• Doing a turn out – or opening the horse’s stall – in cooler hours.
• Use a run-in shed instead of trees for shade. The sun can move but a fixed shelter will always provide shade.
• Use a fan and misting system to keep the animal cool and the air moving inside its stall.
• Make sure the animal always has fresh and cool water inside the stall and run-in shed. If the animal is sweating, add electrolytes to the water. Additionally, if the horse refuses to drink, add a salt lick nearby or spray water on hay.
• Make sure the animal stays out of the sun to prevent sunburn, and if the animal is too hot, clip its coat.

Run-in sheds are made from a galvanized steel frame and a polyethylene canopy. If installed correctly, they can be kept outdoors and used often for your livestock, including horses and cattle, needing a place of shade. Run-in sheds can be used as temporary shelter, as this article explains, or they can also become permanent. If you’re considering using this type of shelter instead of a stable, make sure it is equipped with gates on both sides and the animals have a source of hay and water. In the winter time, however, make sure that the animals are kept warm and that the water does not freeze over.

A recent article in the Kern Valley Sun discusses this issue within the town. Not everyone takes their trash to a dump site in a tarp, it appears, and the town’s Waste Management Department plans to charge a fee for those that arrive at a disposal site without a tarp. Those spotted on the road not covering their trash, however, will receive a much larger fine. According to this article, plastic or canvas tarps held in place by rope or bungee cords is acceptable.

Using a tarp to cover trash in a car or pickup truck can be done with any type of material, as long as it’s held in place. A polyethylene tarp will hold the load down and also protect it from water, in case rain hits. If water isn’t a concern, however, using a polypropylene mesh tarp is also acceptable. If canvas is the only material around your home, it, too, is also acceptable, as long as it’s held in place. All tarps used to cover a truck load must be secured firmly to prevent wind whip, as this can tear or shorten the lifespan of the material.

But a recent editorial in the News-Sentinel debates whether these restrictions on historical properties are a hindrance or a practicality. The editorial discusses a homeowner in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who had a historically-designated property and, as a result, needed to have every minor external change approved by the town’s Historic Preservation Review Board. After two years of this, however, the owner decided to have the historical designation withdrawn, as he wanted to have the freedom to do what he wants to his property.

Although homeowners of non-historical properties don’t have true freedom, either, not having to approve every change with a local board means adding external structures like carports or changing the paint color on the siding is less of a hassle. Nevertheless, the editorial brings up another point: making such changes can devalue the property and, if the current owner ever decides to sell, the value may be less than the amount for which he bought it.

Carports, in particular, are structures that have restrictions on even ordinary properties, and adding one to a historically-designated home is nearly impossible. If you need the practicality of a carport, however, a homeowner should have the privilege of adding one, even if it’s only a small structure in the backyard. Those considering adding one or more carports should check with local ordinances and parking laws first before purchasing a structure and obtain a building permit before erecting it.

According to the linked article above, many in Hannibal are using tarps as a long-term solution, instead of contacting a contractor to fix the damage. As someone is quoted as describing the tarps coming up like “mushrooms,” the ubiquitous roof tarps are both a practical and aesthetic concern around town. For the latter, the tarps covering roofs and broken lights – also a source of leaks – simply aren’t nice to look at. On a practical level, however, the tarps and the roofing materials start to rot and, if the material isn’t properly secured, it blows off the roof and onto a telephone pole.

As a solution, the town has decided that those using roof tarps will need to remove them after 10 days or pay a fine. This isn’t absolute, however, and those waiting on a contractor (a common occurrence after a storm) and those unable to pay for the damage will be taken into consideration.

Although 10 days is a short time to repair a roof, this ordinance serves as motivation to get residents to remove their tarps. Medium-duty polyethylene material, which is used in these instances, can be left outdoors for 90 days as part of a temporary repair or short-term solution. Nevertheless, protecting the home from water damage and mold not only comes from the tarp but also its application. A tarp must not be able to fly off a roof and, instead, should be secured in place.

To follow up on this story, these carports created by the New York Institute of Technology were in the news again. Last month, the school’s experiment was given an award by the Solar Industry Awards. They were granted a 6KC award for designing and installing these prototype solar carports.

Although other solar carports have been installed on Long Island since then, these by NYIT stand out for their practicality for the future. As we’ve seen in many instances regarding solar carports, the energy generated by them displaces that of the electric grid used by a nearby building. Although, in the short term, this lessens the dependence on the electric grid and other forms of energy (nuclear and coal, for example), it doesn’t address the issue of electric cars, particularly as domestic and overseas car manufacturers have been developing hybrid and fully electric vehicles.

With the solar carports by NYIT, vehicles can be charged underneath through solar energy. The car will then be able to go a certain distance, before needing another change. In the case of the students involved in this experiment, they would charge the cars at school and at home.

None of these carports are entirely practical on an individual level, however. Recently, a portable solar carport was introduced by Phat Energy at Dwell on Design 2010. Called the Phatport, this portable carport will act as a traditional carport or can be used as a patio cover and generates 2.5 kW of solar energy.

Being introduced recently, the Phatport has already been experiencing orders, but production for more models won’t actually start until later in the summer. Aside from the metal frame large enough for a car and a solar panel, the Phatport will have additional features, such as interior lights, outlets, EV chargers, and a column design. The product will come preassembled and the price, at the moment, hovers around $37,000.

Do you think that this type of solar carport seems practical? On the surface, the design makes protecting your car and generating solar energy more accessible for the average person looking to be more energy-efficient. However, when it comes to the design of a carport, the Phatport appears a bit flimsy. Additionally, there appears to be no mentioning of which materials make up the carport’s frame. Will it be galvanized or powder-coated steel? If the latter, do you think purchasing a less sturdy carport with photovoltaic panels is worth the $37,000 price tag?

The latter instance has started in the Philippines recently. Officials in Cavite, a town on the island Luzon, held a campaign in May and, afterward, realized that several tarps were left over. Instead of throwing them out – they would simply sit in landfills and no nothing – officials involved in the campaign decided to turn them into schoolbags.

Called EcoBags, these bags made from recycled tarps come in backpack, messenger, and pouch varieties. All are designed to hold up to five textbooks and come in many bright and vibrant colors. Additionally, the bags themselves are made by former garment workers and should be ready by the time the school year starts.

Are tarps ideal materials for bags, particularly for schoolbags for children? In a sense, yes. Polyethylene, assuming it isn’t damaged and torn, is durable and waterproof. If a bag is sewn from it, it would have the strength to hold the books and keep them dry. Aside from the durability factor, poly tarps have another advantage – the color palette available. Tarps range from staid colors like black, green, and silver to brighter ones, such as yellow, orange, and red. Camouflage is even offered as a color for tarps.

The blue tarp is an image synonymous with hurricanes. These tarps embody the damage experienced by the storms but also the hardships after. As mentioned in the linked article, tarps may end up becoming a long-term solution for residents who have experienced roof damage. In the case of Hurricane Ike, as mentioned in the article, the damage – and the tarps – can be seen nearly two years after the storm. Residents continue to use the tarps past the 90-day period because insurance won’t cover the damage done to the roof.

Nevertheless, blue tarps are another symbol for hurricane season – one of preparedness. FEMA often brings in more tarps in preparation for the storm, while residents of such areas are recommended to have their own.

When it comes to protection after the storm, blue tarps are designed to be a temporary patch over a damaged roof or broken window. The material is treated to be UV resistant and waterproof and, as a result, prevents water from entering the structure and causing more damage. The material also keeps mold and mildew at bay. But, if a tarp is used as a temporary patch, it shouldn’t be used for more than 90 days. Unless the material is changed after that time, the tarp will not be as effective.

This video makes several points in regards to owning and using tarps. While the visuals show you numerous activities that can be done with tarps (homemade waterslides, snowboarding ramps, and ice skating), the voiceover narration makes some points for using and purchasing tarps:

• Silver and White are two common colors for heavy-duty tarps. Most heavy duty tarps, which are used for long-term outdoor uses, come in these colors to reflect sunlight. Other colors, such as green, black, and brown, are also available in this thickness and strength.
• Blue is a common color for lightweight tarps. Lightweight – also known as medium-duty – tarps are used for many temporary outdoor uses. From covering a vehicle for a few days to patching a roof, medium-duty tarps in blue are the most common. Other colors, additionally, come in medium-duty thickness.
• The thickness of the tarp is indicative of the quality. Thicker, or heavy-duty, tarps are designed for more permanent uses outdoors, while medium-duty ones are only for temporary uses. Case in point is the use of tarps in outdoor canopy shelters like carports and portable garages that stay outdoors for several months, if not years. Generally, a heavy-duty tarp has a 12 mil thickness and medium-duty ones are six to eight mil thick.
• Expect a high-quality tarp to last three to four years. Of course, this depends on what you use it for. Heavy-duty tarps added to canopies, for example, will last four years outdoors. A heavy-duty tarp used sporadically will probably last longer.

Why carports and why now? According to the article linked above, those from the city are moving out to the suburbs and often purchase homes with garages. Owning a garage is seen as more than storage, however. For many, a brick-and-mortar garage can become a lounge, work, or activity area and the vehicles end up getting in the way. Because new homeowners want the garage space for more than vehicles, the cars go outside and the garage becomes an additional room in the house. The carports or portable garages, then, are needed to protect the cars outdoors.

Carports, as an alternative to brick-and-mortar garages, have their own benefits. These structures, including both fully metal and metal and polyethylene ones, protect a car from rain and UV rays and allow air to circulate underneath. For convenience, an open shelter can be modified at a later date to be fully enclosed by polyethylene walls and zipper doors. In addition to protecting the vehicles, the portable shelters can also protect many other items outdoors, including people. A carport offers versatility to the user: not only will it cover cars everyday but it can protect seasonal vehicles and serve as a temporary tent for outdoor gatherings.