I have started building a carport for the guest parking area at Lifewater Ranch.  We harvested and milled the wood on property and now it’s dry enough to use.  This is the first of several buildings I intend to create for the ranch.  A carport seemed a nice simple project to learn on.

Watcher keeps me company as I use the dried wood we harvested and milled from our own property.

Watcher, my renter’s dog, is keeping me company as I work.

Cutting and sanding supports that will be painted blue and used to hold the beams together.

Coating the beams with linseed oil so the beautiful cedar wood shows off nicely.

Posts placed, oiled and bases painted.

Put up top beams and end caps for cross members.

Added some of the supports for the cross members.

Supports ensure this “aint gonna fall”.

Added the rest of the inner supports and put up central section cross beams.

Added corners of extensions.

Put up the outer supports. Added guides for cross member supports and side beams.

Added supports for central section and removed guides.

All supports done

End Boards in place.

How did you do this by yourself? Adding supports and leveling extensions.

All the supports are now in place. Ready to put on the metal!

At last complete!

I had a lot of help with the metal from JD, a guy that has been living here in his RV for awhile.  We had the hardest time with the front eve which we had to reinstall 4 times and by then we had some kinks in it we could not fix.  I found that my fancy blue supports on the outside  really made life difficult for both eves – note to self- don’t do that next time!

It was a good learning experience.  The supports really worked well. JD could climb all over that thing and it didn’t hardly wiggle.  All I really need to do now is get some gravel put underneath and it will be a very welcoming spot future guest cars.

Thanks for watching!