How to enclose carport in rental property?

cubchunk

Heya all, just moved into a new place and we’re looking into renter-friendly ways to enclose our carport space for an outdoor sitting area and home gym.

Currently our plans are creating some proof at from the Main Street on the carport gate with some heavy duty mesh screening cable tied to the exterior, and some Unreal hedge squares to the inside to make the place feel a bit more welcoming.

However trying to think up ways we can make the spot a bit brighter and less of a windtunnel for an outdoor seating area and for some decent lighting for a sitting area and home gym/motorcycle storage area. 

I was thinking of clear vinyl blinds to keep the wind out, but wasn’t sure how best they could be mounted.

The carport is also on the east side of the property between another tall roof so struggling to find some appropriate solar lighting as there’s no exterior power socket.

Lighting and windbreaker recommendations would be greatly appreciated, a methods that would be removable/not damage

property.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @cubchunk. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about enclosing a carport.

Clear vinyl blinds could certainly be an option. Typically they are installed by screwing them into the substrate. With a little work, you could modify them to be attached to the roof timbers with heavy-duty cable ties. The blinds come with a timber rail at the top for attachment. Installing screw eyes into the rail would allow you to loop a cable tie around the timber beam and through the eye. That should be a relatively secure way of fixing the blinds.

You might like to look at solar-powered options that have a separate solar panel, like the Arlec Solar Movement Activated Floodlight. That would allow you to mount the light under the roof and have the solar panel outside in the sun.

It might be worth checking with your property manager or landlord to find out whether they would be OK with you making some alterations to the space. Putting fixings in some locations would not necessarily damage the property, and you could likely fill any holes when you leave. If they are open to the idea, that would make your life easier.

As well as the Unreal hedge squares, we have a variety of screening options you could utilise. I have a similar area and stretched natural screening between the posts. Due to there being vertical lengths of bamboo, it allows you to easily cable tie it to posts.
 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell