So, the realities of a small garage are closing in quickly.
I have 2 climate controlled and locked spaces. Obe is a work space and the other is the permanent home of my duster.
This leaves my hot rod miata and neon acr outside.
Niw, i DO have this:
its nice, but im not sure its too much better than sitting in the driveway at this point. Eventually it will get walled in wuth doors like a legit metal building, but thats a few years from now if im honest.
The cars under the carport get wet, dirty, cat prints, etc. I hate that. Especially when ive spent hours and hours building a clean and detailed and almost perfect car.
So, the thing of it is that im not sure what the best silution here is. The cover over the acr now is the $11 cover i got from the flea market. Its so cheap its already tearing, and im pretty sure its sanding the bad paint off for me.
So, what/how/should we do from here? Anu solutions better/worse than others?
I would want some heavy vapor barrier on the ground, And maybe no cover at all on the car. You’re not really worried about weather under there.
I keep a cover on my Miata. It was nearly spotless when I bought it, so I want to keep it's value. Based on recommendations from this thread, I bought a Covercraft Weathershield HP.
I never put it on without washing the car first. It's used for autocross only, so each event includes two tire changes (I store the good tires inside), and a wash.
I have the same sort of issue, but currently nothing over the car but trees (and Leaves!!). I've been thinking about the temp shed things from Costco as an option, but not sure of the longevity. I am in Seattle, so no real snow to speak of, but not sure what else to look at. I'm at a rental house, so no structures can be built.
Patientzero said:
This is an option.
https://www.amazon.com/CarCapsule-Indoor-Inflatable-Cover-Storage/dp/B004642U4U
I appreciate the suggestion, but at that point it would be almost as cheap as a metal building.
Get some 2x4's and vinyl siding and wall the
carport.
One of the things brought up is moisture and condensation. That's actually a not-insignificant concern of mine. Are there better ways than others to let them breathe while keeping crap off the top of them? I also thought about doing heavy duty tarp roll up sides on the carport if I can find them cheap enough and heavy-duty enough if that would make things better for all the way around.
pirate
HalfDork
12/16/19 4:55 p.m.
I am in coastal Alabama so snow is not an issues but a lot of sun, heat, humidity and rain. One of my cars stays outside with a CoverCraft Weathershield HP cover also. Other then maybe a slight swirl of the paint from the cover moving slightly I have been very happy. And a coat of wax instantly removes any of the swirl haze. I am thinking about a metal cover similar to yours as zoning/homeowners association will not allow another permanent building. Do you have any zoning issues with your structure. How permanent is the structure. I would agree parking the car on a tarp might help with dampness coming out of the gravel.
In reply to pirate :
No zoning issues at all. Didn't even have to pull a permit here.
Its essentially free standing. The uphill side is pinned in with a half dozen pieces of rebar driven in the dirt. Diwnhill is lag bolted to the railroad tie wall. I like that it keeps the majority of the weather off, but not enough in my opinion .thereby this thread.....
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
Heavy vapor barrier under the cars. Tarps to keep blowing and drifting weather off the tops. Do try to keep the tarps well off the ground so rodents aren't encouraged to climb up and around your cars
use plywood to shelter your tires from sunlight.
LifeIsStout said:
I have the same sort of issue, but currently nothing over the car but trees (and Leaves!!). I've been thinking about the temp shed things from Costco as an option, but not sure of the longevity. I am in Seattle, so no real snow to speak of, but not sure what else to look at. I'm at a rental house, so no structures can be built.
The Costco ones seem to be the good ones , they have 4 poles per side , the cheap ones have 3 poles per side ,
The Costco tubing is also larger......
plus the Costco cover is thicker.....
This was all 2 years ago when I bought my last one......
In reply to frenchyd :
One day a long time I was in Denmark looking at 10 or more split window bugs that were ruined by putting plastic on the ground so they were always wet !
They were rusted a foot up.......
So watch that water does not sit in the plastic .......
Anybody have a link to the coscto ones? I have the same issues as the OP
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
Duct tape and plastic sheeting is cheap. Dexter style.
Patrick said:
Get some 2x4's and vinyl siding and wall the
carport.
Thats actually the nect couple of years plan
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
Get a couple large rolls of the thickest plastic film they sell at Lowe’s Depot & attach it to 3-sides, then hang a tarp across the front so so can move vehicles in/out relatively easy? I’m guessing it would cost $200-$250 max.
Heavy vapor barrier on the ground, make sure it can drain and call it good. I got almost the same thing and car stays sorta clean and never had a rot issue.
I don't like car covers, at least cheap ones. My experience has been that a strong gust of wind at the wrong angle can lead to a floppy cover and scratched paint. IMO if it can't be in a garage being under a carport is the next best thing as it provides good protection from UV damage as well as keeps it out of direct rain, snow, bird droppings, and whatever else might fall from the sky or trees.
Get some good sun shades to block the windows and protect the interior of the car from direct sunlight, wash it once a month, and use a quick spray wax every month or two (I like Optimum Spray Wax, takes ten minutes to do a small car).
The most important thing is to treat them like cars you intend to use and not abandon them.
Similar carport. Gravel base, as you have. Weed killer to get rid of pesky grass, weeds etc. The gravel will help with drainage. I put up cheap 4x8 lattice on the sides. Cuts down on a lot. I'm up in the Catskill region of NY. (Snow, rain, and sometimes sunny days) I store my garden tractors, Mule, a 4 wheeler, and all my yard and lawn equipment there. I tarp them up, and never had a problem. Sad to say, my vehicles, and my 1950 Ferguson tractor live outdoors. The Fergy is tarped, and no problems. But I try to keep everything clean.
I wish I'd learned basic construction skills for this type of stuff. Seems like building a basic two car shotgun shed with 2X4s & plywood *shouldn't* be that difficult?
In Florida a car that sits outside is wet every morning with dew, then the dust sticks to it, eventually its covered in a layer of wet dirt, then that wet dirt mildews, now you have an incredibly dirty science experiment (often with a mildewed interior).
MrJoshua said:
In Florida a car that sits outside is wet every morning with dew, then the dust sticks to it, eventually its covered in a layer of wet dirt, then that wet dirt mildews, now you have an incredibly dirty science experiment (often with a mildewed interior).
Same here in north Carolina. You should have seen the neon after this summer....
Poopshovel: theres reasons i didn't do that and went carport instead. Mostly surrounding zoning and permit and....
Like i said to patrick, this structure will be walled. After its been here a few years.
I'd worry more about the giant copperhead next to the bike.
I was also interested in these temporary Costo solutions, but I looked it up, and it seems like putting some Tyvek on the carport would accompish much of the same thing. If I was going to do that, I'd cut it 18" long on the sides, then bury and pin it in the ground.
A 9'x150' roll is like $130, and should do the whole carport. For maximum weather proofing, I would take the edge of the Tyvek under the sides and top of the roof.
