Storing car in the garage

[IceBoy]

Hello All,

This may sound like a silly question but I assure you it isn't!

I have a fairly typical garage attached to a 1969 house.

The floor is concrete on which I have put a huge old rug on top of.

The year before last my mk2 Golf GTI headlining came off during the winter months!... it was a pain to source another and fit!

So what can I do to make my car more cosy over the winter months so the cold or moisture does not damage it?

Should I cover the car with a blanket, should I seal up the tiny gaps around the garage door?

Thoughts please.
IceBoy

[Impasse]

Take the rug off the floor, it will trap moisture. Don't bother covering the car either, it will be happier just parked up naked in the garage. Just ensure there's plenty of ventilation and that the garage roof doesn't leak.

[Swanny87]

Seal up the door + dehumidifier? Vented bricks? Do you have any problems with damp?

[IceBoy]

The garage is clean and dry and I normally put a blanket on top.
IceBoy

[Vaud]

IceBoy said:

The garage is clean and dry and I normally put a blanket on top.
IceBoy

On top of the car?

[Blib]

Personally, I would ditch the rug and get an indoor car cover. If nothing else, it will keep dust off of the car.

If you could heat the garage safely and economically, that would help.

[Bebee]

If you have damp from the floor then put rubber mats down to protect the underside, damp rises and does a fair bit of damage from there.
Get a dehumidifier.

[16plates]

I store mine for up to 4 months at a time, generally I look to;

Ensure garage is dry and leak free.
Wash, wax, top up fluids, make sure there's fuel in it.
Crack sunroof
Crack windows
Release bonnet catch
Release handbrake (wedge wheels, just in-case
Remove wiper blades (stop them sticking to the windscreen)
Scatter silica gel pouches throughout the car
Pump tyres a few psi more than normal, this will help prevent flatspots.

You could put it on axle stands but unfortunately I don't have the space around the car when in the garage to jack it up etc...

[Vaud]

16plates said:

I store mine for up to 4 months at a time, generally I look to;

Ensure garage is dry and leak free.
Wash, wax, top up fluids, make sure there's fuel in it.
Crack sunroof
Crack windows
Release bonnet catch
Release handbrake (wedge wheels, just in-case
Remove wiper blades (stop them sticking to the windscreen)
Scatter silica gel pouches throughout the car
Pump tyres a few psi more than normal, this will help prevent flatspots.

You could put it on axle stands but unfortunately I don't have the space around the car when in the garage to jack it up etc...

No point in cracking open windows AND using silica gel. Otherwise you are trying to dry the garage with silica gel. Buy a tub of it and leave open it in the car...

[downsman]

Storing the car in an Airchamber or Carcoon will keep it in good condition.
There is constant ventilation and much slower temperature changes so condensation is reduced dramatically.

I live on the coast with a leaky garage and I can leave my car for months, and still find the discs rust free.

[sleep envy]

Blib said:

Personally, I would ditch the rug and get an indoor car cover. If nothing else, it will keep dust off of the car.

If you could heat the garage safely and economically, that would help.

Heat and a moist atmosphere is the perfect combination to oxidise metal.

OP - just make sure there's no leaks in the roof, ditch the rugs and ventilate the garage.

[Blib]

sleep envy said:

Blib said:

Personally, I would ditch the rug and get an indoor car cover. If nothing else, it will keep dust off of the car.

If you could heat the garage safely and economically, that would help.

Heat and a moist atmosphere is the perfect combination to oxidise metal.

OP - just make sure there's no leaks in the roof, ditch the rugs and ventilate the garage.

True. I wasn't suggesting Amozonian type high heat, high humidity. A regulated temperature would be preferable to extreme fluctuations. The kind we get in temperate winters.

[sleep envy]

Blib said:

True. I wasn't suggesting Amozonian type high heat, high humidity. A regulated temperature would be preferable to extreme fluctuations. The kind we get in temperate winters.

Extreme fluctuations? In winter?

Providing heat, unless you keep the RH below 25-30% which is difficult in a garage, is a waste go time and money and will cause more problems than leaving it ambient.

Reduce the RH any further and you'll cause more problems.

[Riley Blue]

My Riley spends around 4 months each winter in its garage. I drive it in, disconnect the battery, leave the handbrake off and leave the driver's window down. Never had any problems.

[kambites]

I'd remove anything that will hold moisture - you'll never keep damp out of a garage completely but at least if there's nothing absorbant in there it should dry out relatively easily. Might be worth getting a caravan dehumidifier to keep inside the car; they're only a few quid. As people have said, don't put anything on top of the car, it wont achieve anything and risks trapping moisture against the paint. You do not want to seal the garage - some air-flow is a good thing.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 24th September 10:03