Any ideas how to raise a 10'-20' canopy?

[ApexerER]

Ok, so I am an idiot....I purchased a canopy/carport from harbor freight. I read about it online...Reviews were good etc. Harbor Freight didn't have one on the floor so I asked for one and the brought it out of the back. I never paid a whole lot of attention to the box. I just paid for it and threw it in my truck. Well online it says that it is 9' 6" high  and it is in the center...But the sides are 6' 6" and my boat won't fit under 6' 6" so I have been trying to come up with ideas. All I can come up with is to take 5 gallon buckets, drill a hole it and place a bolt through so it is sticking out from the bottom of the bucket. Then turn them over and fill them with cement. Then when the cement is dry I can turn the buckets upside down and bolt the legs to the bottom of the buckets increasing the height by the size of the bucket and the weight should be enough to keep the canopy from flying away in the wind....Any other ideas?

[mlammerhirt]

Not a bad idea....depends how clean of a look you are going for. You could also drop 6x6's in the ground and somehow attach each pole from the canopy to the 6x6. You can then either leave that bottom space open or attach plywood and vinyl siding to real clean it up.

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[Moho81]

What about getting some sonotube's? bury part of the tube in the ground leave whatever extra height you need out of the ground, fill with cement then bolt the poles to the concrete with some masonry screws? It would be a cleaner look than plastic buckets 

[growalot]

I wouldn't rely on the weight of those buckets from keeping it from flipping in a good wind...We have our canvas "barn" tied with anchor bolts in to 1' diameter 20 foot telephone poles...That's just the extra heavy weight farm tarp covering it. The frame legs them selves are cabled to 3' rebar pounded into the ground with anchor rings welded to them. We lost one completely and had another flip before that using screw in ground anchors. I'd do the anchored 4x4's with a hole drilled through at the height you want then run a bolt through that and the legs...but also to keep the tubing from tearing I would screw a clamp around it above and below the bolts...one time secure and you don't need to lay out more $$$$ down the road..only takes a little extra time and money..never underestimate the force of wind and gusts.

[ApexerER]

Thank you for the ideas.....I never thought to be more specific and say this is going to be placed on pavement. When I had my drive way paved I had it paved up along the house for parking the boat in the summer and snowmobile trailer in the winter....I could probably anchor the outside section like some of you have suggested but no the inside section...

[philoshop]

As the owner of a "Garage-in-a-box" from Tractor Supply for my tractor (which has worked out well for me), I'll only say that you should make sure that it's fastened securely to the ground. Especially if you're lifting the whole thing away from ground contact so that wind can get in under the sides. These kinds of shelters turn into kites in a heartbeat and can do a lot of damage.

[Jeremy K]

My wife's grandma has one of those on pavement , her uncle did the same thing you  were describing with the cement but didn't go as big as a 5 gallon bucket , he actually centered a 4x4 in the center of the cement which he later drilled a hole in for the leg to slip into . They take the tarp off in the winter and have changed out those bungey fasteners a couple times but its never blown away.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

4 hours ago, ApexerER said:

Thank you for the ideas.....I never thought to be more specific and say this is going to be placed on pavement. When I had my drive way paved I had it paved up along the house for parking the boat in the summer and snowmobile trailer in the winter....I could probably anchor the outside section like some of you have suggested but no the inside section...

how much more height to you need?