The earliest known piece of steel was discovered during an archaeological dig in Anatolia, dating back to a civilization that existed 4,000 year ago. And while the world has evolved since the time that ancient piece of steel was formed, this metal is still extremely important to our modern society: more than 80 million tons of steel are recycled each year in North America, more than the amounts of recycled paper, plastic, aluminum and glass combined. The steel buildings in our cities are frequently constructed with a significant amount of this recycled steel content; they also use 95% recycled water for the process of steel-making. However, steel is not limited to city buildings: it can also be used to construct a variety of custom metal buildings, including metal carports and garage buildings to protect your cars and other vehicles from the effects of the weather.


The term “carport” was coined by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who reportedly told a client, “A car is not a horse; it does not need a barn.” Other architects had suggested other words for custom metal buildings and other structures used to shelter automobiles, including a Minnesota architectural firm that had proposed the term “auto space”. However, Wright’s word stuck, giving us the metal structure many people use today.

Research shows that as time progresses, more people are investing in their vehicles, with retail sales of boats, accessories and marine services increasing 6% to $32.3 billion in 2011. Unfortunately, there are a number of weather conditions that can harm cars, boats, and more: for example, UV damage is a damage threat to boats, which are typically found in sunny climates. Moreover, hail, which can cause serious damage to cars, buildings and more, is generally not covered by insurance. Custom metal buildings, such as carports, can help reduce or eliminate hail damage, protect vehicles from the sun, rain and other deleterious weather conditions. Steel carports particularly are impervious to fire, termites, earthquakes, and other natural problems. If you want to protect your vehicles, don’t leave them out in the sun and rain: instead, invest in a steel carport.