I'm proud to proclaim that my year-long pursuit of building a stable garage may be complete! Last year, after MCC allowed us to use one their cars, we decided it would be good to have a shady place to park it. The easiest way to create a shade is to use polythene paper (what you use for greenhouses) since it very common here (thanks to the flower industry). Last year, I rigged up some poly paper over 9' beams I cemented in the ground but was foiled by the heavy winds and rains last December. I couldn't find a way to keep the poly paper from blowing in the wind which eventually ripped it to shreds.
This year, I tried a new approach, using lighter beams in a criss-cross pattern to form the basis of the roof with a layer of poly paper between the crisses and crosses of wood. This plus using smaller strips of poly paper has reduced the impact of the wind a lot. I'm now pretty confident that this solution will work long term, shading our passion fruit plants, car, and on occasion Steph and the girls. Hallelujah for a finished garage!
