How to Anchor a Metal Carport

Carports are an affordable alternative to adding a garage onto your home. They are lightweight and easy to assemble. The lightweight nature of carports lends them to toppling over in moderate wind. You must adequately anchor the carport to the ground. The anchoring method you use will depend on the surface below the carport's wall frame support. Anchoring to concrete or solid ground both secure the carport, but concrete provides maximum protection and is often required in areas prone to tropical storms and hurricanes.

Safety glasses
Hammer drill
Masonry drill bit sized to anchor bolts
Concrete anchor bolts sized per the manufacturer's installation instructions
Tape measure
Electrical tape
Handheld air bulb
Hammer
Click style torque wrench
Socket set

Instructions

- 1
  Secure the masonry drill bit in the chuck of the hammer drill.
- 2
  Read the instructions for the concrete anchor bolts to determine the correct depth to drill the hole into the concrete. Set the depth gauge of the hammer drill to the recommended depth specified in the instructions.
- 3
  Measure the height of the base rail with the tape measure. Measure up from the tip of the depth gauge, the height of the base rail. Wrap electrical tape around the masonry bit, holding the lower edge of the electrical tape even with the base rail height measured with the electrical tape. This will act as a secondary depth gauge if the depth gauge slides from vibration.
- 4
  Don the safety glasses.
- 5
  Hold the base rail steady with one foot.
- 6
  Insert the masonry drill bit into one of the base rail mounting holes.
- 7
  Drill the hole into the concrete. Stop drilling when either the depth gauge reaches the concrete or the electrical tape contacts the top of the base rail.
- 8
  Clear the concrete hole by blowing air through the mounting hole in the base rail with the air bulb.
- 9
  Place a washer and a nut on the end of the anchor bolt. Leave the nut even with the end of the anchor bolt to avoid damaging the threads.
- 10
  Slide the anchor bolt through the mounting hole in the base rail and into the concrete hole you drilled in step 7 and cleared in step 8.
- 11
  Tap the nut on the end of the anchor bolt with the hammer to set the bolt into the concrete. Keep tapping until the bolt stops moving and solidly connects with the base of the hole. Run the nut tight to the top of the base rail.
- 12
  Set the torque wrench setting to the anchor bolt manufacturer's specified torque setting.
- 13
  Turn the nut clockwise with the torque wrench until you hear the torque wrench click. Do not turn the nut past the click because damage to the anchor bolt or concrete could result.
- 14
  Repeat steps 7 to 13 for each mounting hole located in the base rails to finish securing the carport to the concrete slab.

How to Build a Garage in the Floodplain

How to Turn My Crawl Space Into a Small Basement

Home Additions