I admit it may seem mean, but seeing garage shelters implode in the winter time puts a smile on my face. Why? Because it proves that being dumb does not make a garage shelter more resistant against Mother Nature. The owner of this garage shelter knew the structure was weak but still put it up. What’s worse is that manufacturers convince people it’s a good idea. In Canada’s northeast? Are you friggin’ kidding me? And this one was protected by a building (which no snow or water fell from its roof onto the shelter).
This is a classic case of a supplier overselling his product just to make more money, and the suckers who bought the sales pitch. As you can see from the image above, the thing just fell apart following a snow storm followed by melting snow weather.
Garage shelter suppliers are great hypnotists
Somehow, companies have convinced people that shelters are great to protect your vehicle from snow. But all that snow they promise you won’t have to shovel is on top of your shelter, accumulating after each storm.
Look at the image on the left: that is just one of the many boulders of snow on the roof of the garage shelter. We had to cut many holes in the roof to remove these giants to get the ATV out. Oh, and the ATV’s protecting roof broke under the weight of the snow because the ATV was the only reason the entire thing did not cave in all the way.
Your garage shelter vs. your house roof
A house roof is designed to support its own weight and the accumulation of snow during the winter. So why on Earth would a skimpy frame made of thin tubing become strong enough to support 18-24 inches of snow? It may support the weight for a while, but the moment that snow becomes wet or another snow fall happens, your temporary structure is on its way to buckle. And this is what happened to this particular shelter.
Bottom line here: temporary shelters are not a good solution in most winter climates. Those who insist using them are the first to reinforce the structure with bracing and additional wood. So that means… People who don’t know any better buy these shelters, and those who do know better also buy them, but they reinforce the hell out of them… Uh, what?
OK, so what’s my alternative?
There is no moral here; traditionally-shaped shelters have their uses, but if you have the space for it, a geodesic dome might be a better solution. I live in the countryside, so a dome is not far-fetched where quonset (half-moon) structures are common. And you can also throw a metal or plastic mesh over the frame before you put on the tarp, making it even more resistant to snow load.
Still, seeing these babies implode makes for fun pictures.
