As the school year starts up again, we thought we’d share a story about a SteelMaster carport being used as a picnic cover at an elementary school in West Virginia…

Members of the parent-teacher organization for Point Pleasant Primary School in Leon, WV understood the benefits of outdoor play for children, but an element of that had them worried—the sun.

As the children swung, slid, and climbed in the fresh air surrounding the school’s playground each day, there was no place for them to retreat from the sun’s rays. While not a problem during the winter, there are those months when shade becomes a necessity, and the Point Pleasant Junior Woman’s Club heeded the call to provide it.

Earlier this year, the club, which is a service organization run by volunteers who support the community by funding projects, allocated grant money to the school to build a multi-purpose shaded picnic area on the playground where the kids and teachers could seek respite from the elements while remaining outdoors.

“I wanted something sturdy that would last for a long time,” says Dana Richardson, a member of the woman’s club who was involved in the project. “I wanted a steel carport.”

While searching the Internet, Richardson happened upon a company based in Virginia Beach, VA that manufactures and sells steel buildings, including steel metal carport kits. “I really liked the design, and it looked like it could be used as a picnic shelter and an area for additional classroom activities like science projects,” says Richardson.

The carport features a unique clear-span, single radius, low-profile arched structure that is supported by a 14 gauge beams and posts system, which allows it to withstand any weather condition and makes construction a breeze. Members of the board of education’s maintenance department assembled and raised the posts, beams, and panels to complete the construction of carport without a contractor in one day.

“We utilize the technological advancements of our buildings translated into a carport structure,” says Michelle Wickum, marketing director for SteelMaster Buildings, which manufactured the school’s carport. “You don’t have to treat it, paint it or maintain it—you just enjoy it. The Galvalume Plus coating provides years of maintenance-free use.”

While traditional applications for such a structure include carport garages, truck covers, RV and tractor coverage, and farm equipment protection, it can be used for a variety of custom applications including bus stops, tram covers, smoke shacks, metal walkway and boat lifts. But for the kids attending Point Pleasant Primary School, it provided a place for fun out of the sun.

“Now that the carport is up and in use, I wouldn’t do anything differently if I had to do it over again,” says Richardson. “Everyone is so excited to have this addition to the playground.”

-by Brenda H. Welch (a freelance writer and editor living in Hampton Roads, VA.)

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

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