Garage:Heated vs A/C vs dehumidified

A good question.

I once had an old MB I kept in an unheated garage that was not airtight. I lived in Canada at that time and the cycle of freezing and thawing over the winter caused condensation to build up on the alloy parts which corroded.

I would think a garage should be airtight in a damp, cold climate and dehumidified.

I am not certain that a car, if properly winterized, would suffer if the ambient temperature was below freezing so long as it was out of the sun and reasonably dry.

 

I have all of my cars in a 20X40 garge without AC or heat. As you can tell from my profile I have several cars. I have been storing like this for about 11 tears.

I live in central Florida so it is hot and humid most of the time. I am not sure if that is the right answer for all climates, or any climate. All of my cars are driven no garage queens

Not that I know anything, I am just to cheap to put in AC

Best

Lee

 

I'd say that "dry air" matters way more than "warm air". The less moisture in the air, the better. An AC is of course a dehumidifier, so an installation like that can kill 2 birds with one large energy bill.

 

I don't think A/C is that important, but in a really nice garage, it is a must. I would at least have a dehumidifier. I would also like to have heat in order to minimize temperature fluctuations.

 

I keep my Garage at 60 in the Winter and 76 in the Summer in New Jersey. My Utility Bills are reasonable and the Cars are PERFECT! Of course, the Garage is well insulated with insulated doors.

Joe
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The big problem with air-conditioned garages is the condensation on unprotected/unpainted parts when you leave the garage when outside humidity levels are elevated. If you are in a dry climate it is fine, if you are in a high humidity climate, not so good.

 

Humidity control is the most important consideration, especially for vintage cars lacking advanced corrosion resistance. I keep my garages at 55% RH 24/7 all year--not too dry to promote premature rubber/vinyl degradation. During summer dry heat is much more comfotable for wrenching than humid air. AC could achieve same result since they also dehumidify to a degree. Sub 40 temps not a big concern since colder air is relatively dryer. As mentioned, it's the temp cycling that causes issues, but a dehumidifier keeps all in check.

 

You might want to look into a mini-split system just for the garage.

 

you also can use something like Carcoon or Permabag..that surrounds your car completely with a de humidify system instead of conditioning your whole garage/storeage area...

 

With proper seal & circulation that shouldn't happen.

One problem that does occur though in the fall & spring is high humidity in general... if the temp is set too high the a/c simply never comes on, especially with good insulation, and the humidity will creep up to match outside air.

 

That's your garage, impressive!

 

It's nine Cars and a 2500 sq. ft. Apartment above since it's in a Residential Area. After Sandy, friends lived there for a year while rebuilding.

Joe
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