duty polyethylene tarps can protect hay and seasonal vehicles like boats and RVs outside, so why not motorcycles? When covering a motorcycle with one of these tarps, the tarp should surround the motorcycle and be secured with bungee cords so it doesn’t blow off and expose the vehicle.

Although Labor Day is over, the fall season is still warm enough for some backyard parties. When setting up one of these party tents for a get-together in your backyard, the structure is typically one or two pieces. With pop-up tents, the canopy may be attached to the metal frame, which folds out and upward in one piece. One of these tents can be set up by yourself or with a group of people. Once the tent is folded out, additional support for it during the party can be done with small metal anchors. These attach to the legs of the canopy and can be driven into the ground to keep the canopy firmly in place.

If you don’t already have a party tent (or know someone who owns one), one of these structures can be purchased through any canopy supplier. In addition, these structures can be modified by plastic walls or mosquito netting in case of insects. These walls or netting can be attached to the sides of the canopy and, in case you no longer need to use them, the material can be taken down or tied to the posts of the party tent.

If the steel structure of a canopy is left on the beach and goes out to sea, the metal will eventually rust. Although not as harmful to marine life as plastic or Styrofoam items, anything that is litter going out into the ocean may harm marine life – and steel components may be harmful to larger marine creature. If you don’t know about how harmful litter of all types is to the ocean, Green Eco Services has a page detailing the effects of litter on marine creatures.

If you’re a beach goer, what can you do to prevent beach litter? The first thing is to take your canopy home. Most steel pop-up canopies are easy to transport and take in a car, so when packing up your things, remember to bring both the canopy and steel structure. If you see others leaving their steel canopies on the beach – but taking everything else with them – remind them about the canopy they’re leaving behind or, if the canopy is already abandoned, contact any local authorities to report the abandoned canopy. Although a steel canopy frame may be alone on the beach, the tide may rise and drag it out to sea.

For permanent outdoor canopies, what is the difference between a portable garage and an RV or boat shelter? Typically, it’s the size and the selection on Canopy Hut’s new product pages reflects this. The shelters on the boat canopy page can cover at least one boat, while the RV shelters are all long canopy structures with walls designed to cover at least one RV. The larger RV shelters are both wide and long to hold two RVs. In addition, other permanent outdoor shelters Canopy Hut now carries include car canopies, which are enclosed or open carports for one or more cars to fit under in all kinds of weather. All of these permanent outdoor canopies are by Shelterlogic.

The other new products now offered by Canopy Hut are temporary shelters that can be set up outdoors with ease. These shelters are called party tents, pop-up canopies, or wedding tents depending on the size – wedding tents are typically the largest of this kind – and Canopy Hut now has trade show canopies. If you’re planning on attending a trade show outdoors with many items to protect, one of these canopy structures can be folded up in your car and can be set up quickly once at the trade show. As this canopy is only for temporary use, it is designed to be taken out, put up, and transported with ease.

Spreading a tarp out over a garden is only part of the solution, and, as seen earlier in posts about mesh tarps and garden tarps, the tarp needs to be elevated above the plants to protect fully, be it from sun for lowlight plants or from hail. In the case of this article, cement blocks should be set at the corners of the garden before the tarp is put down. The tarp is then draped over the cement blocks and secured. To keep the tarp down additional, stakes should be hammered into the tarp – through the grommets. In the case that a hail storm watch is in effect, the tarp and the stakes should already be prepared before the storm hits.

Protecting your plants from damage is important, and tarps, as versatile as they are, can be used for this. However, as the tarp is suspended above the plants by cement blocks, the plants protected by hail from this method should be vining plants, like cucumber or tomato plants, or floral plants that are closer to the ground. Using a tarp with taller plants may damage or bend the plants, so, in the case that your garden consists mostly of taller, non-vining plants, such as small bushes or tall floral plants like bleeding hearts, tarps won’t be a sufficient covering and one of the other methods in the Examiner article, such as trash cans, would give better protection.

Another issue concerning “tarp cities” has been in the news recently and that is about the homeless in Victoria, British Columbia using tarps for shelter, as the city does not have enough space in its shelters for its homeless population. This article mentions that, up until 2007, tarps and tents weren’t allowed to be used as shelter in Victoria, but this ruling was overturned and revised to accommodate the homeless outside at night because of a lack of space in the city’s shelters. The laws now regarding tarp and tent shelters in Victoria allow these structures to be used as night and only in parts of a park.

The argument against these tarp and tent “cities” in the park in Victoria, as mentioned in the article, concerns warmer weather and more debris – trash and leftover tarps – in the park. But, in terms of tarps, the tarps themselves shouldn’t be banned, especially if the city doesn’t have enough space in their shelters for their homeless. To cut back on debris, one option is increasing shelter space or having stricter litter laws as, even if the homeless in these tarp cities didn’t use tarps and tents for protection, trash would still be in the parks.