Lag Screws for Carport

[rfii]

I'm a newb and having a trouble finding a direct answer to this.

For a 10'x20' carport, is it sufficient to put in one 14" lag screw into the foot of each vertical strut?
Do I also need to hold down the roof by putting one lag screw down at the base of each side and connecting that to the roof with a ratchet strap? Could I simply ratchet strap the roof to the lag screw in the feet instead?

[Ratty]

I put one rebar near each foot and use ratchet straps. Wind it around the joint. Not the bar. I dont have any feet on my carport. Never had a problem. Do all this before you dress the whole thing. Otherwise it may blow away right off the bat.

[BBadger]

I sort of did it like you did. I put one lag bolt per foot, but also add a double chainlink and washer on each lagbolt so that I can tie things to them. Then I create internal diagonals in the side walls to keep it stiff using some sort of cord (I used mule tape at the time, but paracord, etc. would work fine). I only used one diagonal per leg pair, but two would make it even more rigid.

For the canopy I just connected it to the structure using running rigging. I did not strap to the roof section itself though (i.e. the diagonals that make the peak of the roof). It seemed strong enough to not require that.

[FlyingMonkey]

I've always done it like Ratty & BBadger & I used re-bar. I've considered putting lags in each foot but I like to embrace K.I.S.S. & keep things simple to prevent possible failure. My hammer has never failed me but I have had drills & batteries that have so I hesitate to use lags. The time savings argument for lags is a non issue as I can usually drive & remove rebar in like 20 seconds. I'm not part of a NASCAR pit crew so I think that's good enough for me. My rebar system worked well in 2015 where we had some pretty strong winds so even if Lags provide better grip I'm still not concerned. My carport rigging didn't show any signs of failure.

-For some reason I always have to buy more ratchet straps each year because like that one sock my straps randomly go missing.

[rfii]

Can you explain the riggings and strap/rope in more laymens terms? I am not following what you're describing but I appreciate your help! A lot of the stuff I am reading is just using terminology that I don't understand so just descriptive language about what is tied to what would help! Thanks!

[EGAZ]

Have you seen this post, from this search by chance?

[Roundabout]

The legs need to be movable while you are putting the walls on. Put lags in the feet only as the very last part of the setup. Only 12" lags are needed, because the only purpose they serve is to keep the feet from walking in the wind. For actually attaching the carport to the playa, I sink 4 18" lags with washers and 2-link chains slightly to the outside of the 4 inner legs. I then wrap two 30 foot long, 2" wide ratchet straps over the entire structure (but under the tarps), and attach them to the 18" lag bolts and ratchet down tight. I have never seen the slightest movement of a carport in the wind using this method.

[BBadger]

Hmm, I usually put the lags in right after I attached the canopy and elevated the structure to prevent the structure from tipping over or flying away. The walls are a pain to attach to the legs, but they're always a pain regardless. You really have to stretch them out to make those hooks latch on.

[rfii]

Thanks.

Is a blake hitch or taut-line knot suitable for this if using rope instead? Also, under these conditions would those knots be okay with mule tape?

[BBadger]

I've used the blake hitch with lag screws and mule tape. I also combined it with a trucker's hitch for greater purchase. You might want to use chain links to loop it through though, not just wrap it around the head.

Paracord works a bit nicer though. Sometimes that mule tape feels like it'll loosen up, even if it really doesn't.

[rfii]

For posterity, I learned that using a lag screw for double duty as both the anchor for a ratchet strap and the anchor for a carport foot has one major downside: adjusting the feet position for the carport sidewall covers will require both unscrewing the foot and undoing the ratchet straps. Conversely, if the anchor point for the ratchet straps is separate from the feet, then it would be easy to adjust the feet. It i very difficult to get the feet lined up perfectly on the first get go, so adjustment is very likely. This was said before by Roundabout and others, but I did not understand at the time.

[BBadger]

Yeah, though those sidewalls are already a huge pain to put on anyway. You can usually get the side-walls to hook into the legs without zipping them up so they won't catch the wind too much.