Harbor Freight Portable Garage Upgrade Reinforcing Tests
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- Опубликовано: 31 дек 2015
- I bought the Harbor Freight Portable Garage to use as a temporary structure but after assembling the support frame I could see why some had failed with added loads on the roof and rafter structure. The problem I see is with additional weight on the roof like a snow load, the bottom of the rafters spread apart which I don't think the end covers can limit SO I then figured out a way to add horizontal bars/tubes to the structure to stop this rafter spread. I figured it would work but wanted to do tests with a weight to get actual measurements to confirm things.
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Instead of the cost and weight of a reinforcing bar you could just use a steel cable or steel rope with a turnbuckle adjustment to put it into slight tension under no load. Just like you would use to stiffen a fence or gate. Accomplishes the same thing by not allowing the frame to spread or bend but easier to install and less cost.
Steel cable and the related parts for that area could certainly have been used but when I was doing this I also added the same diameter tubes across the bottom to where when the car is parked on them the structure cannot lift (or at least until the bars cannot take the stress and bend) and pretty much I was looking for consistency. The only issue I could think of with using cables at the bottom of the top A frame portion would be if you would pull down in the middle of the cable and this then would then pull in the sides but with the steel tubes, they are more rigid. If you have never had your hands on one of these Harbor Freight covers, you will see it's not made out of any kind of heavy tubular steel and off memory I think the the EMT I used has a lot thicker wall thickness. Thanks for the input. Jim
Good to know.... I live in a heavy snow state, so this will be a great reinforcement for the structure. Thank you for sharing this.
Maybe think about putting in some extra material on the underside of the sloped portions as I had some snow build up on mine last year and it looked heavy and got out there with a driveway broom to pull the snow down. The covering I don't think can be pulled super tight to stop any drooping between the structures supports.
Nice! I used 5- 2x4 fir boards drilled at 1½" at a 118" spread along the top it stops all sag and I keep my canoe up there. Its ratchet strapped to 3ft anchors pretty sturdy
I agree with the other posters that a strap or cable would mediate the snowload concerns but your method, which appears to clamp and throughbolt at both ends also reinforces the structure against lateral force like wind.
I have two of these. One for garaging a hot rod and the other for woodshop overflow. I'm going to add some 2" sq tube uprights and welded crossbraces to the shop to accomplish what you did and also create a way to build shelving and overhead storage without loading the tube frame.
You understand that the structure can spread or pinch in and the ones that say, just run a strap or cable horizontally only stop things in the one direction. I may never have any winds that will try and push the sides in but I know on mine, I have had mine blow up like a balloon from winds hitting it and if I had just cables or straps going horizontally from left to right this would not stop the sides from pinching in. The tubes and straps I added just seemed to be the right way to help with the rigidity of the structure.
I don't know how long you have had yours, but mine is showing a tear in the covering on the front top peak and this may be from how the covering balloons up with high winds and now after a lot of rubbing in this spot, it's starting to give up. I have a feeling I may buy another one and then add some type of material on the inside to keep the covering from being in direct contact with the steel tubing structure underneath. It may be too, I did not apply enough tension on the top to hold it even tighter against the structure underneath to limit any rubbing or shifting but the one I have now was my first one and I'm learning what it can and cannot do with how I put it together.
I use mine for storing a car and while I did shorted the side walls, I over did it and when I get another one I may make the side walls a little taller. I just could not bring myself to putting it together as designed with the height of the side walls as it seemed way too tall for my needs.
Thanks for the comment.
Jim
I wonder how much weight the center of each side of the roof poles will hold? The point about 2 to 3 ft down from the ridge.
Id Love to see [someone] demonstrate ideas to reduce TWISTING effects of wind
Wow impressive
When I was looking at getting one of these, I had seen some failures due to snow loads and once I got it, figured out a way to make it stronger (and shorter as I didn't need the height as made). We had a light Winter this year but I don't think I'll have any structural failures now that these added reinforcement bars have been added. Chances are the fabric will fail first.
Good Science!
another guy used ratchet straps for winter use cheap and easy,you could mount on 6x6 s like I did and. get a little more height.
Yep, the ratchet tie downs are a good option. I know with using steel horizontals on mine, I've run into them a few times with my head and they don't give near as well. On mine I shortened the sides as I did not want it as high as how it was designed and that's a good idea if I need to raise it some using some 6x6's.
What type/size fittings did you use to fasten your horizontal braces to the existing garage?
Look through the photo's I have here and there are some of the parts I used : www.flickr.com/photos/121766713@N04/albums/72157660560356974 If the link doesn't work do a search in flickr.com and under user name Stlnovas. Thanks for viewing, Jim
The only thing thats bad about this is you can not buy a replacement cover from Harbor freight when it rots in about a year. Harbor Freight needs to offer replacement covers.
I ran into that issue after my first cover wore out and before the 1 year warranty ran out, I took the old worn out one back and got another new one. When I had to replace the cover a third time the warranty was out and guess what, they changed the size. I am temped to buy a tarp and cover the new one to maybe get it to last longer but who knows how that would look and how much of an issue it would be to attach it to things. Yep, it's inexpensive for a reason.
Is nobody going to mention the 108 & 10/16ths measurements? Most people would call what comes after 9/16s 5/8s. Iv3 never heard of 10/16
I did that just for a math challenged person like you. Most people wouldn't make a stupid comment like yours but here it is. 😂
I just have to give you more ruclips.net/channel/UC4Ni8r5M29FH9UyPdmdWLiQ , you have NO video's on your channel, and a WHOPPING 7 subscribers so I have to ask, when will you contribute anything except screwed up replies ?. You joined on Sept 28 2012 and nothing but crickets on your end ?.
what type or pipe you use for this proyect
I used some 1" EMT (electrical mechanical tubing) from Lowes. It came in 10' lengths and I cut it down using a tubing cutter. The tubes are galvanized steel.
thanks,I really like you idea.is my project for this weekend,Thanks again for you help.buy the way,what you use to attach the tubing to the frame
If you watch this video, it shows the clamps and tension bands at 1:27 to 1:31
ruclips.net/video/tqM6qf5KZXg/видео.html
Rail Clamps I used:
c2.staticflickr.com/6/5693/23401227583_21419c5d07_b.jpg
Left bracket as bought/right bracket with hole enlarged:
c2.staticflickr.com/2/1549/23752282140_3a663d0ce3_b.jpg
P shaped tension bands flattened out to be U shaped to wrap around the bar and then use the bolts though the EMT tubes and the rail clamps:
www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-Gray-Metal-Steel-Fence-Tension-Band/3160585
Jim
StlNovas Do you remember what size you cut the emt pipe down to?
thanks for video .Its was a help mine every joint has a bolt ......Soaring Raven,,,soaringraven1