subject: Metal Carports- Keep Your Lemonade Cold and Your Cars New [print this page] Metal Carports- Keep Your Lemonade Cold and Your Cars New
When I was young, I had quite the entrepreneurial spirit. I had a lemonade stand. Ok, not that impressive. I had a lemonade stand every day of the summer break. Decently impressive. I had a lemonade stand every day of the summer break for five years in a row. I had special recipes (no, I will not share them), kept track of customer's favorites, and invested in a dorm fridge and a few extension cords to avoid that horrid warm lemonade that most stands end up with. I turned enough of a profit to build quite a nice little nest egg for a 10 year old. And that is not something you can shake a can of lemonade concentrate at.
I spent so much time outdoors in the blaring sun that the second summer, when my parents realized I would not be stopped, they bought a carport. In the summers, it was the perfect solution for keeping me safe from skin cancer, and in winter, it protected our cars from snow cancer (also known as wear and tear from harsh weather).
Not only did I have the most desirable product, now I had the most professional set-up too. The other kids on the block didn't stand a chance. I even convinced one neighbor boy who tried selling candy one year to let me sell the candy in return for giving him one free lemonade a week. Worked like a charm. Why I didn't go to business school later in life is a mystery, I think it was my life calling.
My working environment has now progressed a little from the shade of a carport, but the usefulness of metal carports is something that has stuck with me. They are often better than garages for working on projects (or selling lemonade) because they allow for air to flow through and some sunshine to come in, instead of turning into a sweltering cave like garages tend to do.
Metal carports are also a good solution if you have other things going on in your garage- projects, construction, art studio, what have you. If there's not room for your car in your garage, there is room for it under a carport!
If you're looking for something you can assemble and dissemble frequently, your best bet is probably a party tent. While parties are very fun, and I definitely advocate the use of party tents for outdoor parties, that is not all they are good for. They are an attractive means of protection from sun and light rain, as well. However, they won't stand up to really heavy precipitation or winds, so they're better for those balmy summer days.
For real weather protection, though, you can't get better than metal carports. They can stand up to almost anything Mother Nature throws at them, and not look any worse for wear. For top of the line metal carports, I turn to VersaTube. They have products for both residential and commercial use, available in a wide range of colors, lengths, widths and heights. They are a much stronger alternative to canvas carports, and their steel products are the most durable you'll find anywhere. Not only are they solid products, the company itself is solid too. Since the earthquake in Haiti, VersaTube has been working with domestic and international relief organizations to provide shelter and housing for the displaced families. A great benefit of VersaTube carports in this situation is the fact that the steel frame can be used to construct temporary shelters with canvas covers, and later converted into permanent structures with sheet metal or other roofing options. This is also a benefit for you, as you can choose whether to set it up as a temporary or permanent structure, and still have the option to change your mind later.
From ambitious lemonade stands to parties in the shade to protecting cars from record snowfall, metal carports will provide you with just what you need.
