Car ports are covered metal garages that are used to protect automobiles from the elements. Car ports were initially designed in 1909 by Prairie School architects. Originally called auto spaces in response to the suggestion of an architectural firm in Minnesota, they were renamed car ports after the initial title did not stick. It was Frank Lloyd Wright who came up with the term car port when he told a client, “A car is not a horse; it does not need a barn.”

Car ports are usually made out of steel, which has also become an increasingly popular material for commercial metal building of both the industrial type and agricultural structures, i.e. barns. Commercial metal building professionals understand that steel is often a better building material than traditional wood when it comes to both agricultural structures and garage buildings. Steel has also gained popularity as a building material used to make boats. The reason for this is that steel is the commercial metal building material most capable of protecting boats from damage by ultra violet rays. As well, steel is appropriate for boats because unlike other commercial metal building materials, steel will not rot the way that wood often will. So too is steel often used in Recreational Vehicles, which are currently owned by 7% of Americans.

The oldest piece of steel on record originated an estimated 4,000 years ago. It was found in Anatolia by archeologists on a dig. Steel is an ecologically friendly metal. Annually, Americans recycle 80 million tons of steel, which equals out to a higher volume of recycled material than that generated by all of the recycled paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum combined. Many steel buildings, for instance, metal car ports, are made with a high percentage of recycled steel content, making steel beloved amongst those who champion recycling initiatives. 95 percent of the water used to create steel garages, car ports, and other steel structures is recycled.

Steel is a great commercial metal building material due to its sturdiness, reliability, and because unlike other materials used in metal commercial building, for example, iron, steel does not rust. All of these factors make steal a highly desirable commodity for building metal structures such as metal carports.