Garaging car when wet
Discussion
Hate doing it as my old man has always said never to do it, but on the insurance the car is down as being garaged overnight - anyone else have a similar quandry? ,..
I leave a window open on the back wall where I have a draughty old shed attached to try and get a bit of airflow through the garage, anything else i can do other than buying a ton of silica gel to stick in the corner?
I leave a window open on the back wall where I have a draughty old shed attached to try and get a bit of airflow through the garage, anything else i can do other than buying a ton of silica gel to stick in the corner?
I used to always garage mine for that reason, but then one winter other things in the garage started getting damp/mouldy, and it can't have been doing the car any favours anyway...
So these days I don't put it away if it's wet (unless it's really windy & I'm worried a roof tile might land on it!). It's surprising how infrequently it has to stay out on the drive overnight. I kind of figure that I'm allowed to park it on the road overnight when I'm not at home, so occasionally leaving it out on the drive at home it probably OK. Certainly neighbours would all be able to vouch for the fact that it's almost always garaged...
Like you, though, it does vaguely bug me and I'm not sure where I'd actually stand if something did happen to it whilst it was out...
So these days I don't put it away if it's wet (unless it's really windy & I'm worried a roof tile might land on it!). It's surprising how infrequently it has to stay out on the drive overnight. I kind of figure that I'm allowed to park it on the road overnight when I'm not at home, so occasionally leaving it out on the drive at home it probably OK. Certainly neighbours would all be able to vouch for the fact that it's almost always garaged...
Like you, though, it does vaguely bug me and I'm not sure where I'd actually stand if something did happen to it whilst it was out...
mechsympathy said:
ajb said:
Like you, though, it does vaguely bug me and I'm not sure where I'd actually stand if something did happen to it whilst it was out...
If it's in the terms of the insurance contract they'll do their best not to pay if it's pinched
But then if I insured it saying I keep it on my drive, whilst in reality I almost always garage it, couldn't they then try to get out of paying if my garage burnt down with the car in it? I guess I ought to read all the small print...
Chris71 said:
Are you suggesting a garage is a worse environment for decay (rust etc) than leaving it outside?
Yes if you regularly put it away wet - it's generally warmer (which speeds up decay), and it stays wet for a lot longer (as the garage will trap the damp air long after a car left outside would have dried).
But, the next time it rains your garaged car stays dry, and one outside gets wet again. So, if you only put it away when it's dry, or if you don't use it all that often, then you'll win by having the garage.
Chris71 said:
Currently trying to decide whether I can justify buying something interesting with only a drive way and a car cover to keep it in one piece.
Depends what you're buying and how you'll be using it. If it's something old and/or rust-prone and you're mostly going to use it on nice days in the summer, then keeping it on a drive way will do it a lot more harm than keeping it in a garage. If it's not particularly rust-prone or you'll be using it regularly in all weathers, then it probably doesn't make a lot of difference.
One other thought - if it's "interesting" in the sense that it's old and you expect it to go wrong from time to time, then a garage it a MUCH nicer place to try to fix a car than a wet driveway....
Edited by ajb on Thursday 11th January 15:18
Edited by ajb on Thursday 11th January 15:20
I always understood this idea of not garaging when wet to be down to two things;
Firstly, any older car would literally rot away if left damp for any time - don't think this really applies to anything made in the last 10-15yrs
Secondly, unprotected/unweathered/unsealed concrete releases all sorts of nasties into the immediate atmosphere when it gets wet - most of which strongly disagree with metal
Firstly, any older car would literally rot away if left damp for any time - don't think this really applies to anything made in the last 10-15yrs
Secondly, unprotected/unweathered/unsealed concrete releases all sorts of nasties into the immediate atmosphere when it gets wet - most of which strongly disagree with metal
Edited by Dunk76 on Thursday 11th January 18:40
I garage mine wet or dry, but in truth even when put away "wet" it's not really all that wet (i.e. the surface is mostly dry from the aero effect of moving) and I never see puddles the next day, for example.
Also: garage floor is sealed & painted and there's a dehumidifier running all the time (well, on its humidi-stat thing). In fact, the latter keeps the condesation off (the engine, for example) quite well. It used to be that if you ran your finger over the engine you could see a trace in a thin film of moisture, but not since running the d-h.
Also: garage floor is sealed & painted and there's a dehumidifier running all the time (well, on its humidi-stat thing). In fact, the latter keeps the condesation off (the engine, for example) quite well. It used to be that if you ran your finger over the engine you could see a trace in a thin film of moisture, but not since running the d-h.
Thread resurrection!
I'm guessing a daily driver would be better off in a car port so it can be kept sheltered but also well aired when it returns home wet. Seems better than it being sealed in a sauna of moist, warm air as would be the case with a garage. My ideal scenario would be a garage for the classic(s) and a car port for the daily driver with enough extra room for a classic in the event that it got caught in the rain and needed an airy shelter under which to dry off before being returned to the garage.
I'm guessing a daily driver would be better off in a car port so it can be kept sheltered but also well aired when it returns home wet. Seems better than it being sealed in a sauna of moist, warm air as would be the case with a garage. My ideal scenario would be a garage for the classic(s) and a car port for the daily driver with enough extra room for a classic in the event that it got caught in the rain and needed an airy shelter under which to dry off before being returned to the garage.
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