Sealed shelter for your car
Problem - Leaking Carports
Imagine the situation: you come home in a heavy rain, park under your new carport and... continue to get wet when you get out of the car. And your vehicle? It was supposed to be protected, and it's still covered with drops of water. Unfortunately, this is a reality that many owners of standard parking canopies face.
Most of the photovoltaic panel carports available on the market today have a common, rarely discussed design flaw - they are not fully waterproof. At first glance, it may seem that a solid roof made of solar panels should be a sufficient barrier to rain. However, the devil is in the details, more precisely - in the cracks.
“I installed a standard carport with photovoltaic panels two years ago. I was hoping that it would protect my car from the weather and at the same time produce energy. Unfortunately, every time it rains, water seeps through the gaps between the panels. It's like I'm parked under a sieve,” says Tomasz, a resident of a town just outside Warsaw.
A typical photovoltaic carport design consists of panels placed side by side on a metal frame. Although the panels are installed with some overlap of the edges, the spaces between them remain unavoidable - this is a necessity arising from the very construction of the panels, which are not designed as elements of roofing. As a result, during precipitation, water flows freely through these crevices, forming under the canopy something in the shape of a rare, irregular “rain”.
The consequences of this state of affairs are more serious than it might seem at first glance. Regular contact with rainwater, especially in the case of a car that is heated after driving, can lead to gradual damage to the paintwork. Sharp temperature changes cause microdamages to the protective coating, which over time can turn into foci of corrosion.
Moreover, the water flowing through the gaps creates characteristic runoff paths on the pavement under the carport. In the case of paving stones, the systematic runoff of water in the same places washes out the filling between the paving stones over time, creating unsightly strips and leading to a gradual degradation of the pavement. After several years of use, the area under a leaky carport may require expensive renovation.
Also, one should not forget about the discomfort that comes with the use of leaky roofing. Getting in and out of the car during a downpour ceases to be a pleasure when, despite having a roof, you are still exposed to water. This becomes especially cumbersome when shopping or traveling with children, when you need more time to unload.
“I thought that the problem of leakage was a trifle, but after a year of use, I noticed that the cube under the carport began to collapse in places where water was regularly dripping. Moreover, strange spots appeared on the roof of my car that were not there before,” adds Tomasz.
A leaking carport is not just a matter of discomfort. This is the beginning of a cascade of problems that can generate additional costs and frustrations in the future. Is there a better solution? In the next section, we will look at an innovative system that effectively eliminates the problem of leakage, providing a truly sealed shelter for your vehicle.
Solution - Double Roof Technology
The developers of Carport Premium identified the problem of leakage as a key challenge for traditional designs and decided to approach it in a way that goes beyond standard industry solutions. Instead of accepting imperfections as an inevitable feature of photovoltaic carports, they developed an innovative double roof system that completely eliminates the problem of leakage while retaining all the advantages of solar power generation.
“Our goal was to create a product that actually fulfills its basic function - protecting the car from the weather - without making any compromises,” explains Marcin Kowalski, chief designer of Carport Premium. “We were inspired by solutions used in residential construction, where layered roof construction is the standard for full tightness.”
At the heart of the innovation is the double roof system, consisting of two independent layers that work together to form an impermeable barrier to water. The upper layer consists of photovoltaic panels, which perform their primary function - they generate electricity. However, under them there is a second layer - a specially designed ceiling made of trapezoidal sheet with a properly selected profile.
This additional layer performs several key functions. First of all, it captures every drop of water that seeps through the inevitable gaps between photovoltaic panels. Water, instead of falling directly on the car and the pavement, is directed along specially profiled grooves of the trapezoidal sheet into the gutter system integrated into the carport structure.
“The solution with trapezoidal sheet as a soffit is not accidental,” continues Kowalski. “After a series of tests of different materials and profiles, we have chosen a specific trapezoidal design that not only retains water, but also directs it in a planned way to the drainage system. In addition, thanks to the appropriate surface finish, the sheet metal provides an aesthetic finish to the carport from the bottom.”
The rainwater drainage system in Carport Premium is another element refined to perfection. The water collected by the soffit is directed to discreetly hidden gutters located around the perimeter of the structure. From there, through a system of drain pipes integrated into the supporting structure, water is safely discharged to the ground or to the drain system. Importantly, the drain pipes are hidden inside the support pillars, which allows to maintain the minimalist aesthetics of the entire structure.
The materials used in the double roof system have been selected for maximum durability and resistance to weather conditions. The trapezoidal sheet used as a soffit is made of high-quality galvanized steel, covered with an additional protective layer that prevents corrosion for decades. All joints and seals are made of materials resistant to UV and temperature extremes, which guarantees their long-term functionality.
“Comparing our system to standard solutions, the difference is fundamental,” emphasizes Kowalski. “A typical carport with photovoltaic panels is single-layer - it consists only of a supporting frame and panels. We add a second, fully functional layer of the roof that takes over the task of protecting against water, while the panels can focus on what they do best - generating energy.”
This additional layer not only means better protection against rain, but also has a positive effect on the performance of photovoltaic panels. Thanks to the optimized airflow between the panels and the soffit, the panels maintain a lower operating temperature, which translates into higher energy production efficiency, especially on hot, summer days.
Benefits - Full protection and peace of mind
Now let's move from theory to practice and look at how the Carport Premium double roof system translates into real benefits for users.
Piotr from Wroclaw, who switched from a standard carport to a Premium model, shares his experience: “The difference is amazing. Previously, after each rain, I had to wipe the car before leaving, as water seeped through the cracks. Now, even after the heaviest downpour, my vehicle remains completely dry. It completely changes the experience of everyday use of the car.”
This seemingly simple benefit — a dry car regardless of the weather — has a number of practical implications. First of all, it eliminates the need for regular cleaning of the vehicle from deposits formed after the rain drops have dried. These deposits, especially in urban areas where rain contains a lot of pollutants, can damage the paint coating of the vehicle over time. It is estimated that regular soaking and drying of the lacquered surface can accelerate the varnish degradation process by up to 30%.
What's more, full rain protection means you're free to unload your purchases, bring your sleeping baby home, or get ready to go — all under a canopy that actually protects against rain. This convenience may seem like a trifle until you experience it firsthand, especially during a heavy rain or snowstorm.
“Before I decided on Carport Premium, I always had to plan the unloading of purchases taking into account the weather,” says Anna from Krakow. “With two young children, every trip to the store was a logistical challenge if it was raining outside. Now I am confident that I can safely unpack everything without getting wet, regardless of the conditions.”
Another significant advantage is the protection of the pavement under the carport. Standard leaky canopies cause uneven water runoff, which over time leads to leaching of the fill between the pavers and the formation of latches in certain places. This problem is especially acute in the case of paving stones, the durability of which largely depends on the stability of the substructure and the filling of the gaps.
Experts in the paving industry confirm that regular, spot irrigation of the pavement can shorten its life by up to half. In practice, this means that by investing in a fully sealed Carport Premium, you can save between 5,000 and 15,000 zlotys on possible pavement renovation in a 10-15 year perspective.
“I was skeptical about the need to invest in a 'premium' carport,” admits Michał, owner of a transport company from Gdańsk. “However, after three years of using the leaky roof, I had to completely replace the cube under it, because it just collapsed. The new Carport Premium cost me less than the sum of the old carport and pavement renovations. It was a lesson I'd rather avoid.”
Also, the issue of long-term protection of the vehicle cannot be overlooked. Modern cars, despite advanced anti-corrosion technologies, are still exposed to damage from the cyclical action of water, especially when we are talking about rainwater, which often contains acids and other impurities. Full protection against precipitation extends the life of the paintwork, reduces the risk of corrosion and helps maintain a higher resale value of the vehicle.
According to an analysis by an independent research institute, cars regularly parked under tight canopies can retain up to 15% higher resale value after 5 years of use compared to vehicles parked under standard, leaky carports or in open spaces.
In conclusion, the investment in Carport Premium with a double roof system is not only a matter of comfort, but also of long-term economy. Protecting the vehicle, the road surface and your own comfort translates into tangible savings over several years of use. As one client aptly put it: “It's not an expense for roofing — it's an investment in peace of mind and the protection of much more expensive assets.”
In a world where premium products often offer mainly aesthetic qualities, Carport Premium excels by delivering the concrete, practical benefits that you experience every day. An airtight shelter for your car is much more than marketing — it's a real value that works in every rain.
