Carports – an Excellent Alternative to Building a Garage

The hurricane season has definitely hit the Charleston, SC area this year with vengeance. It feels as if the rain never stops. If you are living without a garage, the endless rain is probably wreaking havoc on your daily routine. The good news is that you don’t need to invest in a garage to find a way to stay safe and dry. No need to Google “carports near me,” when Ravenel Buildings has a perfect carport to suit your every need! Carports won’t just keep you and your car dry – they have a ton of other uses.

Additional Storage

If you have all your outdoor equipment, gardening tools, and kid's toys strewn across the lawn, they are likely getting rusty due to all of the rain. If you build a carport, not only can it house your car, but it can also add a whole lot of storage for all of your other “things”. Carports come in various sizes so they can provide a whole lot of storage space without spending a lot. If your basement is already chalked full, gain a little extra room outdoors.

Protect Your Vehicles

If you are lucky enough to own a boat, or you want to protect your car from excessive heat, rain, and storms, a carport is a perfect solution. Carports can be large enough to house your extra toys, and keep them protected when not docked. They also can extend the life of your car's exterior by protecting it from the harsh weather conditions of the South Carolinian climate. If you build a carport, you also can save money on paying to have your boat or other recreational vehicles stored off-site. So what you might have to invest in upfront, will well pay for itself over the long-term.

Protect Your Vehicles

If you are lucky enough to own a boat, or you want to protect your car from excessive heat, rain, and storms, a carport is a perfect solution. Carports can be large enough to house your extra toys, and keep them protected when not docked. They also can extend the life of your car's exterior by protecting it from the harsh weather conditions of the South Carolinian climate. If you build a carport, you also can save money on paying to have your boat or other recreational vehicles stored off-site. So what you might have to invest in upfront, will well pay for itself over the long-term.

Have Additional Entertaining Space

COVID-19 has sure put a damper on socializing and entertaining. A carport is an excellent way to have additional space to gather with friends and family. Social distancing at its best, a carport can house your guests, and if you make it fancy enough, you can hold some pretty amazing events under the stars without fear of it raining! Your carport can double as a party venue so that you can get back to having fun again!

Have Additional Entertaining Space

COVID-19 has sure put a damper on socializing and entertaining. A carport is an excellent way to have additional space to gather with friends and family. Social distancing at its best, a carport can house your guests, and if you make it fancy enough, you can hold some pretty amazing events under the stars without fear of it raining! Your carport can double as a party venue so that you can get back to having fun again!

Cheaper Than a Garage

Garages are a great place to store your vehicles and to house the overflow from your basement and house, but they can be expensive to build. Because we don’t really have really cold weather and the climate tends to be rather mild, a carport can be a great and viable alternative to building a garage. And a carport can store most of the same things. For a fraction of the cost, you can have a carport that will provide you just as many benefits as building a garage.

We are fortunate in the South Carolina area not to have to deal with ice and snow. But during hurricane season, it can feel like the rain is endless. A carport is an excellent alternative to a garage. It can provide the same shelter, house your vehicles, and give you a little extra entertaining space for a fraction of the cost.

Instead of just Googling “carports near me,” contact a company with a proven track record for excellence, Ravenel Buildings, today to discuss your project.

Storage Sheds – A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

Hurricane season has definitely hit the Charleston, SC area. And this year we have already seen our fair share of storms and high winds. If you are having a hard time keeping things dry, why not add a little extra space for protection with a storage shed? Storage sheds are an excellent way to hide lawn equipment, protect your gardening tools from rust, and also to house your children’s bikes and other outdoor toys.

Lawn Equipment

Your lawn equipment is obviously made for the great outdoors, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they should be housed outside year-round. To extend the life of your lawnmower, blower, and edger, a storage shed will keep them rust and erosion-free for the long-term. Putting them in a shed will also mean that you will always know where to find them. And you will also have a place for the gas and oil tanks to fill before you hit the lawn for a day of cleaning up.

Gardening Tools

If you are like most homeowners, the beginning of every season means a trip to Lowes or Home Depot to purchase new gardening tools. When you don’t have one central place to house your tools, they can easily get lost or left out. And during the long winter months when you can finally take a break from most of the yard work, they can rust easily and be of no use for the next season. Building a storage shed is a great way to make sure you know where to find your tools. And a storage shed will also save you money from year-to-year not having to purchase new tools seasonally.

Kids Outdoor Toys

Kids toys are endless, and although you want them to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air, all of those things can become very cumbersome and unsightly. If you have one central location, a storage shed, then the toys won’t get rusty and dirty. You can also switch them out from time to time so that the kids won’t get bored. Every time you exchange one toy for another, it will be like new again. It will also mean that your backyard will no longer be an obstacle course of kid's toys when you are trying to mow the lawn!

Extra Room

Depending on the type of storage shed you build, you can store other things around the house so that they aren’t sitting taking up room in your garage or basement. A storage shed is an excellent way to gain a little extra storage space for very little investment. And they also look nice and removed from your house so things can be out of sight and out of mind.

Storage sheds are an excellent way to have a place for everything and a way to put everything in its place. Keep your lawn equipment, garden tools, and kid's toys centrally located and protected from rain, the heat, and all the other outdoor perils of the Greater Charleston, SC area.

At Ravenel Buildings, we offer a vast number of outdoor shed choices to suit your needs. Contact us today to find the right one for you.

How to Choose the Right Carport for Your Needs

For many homeowners in the South Carolina area, building a carport is just as useful and less expensive than a garage. Carports are an excellent way to find additional storage, or even to add some entertainment space. But with so many options to choose from, what types of things do you want to look for when choosing a carport for your needs? If you are going to invest, make sure you think of all factors before you decide.

Considerations for Choosing the Right Carport

Do you Want to go to a Big Box Store or a Specialized Company?

Many people often think that doing it yourself is a less expensive and easier way to go. When it comes to carports, that is often not the case. Simply purchasing a carport is only half of the battle. A professional company that specializes in outdoor buildings can help you with the intricacies of building codes and permits. And they can also help you design a carport that will fit all of your needs. And since preparation is an important part of building a carport, they will be able guide you about what needs to be done before building it even begins.

Designing Your Carport

Carports come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials. The most common materials are brick, steel, and timber. When looking for a lightweight option, aluminum might be a great choice. To figure out which design works best for you, you have to first consider whether you want a stand alone carport, or if you want it built into the house. Since it will be a huge part of the aesthetics of your home, taking care to ensure that it will match the style of your house is very important to maintain curbside appeal.

Cost

For most homeowners, cost is going to be a major determinant about which carport they choose. But if you buy cheap to save money, you could end up with buyer’s remorse. A carport is something that is an investment, and you want it to last. So you have to temper quality with price to find a happy medium. Otherwise, you could end up having to replace it sooner than you hoped, which will end up costing a whole lot more.

Weather Conditions

The weather can greatly affect the integrity of your outdoor buildings. Before you decide which type of carport to invest in, consider the climate that it will have to withstand. Again, it might cost more to go with a higher quality carport that can withstand South Carolina’s heat and humidity, but in the long run, it is a much better investment to spend enough instead of too little.

Choosing Who to Buy it From

If you want your carport to last and look good, then it is important to buy it from a reputable building expert. Find a company that has been around for long enough to know their products’ ins and outs. Also, find a company that will stand behind their buildings and help guide you through the process of building a carport from start to finish.

A carport can make a great substitute for a garage to house your vehicles, tools, or even for additional entertaining space. If you are going to invest in one, however, it is best to think long and hard and not go by price alone. Finding a happy-medium between the quality and the cost will ensure that you get what you pay for, in a good way. Contact Ravenel Buildings today to help design your carport. We’ll be there from start to finish.

Considerations to Make When Buying a Shed

When you think of an outdoor shed, the first thing that comes to mind is a place to house your landscaping tools. But there are a ton of great uses for sheds if you are creative enough. If you are going to look for sheds for sale, it is important to know what to look for. Of course price is going to be a concern, but you shouldn’t use it as the entire basis for choosing. These are all important considerations to make when you are in the market for a storage shed.

Quality Versus Price

Most of us are guided by the budget we have, but unfortunately, you usually get what you pay for. And for storage sheds that have to put up with the harsh conditions of the great outdoors, going too cheap can be nothing short of a waste of money. It is important to temper quality with price to find the right shed for you. Higher quality sheds will not only last longer; they will keep whatever they house safer. If you go too cheap, you could end up having to replace it long before you would have if you had spent just a little more.

What Design Works Best?

Sheds can be used for all sorts of purposes. When you are looking for sheds for sale, make sure that you keep in mind what it is going to be used for. And also don’t forget about where it is going to be placed. If it is in plain view, then having something aesthetically pleasing will be important. Often, people don’t give enough thought to the design of the shed they purchase, and then have buyer’s remorse when they have to look at it day after day. It is much better to spend a little more than to go cheap and regret it!

Disguising Your Shed

You can find a high quality shed, and it will be nice, but let’s face it, there is nothing fancy about an outdoor building. When you are shopping for a shed, make sure to consider how you can disguise it with landscaping. Since shrubs and greenery can be expensive, it is best to build them into your overall budget. That way, your shed isn’t sticking out like a sore thumb once placed in your backyard.

Siding and Wall Material Choice

When it comes to sheds, there are three main options for materials, plastic, wood, and metal. Wooden sheds almost always have studded walls, like a house, that are covered with plywood siding. Upscale wooden sheds look similar to houses with roofing material and molding. Metal sheds are typically prefabricated and come with a vinyl or painted coat covering both the walls and roof. They are less upscale looking, but typically just as sturdy. When considering, just realize that although wood might look nicer, it requires a whole lot more maintenance than a metal or plastic shed. If you look around long enough, you might find a metal or plastic shed that looks just as nice. And it won’t require so much attention.

Zoning Rules and Regulations

Yes, even sheds require specific building considerations in many municipalities. If you are going to invest in a shed, make sure to check with your local ordinance rules to find one that is code. If you don’t, you could be fined. Or, even worse, you might have to remove your new shed and be out the expense altogether.

Sheds are a great way to house things. And if you get creative, they can really be an asset to your home and property value. But before you look for sheds for sale, think carefully. If you are guided by price alone, you might be disappointed in your purchase. At Ravenel Buildings, we have a vast array of different types and kinds of sheds to choose from, as well as outdoor buildings. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you find a perfect match for your needs.