Covering Vehicles with Tarps for the Winter

In general, a carport or portable garage is the most economical shelter for protecting your boat, RV, or equipment in winter. But, what if you own such a vehicle and live in an area that has restrictive ordinances and zoning laws for portable shelters or that makes setting up such structures illegal? While a boat can stay near a dock and an RV kept in an RV lot, the vehicle can still be covered with a tarp.

For long-term storage, at least six months in the case of seasonal vehicles, heavy-duty poly tarps are ideal. Made out of rip-stop polyethylene, such tarps are treated to be UV resistant, waterproof, rot proof, and mildew resistant. As a result, the material, when surrounding a boat or RV, blocks out the sunlight and keeps the water from accumulating directly on the surface.

If you own such a vehicle, know that these elements can damage the surface – and even internal parts – over time. UV rays fade and crack a vehicle’s surface and can even damage internal parts. Water that accumulates wears away the surface and attracts mold, mildew, and dry rot, which further damage the vehicle. Because such a vehicle was a significant investment, don’t you want to get all you can out of it?

To cover your boat or RV with a poly tarp, find material that’s the right size. Before purchasing any tarp, measure the height, length, and width of a vehicle, and include all add-ons and appendages in your dimensions. A tarp should be able to cover all of this. For RVs, additionally, manufacturers also make tarps specifically shaped for the vehicle. But, no matter the size, shape, or vehicle being stored, the tarp needs to be secured. To prevent the tarp from blowing away or moving in the winter, secure it with bungee cords or clips.

Preparing Your Carport For Winter

When the weather gets colder, we often talk about protecting your RV or boat in winter. A carport or portable garage is the solution, but not all shelters are equal. Even then, if you do own a carport that is functional in warmer weather, is it built to handle the elements in winter? In either instance, evaluate your carport before sticking a boat or RV underneath for several months.

Carports and portable garages essentially come in two types: powder-coated or galvanized steel. Other strong varieties, such as square tube shelters and truss buildings, are also on the market, but these, too, are divided between the two types of frame compositions. Although both are designed to handle the elements, galvanized steel – coating steel with zinc for rust and corrosion resistance – ends up holding up better than powder-coated varieties, which have paint baked onto the metal. While in the short term both may protect your vehicle for a season, a powder-coated steel carport may end up experiencing more wear and tear and is not practical for long-term use.

Galvanized steel carports, on the other hand, are designed to last several years – sometimes even up to 15 – when left outdoors. If you have a galvanized steel carport with a polyethylene cover for long-term use, check the polyethylene, as the lifespan of the material ends up being shorter than that of steel. If the polyethylene is torn, worn, or frayed, find a replacement cover of the appropriate size before the vehicle goes into storage.

On the other hand, a valance carport may not provide you with sufficient coverage in colder weather, and if a boat or RV is going to be stored under it for several months, the structure needs to be fully enclosed. To enclose the carport, find polyethylene side walls and replacement panels of the right fit to modify the structure.

Carports for Cooling Off Cars

Although “carport” is practically synonymous with “portable storage,” the shelter has other practical uses. As displayed recently in a piece in The Romeo Observer, carports can use to cool cars in summer and reduce idling time in winter.

The newspaper reported that the Oakland Township substation for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan requested carports for safety reasons, and since then, a proposal for such a structure to be added was approved. In terms of better performance, those at the substation find that a carport would improve response time, as the cars underneath would not heat up as much, while in winter, the less exposure the vehicles have to the cold would reduce idling time, and thus decrease gas expenses.

Sergeant Anthony Spencer from the substation told the press, “In the summer, what we’re finding is, those cars are just sitting there baking and it’s causing equipment problems. It’s overheating the equipment in the car.” He then added, “Every year it seems, the guys who are loading and inspecting their cars, they slip and fall on the ice, and they’re off work, which in turn brings up overtime issues and things like that.”

Both reasons are applicable to everyone who owns a car. A vehicle heating in summer is a common issue for many, and a car kept under a carport for several hours ends up having a cooler interior. In the winter, similarly, a carport reduces the amount of snow and ice buildup on and around a vehicle. While the shelter, save for enclosed carports, will not keep all snow and ice out, it lessens time a vehicle needs to be dug out. Ideally in winter, however, a carport should be enclosed to keep your vehicle as free from snow and ice as much as possible.

Tarps at Occupy Wall Street: Using Poly Tarps as Tents

Occupy Wall Street protests are popping up in parks all over the country – and even internationally. But, while we noted a unique use of tarps at Occupy Denver a few weeks ago, tarps have become pervasive in many locations as tents. For those not leaving the protest, tarps are both practical and economical for shelter purposes.

As we have mentioned several times before on this blog, tarps can be made into tents with the right materials. Rather than purchase a tent that may be only water-resistant, opt for a tarp that is waterproof. No matter if the tarp is medium- or heavy-duty, it keeps out UV rays and is resistant to rot and mildew.

In camping or backpacking, tarps are useful in keeping a campsite and gear dry. However, rather than bringing a pre-made structure, the tarp itself can serve as a tent. Last year, we offered brief directions for setting up a tarp tent. Just to reiterate them, a tarp, to become a tent, needs at least a rope and stakes or rocks to hold the ends down. While rope can be strung between two trees in the woods, a city park may not have such features – or at least trees in such proximity – and two larger stakes may need to be brought. No matter if you drive two large stakes into the ground or attach the rope to two trees, the rope serves at the center point on the material, and the tarp needs to be draped over it. Stakes or rocks should then hold the ends in place. Because the ground may be wet, a second tarp should be placed underneath to keep you and your gear dry.

Realize, though, that not all parks and cities have the same rules, and if you do go to protest, you may need to remove your tarps at some point.

Preparing to Store your Boat or RV for Winter

Boats and RVs are great for various summer outdoor activities, but in the winter, these vehicles need protection. If you don’t own a garage, putting your boat or RV under a carport or portable garage protects it from water buildup and UV exposure. If you are going to store your boat or RV in one of these shelters, what should you keep in mind?

First, make sure the shelter itself meets your – and your vehicle’s – needs. Consider the weather of your location. Do you experience large amounts of snow or rain in winter? Make sure, then, that the structure is strong enough to hold up to it. At the same time, the portable garage or carport should provide all-around protection against water, moisture, and UV rays, and an enclosed shelter is often ideal in this respect. However, if you presently use a valance carport or portable garage for shelter, modify it with appropriate side walls and front and rear panels.

If, on the other hand, you haven’t even purchased a carport or portable garage, find one that not only meets your physical needs but is also large enough for the vehicle and meets local ordinances. Before even looking at carports and portable garages, measure your vehicle – its width, length, and height. Add any appendages, such as a vent on an RV, into the dimensions as well.

At the same time, many areas have ordinances for portable structures, and they may restrict where you can add your carport or portable garage and how large it can be. Research these before looking at carports and portable garages, as they may end up posing limitations on the type of shelter you can buy. Otherwise, a carport or portable garage that violates these ordinances or building codes may need to be taken down or modified, and your boat or RV won’t be adequately protected as a result.

Poly and Canvas Tarps Used for Makeshift Kitchen at Occupy Denver

Occupy Wall Street protests are springing up all over the country and don’t appear to be ending any time soon. Denver is one of those locations, and in addressing needs of the 24-7 protestors, a makeshift kitchen established itself at the site. What’s particularly unique about the kitchen, called Thunderdome after the Mad Max sequel, is that tarps are used in its construction. Described by the Denver Westword, the Occupy Denver site has a “Hooverville-style collection of tents and tarps,” and Thunderdome is no different.

Taking into account the same principles that make a tarp tent useful on a camping trip, Thunderdome consists of blue and brown polyethylene and canvas tarps. Not the sole part of the kitchen, the tarps are attached together with a plywood frame. In concept, the tarps keep out the water and any other elements and keep volunteers and their equipment dry during operation and overnight. Just as with any tarps on a campsite, whether for shelter or protection, those for Thunderdome are tied in place.

Depending upon how long the protest lasts, the tarps may need to be replaced in the future. As you’re aware, medium-tarps, such as the ones pictured, can be used for about 90 days.

Run by two unemployed chefs, Thunderdome is operated by various volunteers supporting the Occupy Wall Street cause. While the volunteer staff cooks a healthful menu each day, the kitchen is supplemented by prepared meals from supporters and donations from local restaurants. Supplying free meals, snacks, and drinks to protestors and the homeless, Thunderdome serves roughly 200 to 400 individuals per day.

Aside from the economical design and support for protestors, Thunderdome creates minimal waste. Onsite are recycling and compost bins, all trash is disposed, and volunteers take dishes home to wash daily.

GE and Inovateus Collaborating on Solar Carports

The knowledge and use of solar carports has proliferated across the world during the past two years. As a result, solar carports are increasing in popularity in the U.S., especially for commercial and business locations and for people who own electric vehicles (EVs). EVs, however, do not necessarily need solar power to operate; rather, they just need a charge. Too many vehicles using the electric grid to charge has become a concern, however, as the drawing of power could disable or overload it. As an alternative, General Electric and Inovateus are collaborating on solar carports for charging EVs.

Their resulting product, a combination of GE’s EV chargers and combiner boxes for solar power systems and Inovateurs’ solar-powered carports, would allow commercial locations, businesses, and homeowners to charge EVs in their parking lots without drawing significant amounts of power from the electric grid.

Once the system is in place, the car and building or home work reciprocally on solar power, and the system would give back to the grid, rather than take from it. GE and Inovateus are developing both residential and commercial applications for their system.

GE announced its partnership with Inovateus last week, but this isn’t their first instance in developing EV technology. Rather, they started a partnership with Nissan a year ago and increased it recently to develop technology that links together an electric car, home, and residential renewable power sources with a smarter electric grid. Called the Smart Home concept, GE and Nissan’s technology would enable an electric vehicle and a home to power each other. As a two-year project, Smart Home would eventually prevent EVs from disabling the electric grid, reduce demands on the grid, and allow an EV to become part of a home’s or building’s energy equipment.

If you own, or plan to own, an EV, would you consider a system like GE and Inovateus’ for your home?

Be Careful When Using Tarps as Halloween Decorations

As you well know, tarps are not biodegradable and cannot be recycled. Rather than letting the polyethylene, canvas, or vinyl material sit in a landfill, re-use it as a Halloween decoration. Torn tarps are particularly useful in creating a spider web-like display, but the material can be used in a number of ways around a structure.

Black tarps, in particular, are ideal as backdrops. To create a surface other than grass on your lawn, consider securing a brown or silver tarp. At the same time, if you have tarps around your home that are not usable, don’t just simply throw them away. Rather, tear and alter the tarp until it appears ragged, and for a spider web effect, place the ripped material anywhere indoors or outside.

A recent fire at Tulane University in Louisiana shows that where and how you place your tarps is important. If a fire starts, tarps, used as backdrops or to block a door, can pose obstructions. A fire started in the kitchen of a Tulane fraternity house and spread throughout the building. The fire department came, and while controlling the flames took 90 minutes, a fire captain injured his shoulder in the process as the result of tarps and debris used as decorations. In regards to using tarps as Halloween decorations, Capt. Edwin Holmes, Jr. stated to the press:

“Tarps and debris used for decorations inhibited suppression efforts by making it difficult for fire personnel to find walls and doorways hidden behind the black tarp.”

As you create and use tarps for the upcoming holiday, think about their placement and any possible fire hazards around your home. If, for instance, a fire began in a room, would the tarps pose an obstruction? Would the material make finding walls or doorways difficult? Furthermore, could the tarp itself turn into a fire hazard?

Kansas City, Kan. Enforcing Carport Ordinance

Carports have been an issue in Kansas City, Kan., for the past three years. Announced recently, the city is enforcing its carport ordinances again, requiring residents to take down or modify their carports that are not up to code. The crackdown began on October 3.

Residents, on the other hand, are fighting the ordinance and are holding a hearing on October 6 to address changes for non-compliant carports. Although more than 100 residents have complaints, Leon Dean appears to be the leader after dealing with the city’s requests for the past three years. An owner of attached and detached carports who modified one of his shelters over this time, Dean said:

“I’ve spent around $650 to get to this point for them to deny me. They say it doesn’t meet the zoning codes. Why have me spend the money when you’re going to tell me to tear it down anyway? It was a Catch-22.”

We’ll have to wait and see what happens. Nevertheless, this issue is fairly common for carport owners and can be nipped in the bud from the early stages of purchasing a shelter. Although some towns or cities may change ordinances, which happened last year in Austin, Texas, most have consistent codes for portable shelters. While a carport – enclosed or valance, is a significant benefit for sheltering a vehicle, the structure needs to be compliant. Otherwise, as you can see from this case in Kansas City, Kan., modifications may need to be made.

First, before you even purchase a carport, check with your town or city about ordinances for portable shelters. Inquire about size and location restrictions (these are common) and about permits. Frequently enough, a permit is not needed for installing a carport, but your area may be an exception. Once you’re aware of the codes for your area, you can use them as parameters for seeking out the ideal carport.

Don’t Forget About Permits for Carports

Many opt for building portable garages over brick-and-mortar storage structures simply for the fact that building permits are not usually needed. But, while most areas do not require permits for constructing a carport, yours may be an exception. Before you even look at portable shelters, check with your town about permits, zoning, and ordinances, as they may pose restrictions or have specific guidelines.

A recent incident in Rocky Mount, Va. shows the necessity for inquiring about permits beforehand. Reported by the Franklin News-Post, the town requires residents to acquire permits before building carports; all residents planning to erect such portable shelters need to apply for building and zoning permits and have their applications approved.

A resident in Rocky Mount, however, was not aware a permit needed to be obtained before construction. Although he asked his neighbors about the carport, he went ahead and constructed the structure. When the town found out about the carport, the man was required to file an application, which was denied because the structure did not comply with zoning ordinances. After applying for an exception, the man was denied again on the grounds that the carport was considered an “intrusion” and not aesthetically pleasing in the neighborhood. Residents whose shelters do not comply with zoning ordinances need to modify their carports or remove them.

In addition to not looking aesthetically pleasing, a carport may be required to be in a certain location – behind a house and not in front or on the side, for example – or be a specific side. Some areas, as we have seen on here, won’t even allow residents to set up carports. Although carports and portable garages generally don’t require permits, don’t assume your area does, as well. Before going on a site to look at shelters, find out if your area requires permits and if ordinances pose any restrictions on portable shelters.