Car covers have come a long way from their humble beginnings as simple open sided shelters. Buyers now have numerous options in almost every aspect of car covers from size to functionality. For this reason, it’s important for a buyer to assess several issues prior to making a purchase.

They are:

* Intended use – Car covers are extremely versatile, providing shelter, storage, and other capabilities. They can be used as boat slip covers, as winter shelter for farm animals and additional space for either an office or a home, making it essential to define potential uses. The intended uses will then determine the size, type of structure, and whether any customization work is necessary. Customization work can include insulation, storage shelving, wiring for electricity, etc. Other contingencies should be considered as well, such as local weather conditions. Typically severe conditions, for example, might indicate for an enclosed car cover made of steel as opposed to a lighter material such as aluminum to bear heavy snow loads or to stand up against high winds.

* The budget – Metal car covers are a very cost effective alternative to other options for shelter, storage, and room additions. Budget constraints can determine whether a structure will be made of wood or a less expensive option such as metal. The budget can also determine the amount of customization that can be done on the car cover.

* The need for portability – Portable car covers can serve many purposes including provision of shade at outdoor events, covering walkways, and sheltering livestock. Metal and aluminum car covers are usually easy to take apart and re-assemble but the difference in weights could be a deciding factor. A buyer should be certain that the heavier weight of a metal car cover is manageable; otherwise an aluminum car cover will be the better choice.

* Going it alone – The basic car cover versions offer simple assembly, even with some addition of custom features. Assembly naturally becomes more complicated when features such as electrical wiring, insulation, and temperature controls are added. Many car cover providers offer free installation with the purchase so if the assembly of the structure starts looking complicated going with a company that will do the installation as a part of the deal can save a lot of aggravation and money. Car covers come in a variety of sizes and cover a multiple of uses. By assessing these issues first, buyers can ensure that they’re buying the best solution for their needs.

Carport Empire’s full line of metal carports, RV covers, garages, barns, pump houses, and storage units offers the perfect solution for any use. In addition to a huge customizable inventory, each carport and building category offers a variety of sizes to suit any need. As one of the nation’s largest distributors, Carport Empire makes the buying process as simple and painless as possible while offering the best prices per square foot on installed carports or steel buildings.

Carport Empire makes purchasing easy by:

• Having a trained and experienced staff of carport and steel building professionals available to assist on the decision making process. Each professional, after determining the customer’s needs, can provide answers to any questions and provide guidance on making the right decision.
• Carport empire’s professionals can also advise on cost effective upgrades and customization options to ensure that the end product delivers everything required by the customer. In addition to size and style choices, customization options include a variety of colors, panels, trims, roofing add-ons like gables, and trims for the exterior of the structure. Options for customizing an interior include upgrades such as insulation, shelving, and storage.

• Buy now deals – These packages provide additional discounts to Carport Empire’s already low prices. These packages are made available on some of their best tubular steel buildings, utility carports, carport garages, motorhome carports and multi-bay carports for the purpose of making them affordable for any budget.

• Professional installation of certified and non-certified carports – Carport Empire provides, and only deals with, experienced and qualified professional installers for carport or steel building installations. Available in all 48 continental states, installers can build carports, garages, and any other building offered by Carport Empire on a variety of surfaces, to specifications which will deliver the greatest benefit to the customer. When state or local regulations require certification, Carport Empire can provide engineering stamps of approval for wind speed and/or snow load ratings.

• Financing packages – Carport Empire offers a variety of financing options to fit within the budget of any customer. Relationships with a long list of lenders mean that Carport Empire’s customers can arrange lending terms even without a perfect credit score. Financing options start with rates as low as 6.9%, Same as cash options for up to three years, and zero down opportunities on carports across Carport Empire’s inventory.

The combination of customizable inventory with great customer service and flexible financing options make it easy to select and buy a metal carport, RV cover, garage, barn, pump house, or storage unit from Carport Empire. For more information, visit www.carportempire.com or call (800) 985 7678.

Going green is no longer a tagline for the trendsetters, it’s an accepted and expected way of life and it can easily be incorporated into building and outfitting your new metal carport, metal garage or metal utility building.

Simply by choosing a metal structure, you’ve already made a great green choice. Metal construction requires no harmful chemicals such as resin, adhesive, wood treatments or pesticides commonly used in traditional wood frame construction. Metal is highly resistant to water, mold and mildew which can emit harmful toxin into the air you and your family breathe. Metal and steel building elements also are 100% recyclable at the end of a structure’s usable life. And Carport Empire’s metal carports, metal garages and metal utility buildings are built to last – particularly if they’re certified, meaning that they’re engineered to withstand heavy snow loads and high wind speeds.

Metal enclosed carports, enclosed garages and steel utility buildings are easy to insulate, which can help conserve energy, further control moisture and resist pest invasions. Reflective insulation is made with aluminum foil, which is completely nontoxic. Foam board and spray foam insulation contains no HCFCs, VOCs or Formaldehyde and does not settle or give off gasses over time, as do some other sealant products. It completely seals your structure, keeping outdoor pollutants and allergens out, which makes for a healthier hangout space – an important consideration if your enclosed carport, garage or utility building will be used for a children’s playroom, workshop, office or the like.

Lighting your open carport or the exterior of your enclosed garage or metal building can be achieved with solar light fixtures or compact fluorescent bulbs. Motion sensor lights help save energy and money because they’re only on when someone is in or near the structure. If your carport, garage or utility building has a window, use a blackout curtain to help keep out sunlight and heat. And if you’re structure houses your water heater, wrap the heater in an insulating blanket to help contain heat.

To learn more about metal carports, garages and buildings and their eco-friendly attributes, contact Carport Empire at 1-800-985-7678.

Are you an up-and-coming professional music producer? Got a teenage future rock star in the house? Or is Dad aching to relive his own garage band glory days? Whether for professional use or just for fun, you can turn your enclosed metal carport, metal garage or metal building into a working music studio with a few simple soundproofing tricks.

If you’re a frazzled parent who just wants the noise kids call “music” these days to go away, you’ll want to make sure that the enclosed carport, garage or utility building where your teen and his friends will practice is soundproofed from the inside, so you can enjoy your home and garden in peace. If your carport, garage or building is being outfitted as a recording studio you want to keep exterior noises from entering your recording space. It’s important to know which soundproofing method does what. Here’s a quick rundown:

•    Sound Isolation creates a sound barrier between your recording space and any adjacent areas. This typically is achieved by using heavy materials to block exterior noise from coming into your studio.

•    Sound Absorption materials improve sound quality by reducing or controlling echo and reverberation.

•    Sound Diffusion materials distribute sound evenly throughout your space and prevent dead spots, allowing for proper mixing of your recordings.

A top sound controlling method with multiple non-noise related benefits is insulating your metal carport, metal garage or metal building. Fiberglass, foam board and reflective insulation all have noise reducing capabilities, particularly if several layers are installed. Cover your insulation with a sound absorbent drywall product like QuietRock, a drywall/fiber-cement sandwich with a sound-absorbing layer of visco-elastic polymer. If your structure has any small gaps, holes or cracks, seal them with foam board insulation, which can be sprayed either across the entire wall or used to fill in gaps where other insulation types can’t cover.

Cover the walls and windows of your enclosed steel carport, steel garage or steel building with heavy soundproofing blankets, made of insulation with a quilted cover. These are the same blankets you often see in furniture moving trucks and on freight elevators and they can absorb up to 60 percent of the noise in any room. Walls and ceilings of your carport also can be covered with acoustic panels or studio foam – that’s the egg carton-like pieces that you often see in images of recording studios and radio station broadcast rooms.

Floors and doors also are a consideration. Carpet the floor of your carport, garage or utility building, adding a sound-reducing carpet underlayment beneath it. This will help reduce the sound of footsteps and falling objects. Add an acoustic panel to your carport’s metal door, or invest in a soundproofing or sound isolation kit for your metal door or garage door.

As our economy continues to struggle, property crime is on the rise, and law enforcement officials in many cities say they’re seeing thieves stake out residential garages, carports and storage buildings during the day, then return to rob them by night. Carport Empire offers several tips on warding off thieves from your property.

Be sure to lock all doors and windows of your enclosed garages and storage buildings. If you have an open unit, such as an open carport, vehicle cover, bus cover or boat cover, keep it well lit. All of our buildings and covers can be outfitted with electricity. Plus, solar or battery operated lights are available at any hardware store. Install lights on the exteriors of your units, or keep interior lights on. Thieves will think someone is inside and pass your property by. Also consider placing small solar path lights along the walkways leading up to your garage, carport or storage building. A well lit path is not one that a robber wants to take. Some also suggest leaving a radio or small television set on inside, making would-be thieves believe that someone is nearby.

Installing a video camera or mock video camera on the exterior of your garage, carport or storage building also helps fend off ne’er do wells. Video footage means evidence.

There are lots of ways to protect your Carport Empire garage, carport or storage building. Check with your local law enforcement authorities for additional tips and any recent news of thefts in your area.

At carport Empire we offer much more than your everyday carport. We offer the ability to customize your carport to fit your needs. Whether you are looking for a car cover or car canopy, a pole-barn or pole-building, garages, storage buildings, and pump houses, or if you are just looking for a car-port that fits your style. All of our residential carports and our commercial carports are great for protecting your investments from cars and trucks to boats, RVs and trailers from harsh weather conditions and damaging UV rays. Contact us and ask us about any deals or specials that we are currently running for any of our carports.

If you’re planning to add an open or enclosed metal carport to your property, be sure to do a little legwork before your Carport Empire professional installer arrives, especially when it comes to wiring. Although Carport Empire does not provide electrical wiring services, your new or existing structure can be wired for electricity and phone service. Your best bet is to talk with an electrical contractor or telephone service provider first, as your plans, as well as the locations of your existing underground utilities wiring (including not just electrical and phone, but gas lines too) may affect the placement and orientation of your new carport.

In planning your electrical wiring, a prime consideration is lighting. Wiring likely will come from the same wiring that powers and lights your home or existing attached garage, depending on how close your new detached carport is from your house. If your carport is small, one or two lighting fixtures may be adequate. A larger, double-bay or triple-bay metal carport, metal garage or metal building may require multiple fixtures to provide adequate lighting. And if you plan a corner workshop table, for instance, you’ll need to be sure that an electrical outlet for a plug-in lamp is nearby.

If your carport is enclosed, most any standard lighting fixture should work fine. Open carports, however are subject to moisture conditions, particularly in rainy, snowy or humid coastal climates. If your new carport will have an open or partially open configuration, you’ll need to install appropriate outdoor lighting fixtures that are resistant to moisture. Consider adding floodlights around the corners of your open carport, and pathway or driveway lighting in the ground leading up to your carport to help ward off vandals and thieves.

For open carports, solar-powered lighting costs more than electricity-powered lights initially, but will save you money on energy costs in the long run. A solar light with a motion sensor assures the light will come on only when someone is around, then automatically turn off after a period of non-movement. This avoids wasted energy and money when no one is around, plus helps to alert you if a unwanted prowler – whether a thief or a four-legged visitor such as a rascally raccoon looking for a free meal – has approached your carport.

Among the least expensive, yet effective ways to insulate your enclosed carport, metal garage or metal building is by installing reflective insulation. This lightweight, moisture-resistant insulation made with polyethylene foam and aluminum foil acts as a barrier against air infiltration and is resistant to all three types of heat transfer: conduction, convection and radiation. Carport insulation, when installed properly, it acts as a thermal break, radiant barrier, vapor barrier and sound barrier. These factors mean that it helps keep your structure warm in the winter and cool in the summer, reduces energy costs and condensation, and muffles outside sounds coming into your enclosed carports space.

Developed based on technology first used by NASA, reflective insulation works by reflecting heat away from surfaces, unlike other insulation methods that simply slow down conductive heat transfer. The carport insulation’s aluminum foil content reflects 95 to 97 percent of the radiant heat that strikes it, allowing only three to five percent to be emitted through the installation. This is important in metal carports, steel car cover, metal garages and metal storage buildings because during the winter, heat inside a climate controlled metal structure is reflected off the insulation’s surface back into the building, keeping it toasty inside. During the blazing summers, heat radiated through the roof is reflected off the insulation’s surface back to the roof, never getting inside your structure.

Reflective insulation is non-toxic, fire resistant, mold and mild mildew resistant and helps ward of pests including insects. It can be used in most any area of your new metal carport, metal garage or metal building including stud walls, side walls and around pipes and duct wraps. Since it’s moisture resistant, it can be used with other insulation materials in any type of climate or weather condition. And it’s easy to install, around any enclosed car port, using just pair of scissors or razor knife, staple gun and high-quality foil tape with no protective gear (such as gloves and breathing masks) needed.

Many reflective carport and garage insulation products on the market today are Energy Star qualified and eligible for Energy Tax credits. Be sure to check with your insulation provider or manufacturer for Energy Star certification and tax credit eligibility.

Among the most effective and easy-to-install insulation choices for your enclosed carport, garage or metal building is foam board. The same stuff that NASA has used to insulate a space shuttle’s external tank, keeping its liquid hydrogen fuel at minus 423ºF and its liquid oxygen tank at near minus 297ºF to prevent ice buildups on the inner fuel tank’s exterior surface, can be used to keep your metal carport toasty in the wintertime and cool during the summer.

While fiberglass insulation works by slowing down the rate of passage of heat into your home during hot summers and out of your enclosed carport, garage or metal building in winter, foam board insulation brings that passage to a halt by completely sealing all cavities and spaces in your structure’s walls. These unsealed voids are the primary source of energy loss, which means more money out of your pocket and into your energy provider’s coffers.

Enclosed car port foam board is a bit more expensive than fiberglass and may require professional installation. But its “R value” (its measure of thermal resistance) can be three times that of fiberglass. The higher a structure’s R value, the better its insulation’s effectiveness. If you plan to spend lots of time in your carport, garage or metal building (for instance, if you plan to use it as a workshop, office or recreational room), the long-term energy cost savings over fiberglass can be significant.

Foam board insulation can be applied to steel carports, enclosed garages or pole building in several ways: as rigid panels attached to your carport, garage or metal building inner walls or as a chemical mixture prayed from aerosol containers or a pressure sprayer (A third method involves foam board in the form of loose beads poured into masonry blocks in more traditional construction). Rigid foam board insulation typically comes 4’x8’ sheets and can be cut to fit your structure’s walls using a craft knife or fine toothed handsaw, then applied to your walls using construction adhesive. Two important notes: 1) Because foam boards absorb water vapor, you must cover the insulation with a moisture or vapor barrier and 2) because foam board is flammable, building codes in virtually all areas require that it be covered with fire resistant paneling or drywall.

Foam board also can be sprayed directly on to your walls via aerosol containers or pressure sprayers. It is recommended that you hire a professional installer for this method, as it can involve complex equipment. And because foam boar seals your enclosed carport, garage or metal building so tight, an air exchange may need to be installed. However, this results in superior indoor air quality because air pollutants such as pollen and dust have no way in. Foam board insulation also can help ward off mold, pest and insects for most enclosed carports.

Insulating your enclosed carport, garage or metal building conserves energy, saves money, reduces pollutant gases and controls noise and condensation. Several types of insulation work beautifully for metal structures. Among the best is fiberglass.

As the name suggests, fiberglass is made of tiny fibers of glass and works by slowing down the flow of heat into or out of your home. For example, during the summer, your air conditioner cools the air inside your home. Nature kicks into gear, trying to balance out temperature levels by sending heat through your roof, walls and window panes.  Fiberglass insulation won’t completely stop the transfer of heat into your home (or out of your home during the winter) but the glass fibers trap and absorb much of the heat, slowing its movement significantly. As a result, your air conditioner doesn’t wear itself out competing with nature to keep your home cool and you don’t get sticker shock when your cooling bill arrives in the mail.

Fiberglass insulation also prevents harmful condensation that causes corrosion and facilitates the growth of mold. It limits transmission of exterior sounds into your structure, plus absorbs reverberating sounds within. And it helps to boost lighting efficiency with reflective, laminated facings that make for attractive wall and ceiling treatments.

Fiberglass comes in sheets and is attached to inner walls and attic ceilings. Drywall can be installed over non-laminated fiberglass layers in your enclosed carport, garage or metal building for a finished look. It’s easy to install, but can be irritating to the skin and harmful if it gets into your eyes or mouth, so be sure to wear long sleeves and pants, safety goggles and mask and follow all safety recommendations.