Any suggestions for padding a carport support?

My carport is a tight fit, and I don't always park far enough away from the posts that support the roof. I want to wrap some padding around the posts closest to my car doors so that I won't dent the doors if I open them too far. I was hoping to find something like the tubular insulation that's split lengthwise to fit around plumbing pipes--only bigger. The carport supports are about 3 inches, and they're square. Does anyone know if insulation material comes in bigger sizes? Or pieces/sheets? It doesn't have to be pretty, but I'm thinking along the lines of something better than a couple of rags held on with duct tape!!

 

How about one of those pool noodles split open? Just wondering.

 

My thoughts exactly^

 

Cost a bit more but?

 

Insulation comes in sheets, the have it at home depot or lowes. If you want to look into that option it is called rigid insulation

 

You can buy a huge variety of densities of foam from foam stores. Here in seattle we have one called Friendly Foam. Some of it cuts well on a table saw, some of it with a hot knife, yet more works well with an electric turkey knife, just depends on the type of foam. You can then cut out 4 sides and tape the joins. If you wanted to go further you could even get some tough outdoor type fabric (walmart sells it cheap) and cover it so it will be even longer before you have to replace the foam pieces. However because they are just strips of foam you could replace them pretty easily anytime.

Or... if you used the split pipe insulation you could get some pretty thick stuff and split it over the corners of the post, wrap some tape to hold it there (or peel off the backing and stick that, just not sure how well that would hold to your post, being as its an adhesive meant to stick to itself) and it should keep both the post and your truck protected from each other. Benefit of this method is that you already know where to find the pipe insulation! =P

Hope this helped!

 

!!! What are these??

 

"Friendly Foam," huh?? Interesting....

Seriously tho, lots of good ideas here. Thanks!

 

Ah-hah!! Great idea. But I doubt I can find any this time of year (and I don't have a pool...)

Thanks!

 

Pool 'Noodles' or pipe insulation. Both are cheap and readily available.

 

You can get one of those cheap blue foam sleeping bag pads, cut it to size and zip tie the sections onto the posts.

 

This is what i was talking about

Rigid foam insulation.

 

!! Good!

 

i used an old hand truck (dolly) tire on a post at my mom's apartment.. but i could just slip i over the top. not so sure how difficult it would be to cut one open. it lasted forever.

 

This ^^^ I've done this before when I had a garage with center support posts.