Car Cover Dusty Barn

[Hippea]

I'm storing two of my classics in a farmers barn, the barn is dry and well ventilated (although not insulated). It is however very very dusty.

What would the recommendation be in terms of car covers, worth covering to keep the dust at bay or would that cause more issues? The cars are both 50 years old and largely original paint

[ingenieur]

Plastic will stop dust getting to them but will also stop evaporation so can trap moisture against the body of the car. If it's not windy in the barn then ordinary car covers will be fine but I'd consider extra blankets or carpet on top of the cover for the flat upward facing surfaces so there is something to trap the dust. Bash them out every 6 months.

[Unreal]

I have 20 odd of these in different sizes. Perfect for indoor dust protection but they will only provide minimal protection against knocks although fine if you just want to avoid scratches from brushing past the cars.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cosmos-Indoor-Garage-Medi...

[Hippea]

Unreal said:

I have 20 odd of these in different sizes. Perfect for indoor dust protection but they will only provide minimal protection against knocks although fine if you just want to avoid scratches from brushing past the cars.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cosmos-Indoor-Garage-Medi...

That's exactly what I was thinking of, the ones I was looking at where £150 each though!! Are the Amazon ones any good?

I'm not worried about knocks, there won't be any work going on around them or other things stored near them.

[Hippea]

ingenieur said:

Plastic will stop dust getting to them but will also stop evaporation so can trap moisture against the body of the car. If it's not windy in the barn then ordinary car covers will be fine but I'd consider extra blankets or carpet on top of the cover for the flat upward facing surfaces so there is something to trap the dust. Bash them out every 6 months.

The barn is quite windy, the very upper part has quite big open slats which the wind blows through and makes the dust swirl.

The cars will be taken out frequently, the longest they will be stood is a month.

[Unreal]

Hippea said:

Unreal said:

I have 20 odd of these in different sizes. Perfect for indoor dust protection but they will only provide minimal protection against knocks although fine if you just want to avoid scratches from brushing past the cars.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cosmos-Indoor-Garage-Medi...

That's exactly what I was thinking of, the ones I was looking at where £150 each though!! Are the Amazon ones any good?

I'm not worried about knocks, there won't be any work going on around them or other things stored near them.

They keep the dust off and cover the cars completely. Material isn't scratchy so they do the job perfectly. My advice is clean the car thoroughly before covering. As you're discovering, dust can be a real problem and it's nice to be able to return to the cars shiny and clean.

[Chubbyross]

My car is in a similar situation, although not quite as dusty by the sounds of it. I usually buy a couple each of indoor soft covers for each car. That way I can wash the covers every few months so they don’t become too ingrained with dust. As others have said, make sure the car is clean before putting the covers on, otherwise you’ll be rubbing the dirt in every time you put on or take the cover off.

[ingenieur]

Hippea said:

ingenieur said:

Plastic will stop dust getting to them but will also stop evaporation so can trap moisture against the body of the car. If it's not windy in the barn then ordinary car covers will be fine but I'd consider extra blankets or carpet on top of the cover for the flat upward facing surfaces so there is something to trap the dust. Bash them out every 6 months.

The barn is quite windy, the very upper part has quite big open slats which the wind blows through and makes the dust swirl.

The cars will be taken out frequently, the longest they will be stood is a month.

Got to watch out for wind + covers. When the covers flap about they will chafe the corners of the car where the cover touches. Potentially other larger areas as well if the cover is flapping... on the roof for instance.

Not sure what the perfect answer is. I know you can get car bubbles that you can put a car into but they're very expensive.

[Tommo87]

Over time the dust will trap moisture from the atmosphere, which in turn will get under the paint.

If you clean the car every 3-6 months it should be ok to keep without a cover.

Otherwise a bed sheet is best ina dry garage.

[Bobupndown]

If you're taking them out every month a quick wash should be sufficient, leave them uncovered?

[Chubbyross]

A snug and soft indoor cover won’t flap in the wind. It’s the oversized outdoor covers that do the damage.

[Earthdweller]

i wouldn’t use a bed sheet tbf

the amazon covers aer really good and they are breathable and allow moisture out, unlike a bed sheet

i use one in a large garage/shed and it’s great, elasticated around the bottom and fits really well

i’d definitely recommend

[KTMsm]

I'm a car dealer - as was my father

Whilst I see what others say I have seen literally hundreds of cars with paint damage caused by covers - from rubbing through the paint, scratches, blistering, dull areas etc

IME if you have power, a carcoon or similar are fantastic otherwise you are risking more damage than by not using a cover

Obviously a clean, dry car covered in a dry garage is fine - anything else is a gamble