"Side-skirts" for a carport style temporary garage?

[bombproof]

Hey everyone, I've got a 20'L x 13'W x 12'H garage. It's a steel tube frame with a tarp-style canopy fabric. I'm not sure on the fabric weight, but, from the manufacturer, it is "Triple layer woven polyethylene that is ripstop tough."

The garage sits on a temporary pad consisting of ~3" of crushed stone, for drainage, then a layer of landscaping fabric, and finally ~3" of gray stone dust. The stone dust was compacted rather thoroughly, over the course of two days, with lots of watering, using a 14" motor-driven tamper.

The stone materials are contained by a frame constructed of 2x6 PT lumber. Box dimensions are 21'x14'. The box is leveled, and sits on a slight slope, so that the downhill side is the full 6 inches above ground, while the uphill side is just an inch or so higher than surrounding ground.

While the fabric on the two 20' lengths of the tent garage reach the stone dust pad, it does not extend beyond the lumber frame. So all the rain water runs down the side walls and deposits onto the pad, soaking my floor from the outside in (A slow process). Moreover, the end panels -a solid rear panel and a double zipper front- don't even reach the stone dust floor. They actually hang at least six inches above it. So I get lots of wind blowing straight through the garage and no water barrier at the front and rear. This tent is being used as a shop for my Land Cruiser, and I plan to be doing a lot of work in it, during any season and weather, for the foreseeable future.

Long story short, how do I extend the tarp-like fabric so that it sheds the water beyond the frame of my pad? I have had only one suggestion, and that was with strips of tarps, using contact cement to adhere them to the bottoms, making a sort of "skirt". Will this work? Is there a better way?

Thanks, everyone

 

[agomez]

1. can a gutter work


2. stone pavers along the drip line

 

[bombproof]

1. can a gutter work


2. stone pavers along the drip line

Thanks for the suggestions, agomez.

The gutter could probably be set-up to deal with run-off from the tent, but I'd like still have tons of wind coming through the 'shop', and the gutters themselves would be difficult to secure. I don't know how much those cost, either, and -since my Land Cruiser is in pieces, all I've got for hauling material is a compact car.

Pavers could probably be had, for a good chunk of $$, and delivered, but I think it'd be more economical to investigate some sort of plastic sheeting to run along the bottom.

I'm going to check out those plastic sheeting rolls that come in variable widths, and see if I can get something that in one convenient package that will reach all the way around the tent (cut, obviously, for corners, etc) without having to do any long-axis cuts.

That leaves me wondering... What sort of bonding agent is compatible in this situation? How do you join a polyethylene canopy and plastic?

Thanks, everyone.

 

[Jetboy]

Thanks for the suggestions, agomez.

The gutter could probably be set-up to deal with run-off from the tent, but I'd like still have tons of wind coming through the 'shop', and the gutters themselves would be difficult to secure. I don't know how much those cost, either, and -since my Land Cruiser is in pieces, all I've got for hauling material is a compact car.

Pavers could probably be had, for a good chunk of $$, and delivered, but I think it'd be more economical to investigate some sort of plastic sheeting to run along the bottom.

I'm going to check out those plastic sheeting rolls that come in variable widths, and see if I can get something that in one convenient package that will reach all the way around the tent (cut, obviously, for corners, etc) without having to do any long-axis cuts.

That leaves me wondering... What sort of bonding agent is compatible in this situation? How do you join a polyethylene canopy and plastic?

Thanks, everyone.

Sewing them together is the ideal way to do it.

3m 5200 is a common adhesive for boating applications. It will stick to most surfaces. It's usually sold in little tubes, buy you can get it in a caulk gun sized tube.

Or you could just add some grommets and attach the lower level to the side poles with the same type of bungies you use for the main cover. Just put grommets near the bottom so the factor bungie locations can still be used and as long as the added lower level is inside the original part it should sheet the water off like a shingle.

One other option would be to use sheet metal like tin roofing and just screw it into the frame around the bottom.

 

[bombproof]

Sewing them together is the ideal way to do it.

3m 5200 is a common adhesive for boating applications. It will stick to most surfaces. It's usually sold in little tubes, buy you can get it in a caulk gun sized tube.

Or you could just add some grommets and attach the lower level to the side poles with the same type of bungies you use for the main cover. Just put grommets near the bottom so the factor bungie locations can still be used and as long as the added lower level is inside the original part it should sheet the water off like a shingle.

One other option would be to use sheet metal like tin roofing and just screw it into the frame around the bottom.

Awesome! Thanks for the ideas!

 

[bombproof]

Just as a courtesy, I'll let you guys know that I ended up cutting thin lengths of 6 mil plastic sheeting and gluing it (with the tent overlapping) with "3M Super 77". It's worked out so far, but we haven't had rain yet. That's ironic, because I had to wait for the end of a ~2 week rain spell we had so that everything would be dry enough for the application. Now it's been at least a week and we haven't had a drop. Oh well.

By the way, that glue smelled very toxic. Be careful. It reminded me of working in a Linex shop years ago, clear-cutting groves of brain cells.... Reminded me of working in a Linex shop years ago, clear-cutting groves of brain cells... Reminded me of working....