Garage temp

[Dredd]

Hi,

I have my car stored in the garage over winter, Is it a good idea to heat the garage? What temperature range? Ventilation required too?

Some people say heat can speed up rushing, anyone one else store their cars over winter?

 

[Simon]

What car is it?

 

[stulid]

I don't think heating your garage to look after your car will help stop the onset of rusting.

you would have to clean every inch of the car, including underside to remove road grime/salts.

How long are you going to store it for? a month or two?

http://www.carcoon.co.uk/carcoons/index.asp

 

[Maccapacca]

Ventilation is the key not temp, as long as it's dry it will be fine

If the garage is not ventilated the car will stay damp

 

[Beans on toast Dave]

if anything i would have thought a dehumdifier would be best to dry out the garage?

 

[Maccapacca]

not if you have leather or natural wood trim

 

[Dredd]

Hi everyone thank you for your input,

I always wash the car and push it back in, garage door a roller shutter and I was looking at installing insulation on the joists and space above was going to use as storage.

I don't have any Ventilation, could install maybe two fans, 1 for out going and other for in coming, not sure what's the best place.

I could easily install a small radiator if it helps, maybe keep around 5c ?

A dehumidifier maybe a bad idea as i do have leather seats could dry out?

Car is put in around November to around April every year, been doing it for a few years now, just got some spare time over next few weeks to sort out the garage.

 

[Dave L]

As Macca says, ventilation is important, temperature is not so.

 

[MikeHiow]

Your car would probably be better off actually getting driven on suitable days (ie. it isn't raining and cold enough for gritters all winter).

 

[Beans on toast Dave]

not if you have leather or natural wood trim

if the cars doors are shut then the leather and wood would be ok?

 

[Mucky_Pup]

What car is this out of curiosity?

 

[kae2]

Ventilation is the key.

Followed by tyre preservation (to avoid flat spots).

One of the guys I've worked with has his car on axle stands, with a 20watt traditional light bulb on a short stand under the engine block. This warms the air just enough to keep it circulating around the engine block, and stops damp from forming.

He gets it out each spring, puts the battery back on, flushes with new oil, cranks it over a few times to build oil pressure then starts it. Never had any issues.

 

[DM]

I put thick carpet squares under my wheels to save flat spots.

 

[Usel]

The garage space I look after has 3 dehumidifiers, 1 large industrial type and 2 normal size dehumidifers. All the cars have leather and wood interiors and in the 7 years I have been there no damage has been caused.

There is also a central heating system which keeps temps above 5c except for when I'm in there and its set to 18c.

All cars go up on a lift once a year to be checked over and the rust has been kept at bay.

 

[Jonny69]

Being dry is the main thing. By that I mean make sure the roof doesn't leak and apart from that it can sit in there as long as it likes, so no need for heating or dehumidificationalisationalism.

My Anglia has been on and off the road over the last few years but while I was restoring it I left quite a lot of it in bare metal for over a year, maybe two. There was barely any surface rust other than where I had touched it. As a painted car it doesn't deteriorate at all.

My friend's car on the other hand; I've been doing some welding and fabrication over the last year and a bit. His roof leaks and I have to clean up all the bare metal every time I go back. Basically, a leaky roof means a damp garage = deterioration.

I put thick carpet squares under my wheels to save flat spots.

What you can also do is sit the car on axle stands so the weight is off the tyres. Then it doesn't matter if they go down.

 

[Zairs]

jst make sure you get right under the car when you clean it, also clean under the wheel arches

 

[Dave L]

I put thick carpet squares under my wheels to save flat spots.

Tell me.............how does that work??

 

[Dredd]

I been reading about the above, seem to come from the old days when cars had cross ply tyres?

 

[Jonny69]

Mmm, well you do get flat spots on crossplies with tubes if it sits about, because the tyre squashes a little and the tube settles in it, but you only have to roll a few revolutions and it settles out again. I think DiamondGeezerMark might mean when the tyres have gone completely flat and the rim is squashing the tyre on a hard surface. Then you get flat spots that don't pop back out when you pump them back up.