How to Convert a Carport Into an Outdoor Room

An attached carport can be enclosed as a four-season porch.

A carport can offer covering for a totally open outdoor room with few or no walls. The shelter of an outdoor room means you can work or relax during all types of weather, as well. Ideally, the carport will be attached to house, so that more options for electrical outlets and plumbing will be in place. If the carport is a stand-alone unit, however, you can still create a room for dining and relaxing. A carport can be a good place for a home office, too, especially if you have wireless internet service.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• 2-by-4-inch lumber boards
• Asphalt shingles
• Concrete
• Indoor-outdoor carpet
• House siding
• Brick
• Insulation
• Drywall
• Bead board paneling
• Wood trim
• Crown molding
• Plantation blinds
• Tile
• Vinyl flooring
• Baseboard material
• Electrical wiring
• Electric heater

Instructions

1. Measure the carport floor space. Draw the structure in detail on graph paper if you wish to enclose the walls as a standard room. Plan to install 2-by-4-inch framing boards on 16-inch centers. Leave openings for doors and windows as well. Design the exterior to harmonize with the house, if it is directly attached. Design the exterior as a cottage shed with lots of artistic flair if it stands alone in the yard area.

2. Repair the roof and decayed ceiling joists, if necessary. Take off old asphalt shingles and replace them, for example. Replace any rotted wooden ceiling joists. Be sure to remove overhead sheathing in a ceiling space to view the attic interior if the carport has an A-frame or hip roof. Don't assume there is no decay in the attic framework. Look for mold that might find its way into the new room, as well. Ask a professional to take care of any mold issues, which will require a spray covering over mold-speckled wood.

3. Pour a new concrete floor or repair the old one. Fix cracks or gaps in the floor space before building on top of it. Make sure the concrete is level and acceptable for tile flooring, for example. Don't consider constructing any other type of floor, unless the carport is attached to the house. Keep the flooring simple by using a concrete slab only. Install indoor-outdoor carpet over the concrete or use decorative brick pavers as other options.

4. Construct the room framework and add exterior covering. Build the exterior shape of the new structure with 2-by-4-inch boards. Install house siding or use cottage siding that looks like shingles. Add brick on parts of the exterior, if the house is brick. Create a design that blends the carport space with the house if they are attached.

5. Insulate the room and finish up the interior. Add fiberglass roll insulation between studs in exterior walls. Nail up drywall or bead board paneling. Install fiberglass in the ceiling area on the top side of the ceiling drywall. Use basic wood trim, crown molding, plantation blinds and other decorative touches to complete the room. Add tile flooring or vinyl sheeting flooring last, after painting all other surfaces. Nail up baseboards to complete the room.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure all windows can be raised for cooling the structure. Add electric heat for chilly days, if you wish. Run electrical wiring from the house via appropriate underground conduit. Buy an oil-filled radiator type heater to warm up the room.

• Use the carport as strictly a patio covering for well-placed outdoor furniture. Create this type of outdoor room as a room without walls, so to speak.

References

• Home Addition Plus: Rough Framing and Carpentry Tips
• Log Cabin Connection: Outdoor Rooms
• Concrete Network.com: Outdoor Living Rooms and Backyard Ideas

Resources

• Backyard America: Designing Your Great Outdoor Room
• Front Porch Ideas and More: Porch Enclosures