But extreme weather is not relegated solely to winter. Instead, storms happen in all months of the year, whether seasonally-appropriate or not. No matter the case, the carport should always be ready to hold up to the impending rain, sleet, snow, hail, or other precipitation.

A few weeks ago in Somerset, Penn., a spring snowfall caused a couple’s carport to collapse. Not a standalone carport, the structure was attached to their house, and the snowfall caused the structure to break, which ended up damaging items underneath. Although the news story from WJAC-TV does not indicate the state of repair the carport was in, it does mention it was constructed as part of the house, which was built in 1993.

Although some carports can hold up to 90 mile per hour winds and several pounds of snow per foot, no structure offers absolute strength. Still, a homeowner can be prepared at all points of the year. To make sure the carport has the strength to stand up to a storm, regardless of the weather outdoors, check for the following features:
• Has the structure fully been secured into the ground? Or, is it still loose? A portable garage or carport must be able to stay in place.
• Is the top, be it polyethylene or metal, sturdy?
• Are all poles and joints in good condition?

If any of these are less than sturdy, repair or fix your shelter before the storm hits. For finding the right parts or materials, carport dealers sell replacement canopies and frame components and anchor kits.

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• Using Portable Storage Buildings in Winter(tarpsandcanopies.info)

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Reported by KIVI-TV, farmers in the Boise area of Idaho have seen high water, rain, and even hail. The weather, as a result, has pushed back growing season. While farmers are waiting for dryer conditions, they need to protect the plants they already have added, and one farmer took an innovative approach by applying tarps to his seeds to prevent them from getting saturated with water.

Water is not expected to be a significant factor next year, although last year, weather pushed farmers’ schedules even more behind. As this occupation is essentially at the mercy of the weather, farmers must be prepared for all of its extreme conditions and capriciousness.

Other extreme seasonal conditions can destroy and undermine the long and hard labor of planting vegetables, fruits, and other crops, and for these, a farmer, or even a casual grower, must be prepared with a strategy. Tarps, for instance, are great for keeping off the frost, but if the material is left on too long, moisture becomes trapped under the material and can still damage any plants. To protect your crop from these conditions, go with a polyethylene material that provides a minimal amount of ventilation – but not so much that cold air and frost can enter – and effectively hold it down with rocks or stakes.

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• Frustrating crop harvest this year(radionz.co.nz)

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• Maintaining Your Tarps Through Winter Weather(findtarps.com)

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• Farmers Continue Efforts To Protect Crops From Frost(fox2now.com)

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Although Survival Supply previously carried outdoor shelters, the new selection covers enclosed, valance, and solid structures. Designed for long-term protection of RVs, boats, and other investments, enclosed portable garages are ideal as emergency shelters once anchored correctly into the ground. The strength allows the structure to hold up through most types of weather conditions, while the polyethylene keeps out UV rays and water and prevents mold, mildew, and dry rot from forming on your investment. Depending upon temperature control, one of the enclosed shelters is ideal for holding food storage, such as cans or buckets of freeze-dried food and water, along with other emergency supplies.

Survival Supply’s new product selection encompasses portable garages of all sizes and shapes, from smaller structures designed for at-home needs to larger ones better for commercial environments. Round, peaked, and barn-styles are all included.

Aside from emergency shelter and long-term storage, portable garages have the right structure to become greenhouses. In fact, these kits serve as the template for portable greenhouses – also available through Survival Supply – and are additionally equipped with relevant features, such as a translucent cover. As part of emergency preparedness can include growing and preserving your own food, a greenhouse fits right in with a long-term strategy.

Aside from enclosed shelters, Survival Supply also expanded its selection to include valance carports in large and small sizes and storage sheds. Both structures, as well, are designed for daily and long-term storage needs.

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• Emergency Preparedness- Tips from Rocky Mountain Survival(familyfocusblog.com)

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• National Severe Weather Preparedness Week (isurvivalsupply.com)

As local station WBTV explains in its story, tarped roofs aren’t the only sign a major storm passed through the region. Piles and dumpsters of debris are still around, and homeowners continue to find damaged siding, roofing, and windows. In total, the station explains, 180 homes were damaged, with some now uninhabitable and others qualifying for federal assistance. Because of the latter, rebuilding may take several months.

Emergency preparedness is a significant part of preparing for a storm like this and other natural disaster. Because rehabilitation can take months, being able to live without standard food and water sources is necessary, and while these two should be stockpiled in a safe, dry location within a home, additional supplies are needed for the cleanup afterwards.

Tarps, in this regards, are a versatile necessity. The polyethylene material prevents water and UV rays from further entering and damaging the interior of your home, and its strength lasts roughly three months. Aside from temporarily patching a roof, tarps can be placed over damaged windows, lights, or siding – essentially in any location water, UV rays, or mildew could enter your home.

Because debris likely needs to be removed, considering storm supplies is a necessary facet to an emergency preparedness plan. For an individual at home, a shovel is crucial, as are tools and boards for attaching tarps. Gloves and hard hats protect the hands and head, respectively, against any potential dangers, such as falling debris or splintered wood, during a cleanup. In case of an injury, a full first aid kit must be dry and accessible for use.

Related articles

• Tarps and Emergency Gear (findtarps.com)
• Alabama Tornado Recovery Exposes Dangers of Roof Tarps (findtarps.com)

Developed by University of Manitoba professor Gordon Giesbrecht, K.U.W.L. prevents students from waiting outdoors without jackets. Giesbrecht experienced similar conditions in the wilderness, and to combat them, K.U.W.L. forms a barrier against the wind, traps heat inside, and is warmed by the sun. Six 40×20 tarps are used to shelter the student population of almost 400. Once the tarps are up, the students underneath hold them down with their feet and poles keep the interior up. The system is additionally stored on a custom cart, which is rolled to the front of a school for a fire drill.

Why does such a simple system work? While the tarps mentioned by the Winnipeg Free Press are turned into ice skating rinks, polyethylene is, in fact, versatile and is frequently included in several commercial applications. Draped along the side of a construction project in winter, it keeps warmth inside, allowing workers to complete their duties effectively. On trucks, the material is tightly wrapped around a load or attached to a bed to prevent water from damaging any materials transported. As well, seasonal vehicles and equipment are sheltered in winter from water and UV rays with large poly tarps.

Creating your own shelter for warmth is a straightforward task, as several retailers carry large tarps. Tarps1.com carries 20×40 white poly tarps, which are ideal for any number of applications, while other retailers, such as Tarps Outlet and A1 Tarps offer 20 x 40 tarps in other colors.

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• Manitoba Students Create Emergency Shelter with Giant Tarps (findtarps.com)
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Canvas tarps are a must for any painting in the home. Draped over furniture and spread out over the floor, the material – often, in layman’s terms, called a “drop cloth” – is less likely to slip, unlike plastic sheets, and absorbs paint. As a result, your furniture, floor, and other furnishings stay in good condition when a door, wall, or window frame is painted.

More commonly, poly tarps are versatile and waterproof, and such qualities make them ideal for both internal and external uses. Recovery in the aftermath of a storm is a prime opportunity for poly tarps, as the material serves as a temporary patch on broken windows and damaged roofs. Rather than simply drape the material over, however, the poly tarp must be secured, and holding it in place with boards and nails is a common method. Be careful with the placement of a poly tarp in these instances, as securing it over a vent may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Although poly tarps temporarily prevent water and mildew from entering your home, the material is equally useful when a leak is being fixed. To reduce water damage to any furniture or investments inside, place large sheets of the waterproof material over any space with dripping water.

Gardens, as well, benefit from tarps. As frost destroys plants, poly tarps act like a protective guard, although some ventilation is necessary. If frost or a freeze is predicted in the weather forecast, throw a few tarps, all with small holes cut into the material, over the garden and secure them down.

On the other hand, not all plants require the same amount of light, and mesh tarps, in this case, regulate this. For low-light plants, place a canopy with a mesh tarp, often called shade canopies, over the area. As these tarps only let in about 25 percent of light, the plants get the right amount of shade once placed below.

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• Utilizing Different Types of Tarps (findtarps.com)
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Carport Depot’s vast selection is efficiently broken down, which makes finding the right type and size of shelter easier. Each category is divided by width; as a result, a shopper can find carports and portable sheds six to 30 feet wide. From here, each width is broken down into types: the standard peak style; round, which is ideal for areas with frequent or a large amount of precipitation; and barn-style, which is essentially a functional hybrid of round and peak frames. Beyond this point, carports and other portable shelters come in a selection of heights.

Anyone buying must come up with the right size and needs beforehand. Otherwise, browsing can soon become overwhelming. Measuring the vehicle or equipment or determining the exact amount of personal or commercial storage in square feet first is recommended for effective searching. Additionally, factor in any local building codes or ordinances pertaining to sheds, outdoor structures, or portable buildings.

Beyond the styles and sizes, Carport Depot offers shoppers multiple types of shelters: the standard powder-coated variety, galvanized steel for long-term use, enclosed for long-term storage, and valance for everyday use. These four parameters result in several shelter combinations: lighter-weight valance carports for seasonal or everyday use, powder-coated or galvanized steel enclosed portable garage for year-long protection, and galvanized fully steel structures for long-term and multipurpose uses.

Carport Depot, additionally, lays out all possible uses for these versatile shelters. Aside from covering a car, one can be used to protect a boat or RV in winter; become temporary shelter for horses or other livestock; hold all agriculture or general equipment; be turned into a greenhouse; or keep smaller vehicles, such as motorcycles, dry.

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Slipping off a roof is a hazard when tarps are applied, but it’s not the only danger. After nearly a dozen tornadoes passed through parts of Alabama on January 23, a local utility company noticed a handful of residents are tarping over vents. When covered by the polyethylene, the vent does not effectively pass carbon monoxide through. The chemical, as a result, builds up inside a home, and an individual, exposed to too high an amount, may experience seizures, heart failure, or death. Carbon monoxide, unfortunately, is odorless. Its early effects can be dizziness or nausea but is only accurately identified with a carbon monoxide detector.

Although roof vents are not present on all homes, they are added for natural gases to escape or for any propane appliances, gas fireplaces, water heaters, and furnaces inside. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in the aftermath of the tornadoes, utility workers are going around Alabama towns to check homes. If, however, you suspect you may be covering a vent with a tarp, follow the Trussville Utilities and Inspection and Engineering Department’s suggestions:

• A hole must be cut in the tarp and pulled over the exhaust vents for appliances that use gas or propane such as water heaters, gas furnaces and kitchen appliances.
• Keep tarp about 6 inches from exhaust vents because tarp material is combustible and vents get hot.
• If vent is gone or badly damaged, keep the gas turned off until vent is fixed.
• Seal the tarp, where it’s been cut around the vent, with caulk or other method to prevent leaks.

Casselberry, Fla., is one of the latest cities to propose such a measure. Called the “public nuisance and property maintenance ordinance,” the proposed measure is part of the city’s overall plan to attract new business and improve its appearance. Essentially, it appears from a piece in the Orlando Sentinel, the city is concerned that a visually-unattractive property could lower the value of the surrounding neighborhood. If the ordinance goes into effect, homeowners must be vigilant about their properties’ appearances: garbage cans cannot be kept outdoors after 9 p.m. and cannot be set out for collection before 7 p.m. the night before; upholstered furniture and children’s play equipment must not be kept in the front of the house; and all portable storage buildings must be placed out of view. Those who do not comply may be issued a warning, fined $200, or have a lien placed against their property.

In reasoning the proposed ordinance, City Commissioner Sandra Solomon told the press:

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure that our neighborhoods look tiptop. We want to lure in new businesses and people. And in this economic climate, young people — and also old people — are not going to come here if we don’t look our best.”

[…]

“Our overall goal is to make sure that one house doesn’t impact the property values of all the surrounding properties. But we want to make sure that it’s not too overbearing …”

In this economy, attracting new business is crucial, but is restricting carports, and the overall appearance of homes, the best strategy?

Applying tarps – specifically over the roofing materials – is one approach to working through the rain or snow. In an “Ask The Builder” column from NorthJersey.com, a writer asking about construction and home improvement projects in the rain is advised that such work is possible – but under specific limitations. While foundation can be installed and pre-fabricated components are additional options, tarps assist with protecting roofing work. Because water, ice, and snow damage a roof, regardless of whether the underlying materials are exposed or not, adding new sheathing or shingles during a storm is not advised. However, to prevent a partial job from becoming damaged, throw a few tarps on top to protect the sheathing. Once the storm has passed, the polyethylene can be removed, and the workers may resume the project.

Temporarily covering a roofing project merges the qualities of baseball and hurricane tarps. The latter, made out of medium-duty polyethylene, is added to prevent further damage after a storm, such as a hurricane or tornado, as mold, mildew, and water can enter from a small crack. Hurricane tarps, however, are a temporary solution, and the roof must be repaired within 90 days.

Baseball tarps, on the other hand, are heavy-duty polyethylene and are rolled out onto a field at the first sign of rain. Although the game stops with the weather, a muddy field often delays a season’s schedule of practices. The baseball tarp, with a weighted perimeter, keeps the ground dry, and practice or a game resumes once the storm passes over.