How to Convert a Carport into a Garage

If you currently have a carport, but you would like to make it into to a fully functioning garage, with basic tools and a little handiwork, you should be well on your way to completing this transformation. Keep in mind that a carport is essentially just a garage without walls or a door, so the actual construction work you will need to complete yourself is relatively limited.

Step 1: Take Measurements

Chances are good that the structural support for your current carport will not be sufficient for what you will need for your garage. For a garage, you will want to have wall studs no more than 2 feet from one another. In order to accomplish this, you will need to measure off 2 foot wide intervals along the three sides of the carport that will not house the garage door. You should also measure the distance from the floor to the edge of the roof of your current carport.

Step 2: Add Structural Support

The next step you will need to take will be to add 2x4 pieces of lumber at the 2 foot distances you have already measured off to serve as wall studs. To do this, you will nail each 2x4 to the roof of your carport and to the floor at 2 foot intervals. Do this on all three sides of the future garage that will not house the garage door.

Step 3: Add Walls

Next, you will be adding walls to your carport made out of plywood. Cut pieces of plywood to the length from the floor of your carport to the edge of the carport roof. Nail these pieces of plywood to the wooden frame that you have constructed in the previous step. Make sure that each piece of plywood is positioned flush against the piece next to it in order to avoid gaps.

Step 4: Add Garage Door

Unfortunately, adding the garage door to your new garage will be a job that will most likely require the assistance of a professional. Installing a garage door requires the use of many specialized tools and materials, and is not typically a project that can be completed easily by a do-it-yourselfer.

Step 5: Add Insulation

Once you have had your garage door professionally installed, you will need to add insulation to the garage in order to weather-proof it. After purchasing roll-out insulation, simply roll the individual sheets out between wall studs and staple them to the plywood walls you have constructed. Do this all the way around the inside of your garage.

Step 6: Finish Garage

In order to complete your garage to make it more aesthetically pleasing, you have the option to either paint or install siding on the outside walls of the garage and hang drywall on the inside of the garage in order to create a more finished product. Once you have completed this last step, you will now have a fully-functional, professional looking garage to protect your vehicles and other belongings.