Damp Garage or Car Cover on Drive

[b3nson]

Collective opinions and experiences of RRer's required!

I've currently got a small council garage to store my Dolly Sprint in, however it does not appear to be completely water tight and seems to get quite damp as well (which I believe it a problem with these asbestos/concrete mix roofed garages). I've also read/been told that condensation from these roofs can cause damage to paintwork if left on it?

So the question is: What is likely to be better for my car, also taking into account security?


Storing it in said damp garage with a car cover to protect it

Or storing it on my drive with a high-quality Stormforce car cover.

Currently costs me £60 a month for the garage, so if stored on the drive would save a fair amount of money, first of which would be put towards a quick release steering boss for extra security. I do live in a pretty decent area, but you never know who might be about!

The garage is also a 15 minute walk from home and has no parking for my other car (as it won't fit in the garage)

[miaspa]

I use my drive, spent a fortune previously storing cars, spending more storing them than buying them.
If my Polo rusts away in two years, I have saved £1400 to buy another by not renting a garage.

I just need to get that logic understood by my better half.

[Wilk]

If I had to make the choice I'd go for one of those framed covers that you drive into and then rotate the half over the car. Believe they sell them in machine mart

Classic car restorers near me say a car port as it keeps the majority of the elements at bay whilst allowing a blow through to stop condensation build up

HTH

[cortinaman]

I really wouldn't put a cover over the car in a damp lockup. When I bought my Jag, I put it in my lock up which is a little damp and put a breathable car cover over it. In a matter of days there was condensation forming between the cover and the car - which is not great for the paintwork.

My experience of using car covers outside is that they do more harm than good when used for long periods - condensation tends to form even if they are supposedly breathable, and paint can get rubbed through by the movement of the cover.

I did read an article about someone with a similarly damp garage buying a Carcoon, and running it off a caravan solar panel and a leisure battery so the car is in a conditioned environment - likely to cost a few quid I would have thought though.

To stop condensation dripping onto the car, could you rig up a plastic sheet just under the roof to catch any drips and direct them away from the car?

I have to keep my cars garaged as a condition of my insurance, but I still reckon a slightly damp garage is better than a car cover.

[SmokeEm]

Get one of those microwavable condensation bags for inside and store it uncovered on your drive. Much better than a curse word garage with a cover. Agree on of those fold over covers that have a rigid frame would work too. I had to sell my Granada because the inside kept going mouldy from the damp.

[zoompod]

I'm in the same boat as you, I've a mini sitting in a council lockup that's getting surface rust from the condensation, I've bought a cover to go over it on the drive but can't bring myself to leave it out. The advice I was given was to remove the cover every week or so to let it breath, mines got no Windows or doors on so can't leave it uncovered. What I'd like to do is get a storage area or workshop with some others but finding one is the problem.

[steveo3002]

i rent a similar garage....get yourself a roll of plastic sheet and some aerosol glue and fix up a sheet between the roof members , catches any drips from the condenstation and keeps it alright...costs a tenner and can be taken down with no damage

had cars in there for several years now and they stay ok

[garthalgar]

I keep my 944 under a "breathable" cover from halfords during this and last winter, probably 4 or 5 months all together. I don't have access to a garage so this is the best I can do to keep it from getting dirty (I live near a quarry so it always gets dusty which is unbelievably frustrating).

Yes the condensation gets under it and yes every time I take the cover off it's still dusty. It must blow up underneath. But it stops that much of it that it warrants me still using it. Plus with a cover on my brakes never stick as well as being a thief deterrent. The halfords cover is actually rather good and universal. Bit of a faff if you were using it and drove your car frequently though.

On the other hand my mate has a very clean MK2 golf in a council lock up that leaks to the point where he often finds puddles on the roof. He used to keep a cover on it but with the leaking it was seeping through the cover and clinging. So I wouldnt recommend cover and damp lock up together. But either or is much and such. Depends how good nick/valuable your car is!

[johnd]

Find a better garage that isnt damp?

[bagpuss86]

Having used a good quality car cover on my drive over winter I'd say don't bother. The cover did stop rain getting to the paint, but it stopped the car breathing as well and ended up trapping moisture on the bodywork.

The result was my car ended up rusting anyway and the interior started going mouldy from all the damp building up inside it, even with two moisture traps placed in it!

[ian65]

definitely on the drive......the worse place you can store your car is in a damp garage, it'll go mouldy, rusty and seize up in no time.
At least on the drive you'll get air flow under the cover and if its a nice day you can take the cover off and wind the windows down a bit to air it out.
It's also a good idea to get some of those crystals that absorb moisture that caravanners use when they lock their vans up for the winter.... Pour them into a washing up bowl and leave them in the front footwell.... you'll be amazed how much moisture they pull out of the interior.

[b3nson]

Feb 5, 2017 17:28:05 GMT johnd said:

Find a better garage that isnt damp?

Obviously that's a good option, although much easier said than done around here.

[pauly22]

Sounds mad but I bought a cheap roof rack off eBay for £2, bolted it on the roof then bolted a couple of roof sheets from wickes onto. Keeps the rain off.

[avengertec]

Insulate the roof if it's just condensation

[steveo3002]

Feb 6, 2017 7:35:16 GMT avengertec said:

Insulate the roof if it's just condensation

exactly...tenners worth of plastic sheeting ans some glue or batton , or if you own it do a better job

mines far from perfect but its way way dryer than keeping it outside

[beansbeansbeans]

I had purchased a MK2 Fezz in September and ever since, I had a cover over it. It was some cheap one from Argos that did its job of covering it, however it would get completely soaked through and trap dust/dirt etc underneath it.

Across the road they're currently taking down a building and thus, lots of dust is being created from it. When I decided to take the cover off to work on it, the amount of dust underneath it was staggering and I have taken it off completely now. It had scratched some of the paint where it'd get trapped, too. 

I found the car didn't breath well with it on at all and I think it's best to invest in a decent, breathable cover if you can. I have the same situation with a garage and I don't trust leaving mine somewhere too far.

[chris y]

I bought an expensive tailored cover for one of my Carlton GSis after advice from club members, cant remember the brand but I could check, it cost about £270 quite a few years ago.

Anyway, its great, the car comes out every spring looking great with no dirt or paint damage.

I do have some rules though.

I only put the cover on a freshly cleaned car, the under side of the cover is lovely and soft but it only needs grit in it once and it will damage paint for ever.
I hose the cover down a couple of days before taking it off to get the worst dirt off and use a soft brush just before.
I'm careful when I take the cover off to not allow the outside touch the inside and I take it in the house and store it in the top of a wardrobe, its quite big.

I had the car in next doors brick and asbestos garage one year and wouldnt do it again, it spent the winter with condensation on metal surfaces. The cover is way better.

If you have to keep it in a damp garage make it well ventilated in a way that allows throughflow so that you can feel a draught blowing through if its windy outside. I have a rented garage in my allotment and did this, it has a floor that allows damp in but rebuilt my other Carlton in there had no damp issues, it has a gap under the doors at one end and under the eaves at the other, you can feel the air moving through most of the time.

[chris y]

it was from specialised covers, details -

Specialised Covers Limited
1 & 2 Riverdale House
Dockfield Road
Shipley
United Kingdom
BD17 7AD

f you have any queries regarding your order please contact our
sales team on 01943 864 646. Alternatively, you can email us on
[e-mail]