Burlap over a carport

[Goat]

I was wondering what you guys thought about using burlap as shade. I have a carport frame, and have a source for really cheap burlap that's twice as big as my carport. Double it up for double the shade, runs only $15. I figured that it would give partial shade, and wouldn't catch the wind like a tarp.

Let me know what you think,

[BBadger]

How do you intend on securing it to the carport frame? Tarps and coverings have eyelets that help ensure they stay fixed to the structure. One year I brought a separate canopy for my carport, thinking that I didn't want to expose the original to the elements. Despite having eyelets, the material was stretching and deforming, and I eventually had to cut a wind flap into it. Biggest waste of money ever; I just stuck with the canopy the subsequent year and all was well.

Your burlap canopy will be cheap as chips, but you'll need to figure out how to rope that thing to your frame to ensure that it doesn't get shredded. Even though it can pass some wind through, it'll still catch the wind and feel the stress. The burlap may also shed fibers if damaged, or just in general.

Quite frankly, I'd just go for the stock canopy or bring a heavy duty tarp instead. It may catch wind, but they're well built and won't shred. You won't have to deal with sewing the burlap into something useful. Time is money too.

[Goat]

Zip ties baby!!!! Just zip tie through the burlap holes like crazy to the frame, and it's snug as a bug.

[theCryptofishist]

MOOPy, MOOPy, MOOPy...

[Goat]

Moop concern was the main reason for my post. Thanks for the feedback. My carport doesn't have a cover, so I'll think of something else.

[BBadger]

So how did you manage to afford the carport frame but lose the canopy?

[FossaFerox]

Some guy named Craig, probably. I hear he keeps a list of stuff like that.

[Goat]

Yup Craig had it NIB minus the cover for $40.

[BBadger]

Not a bad deal. Add a tarp and some rope and it about as good as new.

[unjonharley]

Seems you had your mind set before posting..

One year I tried a load net. (go's over trucks) Put it on a 8 X 10 frame.. Doubled it.. Like to cook me alive that year.. Spent must time under campmates pop up.. Pop ups are only good for one BM.. The wind works on the plastic joint until you can't set it up.. Car port covers rot out fast and the wind wear it thin..

[Goat]

Nope my minds not made up at all. I really appreciate the feedback.

So Bbadger has the tarp worked out ok for you? I just don't want a huge sail or the flappy flap flap of a tarp. I've got the rebar and the ratchet straps and a ton of rope so I'm not too concerned about the anchoring. I just don't want the tarp to shred itself to death while we are out there.

[LowePro]

Burlap is moopy and shreddy, and if we do get any rain this year, it will soak it up and be heavy and even more moopy and shreddy. It's been raining off and on at the Playa for the last week or so.

[unjonharley]

Used a 10 X 20 carport frame over the extra car.. Use a 10 X 20 tarp.. They are sold in sizes before heming.. Ordered bungee balls.. Went up great, held in a wind storm and then it snowed.. Down it come twisted metal, tarp and snow.. 18 hundred in damage to the car.. I sold the joints to craig

[Drawingablank]

At this time it may be a bit close to the burn for this to help, but the carport manufacturers sell replacement covers and bungee balls.

I have a 10 x 20 carport at default home and have replaced the cover and bungees twice at a cost of around 100 dollars.

The standard carport cover has several advantages such as easy, snug fit and being relatively quiet. It will not provide as cool a shade as an opaque multi layer tarp though so it's a trade off.

[burner von braun]

Burlap is very MOOPy.

I use a carport frame (half of one actually 10'x10') with camo net over it. Works great. I also suspend a piece of black shade cloth just beneath that, oriented to block southern exposure. Tarp or shade cloth are probably a little less expensive than camo net.

[BBadger]

The first time we used an aftermarket canopy that was essentially a thin tarp. It stretched and sucked, and the eyelets were detaching from the fabric; I had to cut a flap in it. It was unusable after that burn, not that I wanted to use it again

The second year we used the canopy that came with the carport. That year we used rope instead of bungees tied in the manner described in this. It worked great and had no problems.

This time my original plan is to bring a heavy tarp. This isn't some cheap-ass tarp material like that aftermarket canopy. I believe it'll hold up fine, but I'm not sure if the Costco canopy is even thicker and I'm still debating whether to bring the tarp or the official canopy. The heavy duty tarp is 6oz/11mil, which is pretty good. The eyelets are also pretty frequent. The canopy is meant to fit on the frame. Maybe I can lash some bungees or rope over the center like in that Munkyhut guide.

[Goat]

Thanks so much BBadger. Are you adding extra grommets, or do you think you have enough as is?

[BBadger]

Hmm, you've got me thinking. From what I gleaned from this video, the Costco carports beams leading up to the roof apex are actually somewhat shorter, each only 66" from the frame's roof apex to the walls. That means the canopy would need to be 11ft wide -- not 12ft -- in order to meet the edges and be tight; the 12ft wide tarp would be too loose. That might also explain why the canopy I bought the previous time had such issues with fitting well (though it was a piece of shit regardless). Maybe a 10x20 tarp would be a better choice, or one side could extend downward, which would require "guylining" of some sort because it wouldn't have a pole to wrap around.

The grommets on the 12x20 tarp are at the separation (18") as the canopy, so I probably wouldn't add any additional grommets. As I'm using rope in the running-rigging pattern, I think it's sufficiently able to withstand wind shock. Maybe this year I'll just stick with the canopy so I know it fits. Then again, that extra length on the tarp would actually provide additional shade on one side. Might be a nice thing actually and I already have some rope and extra guylining parts (lagbolts and chain-loops. I'd prefer to use the tarp too. The tarp is UV-treated, more opaque, and less expensive than a canopy. It also packs away nicer.

[Goat]

So following up for anyone who might find this helpful in years to come:

I bought a 12x20 tarp that bbadger recommended, it was very heavy duty and did a great job holding up to the wind we had those two days later in the week. The 12x20 tarp was a bit too narrow in the 12' dimension as the foot print was 12' but with the apex of the carport we were short about 12" once things got tied on and tensioned up. This was preferable to being 14' and having the damn tarp flap all day and night.

I tied the tarp on with paracord in the manor that bbadger recommended and it worked great. No strain on individual grommets, and things were uniformly nice and tight. I did use 4 or 5 ratchet straps and rebar stakes to tighten the carport frame to the playa, due to our camp layout I did this just kind of willy nilly that would still allow us to walk around easily.

We didn't have direct prevailing winds due to the way we parked an RV other cars and a pop up trailer. If money wasn't a concern, I'd buy aluminet. I'll even keep my eyes open for aluminet deals that might be out there in the next year. There were plenty of times when the wind was strong enough that I thought that the carport might buckle and fail. It did hold up just fine.

My carport was a "shelterlogic" brand and was just fine however in the wind I was a little concerned. The tubing was a lot smaller and thinner than other carports that I saw. I think the best ones I saw were probably the costco carports that everyone raves about. Mine was just fine for the $40 dollar deal I got from craig, but I think if I was paying full price I'd spring for the nicer costco carport.

One funny thing was with the rain, the tubing actually rusted a bit at each joint which I think helped hold things together a bit. Some of the pieces were super difficult to separate Monday morning.

One final thought, I saw a ton of burlap on the playa this year. The volcano art installation had a burlap facade, I saw other camps using burlap too. I don't think I'd every use it, like others have said MOOP MOOP MOOP, but It was out there.

[Captain Goddammit]

The playa dust is extremely corrosive stuff, anytime that and moisture mix, there will be rust.
I think that shit even rusts glass. I think one of my biggest long-term BM expenses is fucking up trucks and trailers and equipment in that stuff.

[FossaFerox]

Not all burlap is created equal.

Some moops, some doesn't.

[AntiM]

I wonder how the burlap did in the rain this year. Seems like it would be heavy and slow to dry.

[delle]

Also... That shit should be called "EZ Catch" for its firestarting powers. It's not shy about joining in when there's flame nearby.

[unjonharley]

got burlap from yard goods at WalMart.. Used it to strain gray water.. Didn't like the sheen in it. Next year I'll get burlap from a farm store.. The strainer worked very well..

[MyDearFriend]

Also... That shit should be called "EZ Catch" for its firestarting powers. It's not shy about joining in when there's flame nearby.

Which is why burlap coffee sacks make such great burn bags. I would not want to see a shelter covered with that stuff, especially when we still have idiots sending out those flying candle things at EVERY BURN sheesh...

[tamarakay]

80 or 90 % shade cloth. Cheaper than aluminum and I thinks works better.

Thanks for the follow up!

[FossaFerox]

We wound up having a burlap sign on the front of our hard lemonade stand. We put it up after the rain so no idea how horrible it would sag when wet, but it didn't moop at all. I beat the hell out of it in the back of the closed box truck before putting it into place just to be sure. The lumber we attached it to mooped more than the burlap. Again, though, your mileage may vary. Bad burlap is a nightmare, but good burlap is fine to use.

[John Lee Pedimore]

Has anybody ever tried building a desert submarine?It's an evaporative cooling method that's over 100 years old and involves covering sheet metal with burlap and using a drip system to keep the burlap wet.I'm not sure how well it would work with a tarp but there is plenty of wind for the evaporation.
I first saw this on an episode of California's Gold with Huell Howser.Here's a pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/coachell ... Zs4MGUmGBw

[Fan C]

Has anybody ever tried building a desert submarine?It's an evaporative cooling method that's over 100 years old and involves covering sheet metal with burlap and using a drip system to keep the burlap wet.I'm not sure how well it would work with a tarp but there is plenty of wind for the evaporation.
I first saw this on an episode of California's Gold with Huell Howser.Here's a pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/coachell ... Zs4MGUmGBw

The only issue I see is water consumption. Though swamp coolers have that issue as well. It would definatly work, just depends on the water use rate if it's worth while or not.

[Ratty]

If I read it correctly it said the metal walls were cooled 10 degrees. OK. No thanks. That sounds like a great place to bake bread.