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3 Minute Read

Where should I store my car?

Posted by - Tim Earnshaw on 15 July 2016 (Updated 24 September 2020)
Categories: Advice, Classic car storage, Tips & Tricks, Winter car storage

Whether looking for a car storage solution for a couple of months or looking for something more permanent, or just looking for a company offering expert classic car storage for your pride and joy, we have written this article to help you choose the right car storage facility to suit your needs.

Two basic considerations need to be contemplated when looking to store your car. Are you looking for Indoor or Outdoor car storage?

Storing your vehicle outdoors will undoubtedly be less expensive than indoor storage. Your vehicle will be in the open, exposed to nature’s elements, which if left unchecked could lead to paint fade from the sun’s UV rays, mouldy Interiors, bodywork to rust and mechanical components to seize – not things any car owner would like to happen.
Storing your vehicle indoors is usually kinder to a vehicle than outdoors. An indoor, dehumidified facility will provide the ideal climate to preserve and protect your pride and joy, and is available for short term or long term car storage. However there are several more considerations now to consider.

There are specialist companies out there who are offering car storage. As with any business, the quality of service you and your vehicle are likely to receive will vary widely. It therefore pays to do your research and shop around. There may be different aspects that appeal to you rather than cost and distance a particular company is from you.

Starting the search for a car storage company.

Three main areas to investigate:

  1. Word of mouth: Ask around, you may have friends who have used a similar service or local automotive specialists who can recommend a reputable company.
  2. Motoring magazines: These often contain a number of specialist companies, who you will need to call for more information.
  3. Internet search engines: Websites will contain more information than magazine advertisements and should describe in detail their services, pricing and photographs of what the storage environment is like.

Once you have narrowed the search to a selection of car storage companies there are several factors that will influence your decision. Consider each of these carefully.

Pricing

Ask what the storage rate is. There may be different levels of storage available, and options for short term and long term car storage, and maybe something extra special from classic car storage. It should be clear what is included, what is not and what additional services are offered. Washing your vehicle prior to storage and connecting to battery conditioners are important, but could come as a surprise when not included in the price.

Staff

How busy are they? Generally car storage companies work with a small team of staff and rely on potential and existing clients to make appointments. This allows them to organise their time and yours. This will, however, also mean that they may not be able to see you right away. A good storage company should make the effort to fit you in within a few days notice. Remember, if they cannot see you right away it is probably because they are occupied with existing clients – proof that other people believe in their service.

Passion

Is car storage their full time profession, a part time business or a sideline business? Perhaps this is the best indicator of quality of service. Ask if anyone connected with the business has a car of their own in storage. This will generally mean they have an enthusiasm for you and your vehicle and will not have taken short cuts when designing the facility or service.

Two highly-secure locations

Cotswolds
Car Storage
Located in the Cotswolds our private car storage facility is highly secure, anonymous, climate controlled and full staffed
Details & Pricing
London
Car Storage
Located in the heart of Central London with easy access to the Central Line, Hammersmith & City Line and overground services
Details & Pricing
Get in touch
Call Cotswolds +44 (0) 1451 821 008
Call London +44 (0) 207 458 4418
dehumidified-car-storage-main-original-1.jpg?w=1024&h=682&scale
2 Minute Read

Dehumidified Car Storage - What does “climate…

Read Article
With the consumer desire for superlative car storage higher than ever, the term ‘climate control’ is now commonly…
Read Article
With the consumer desire for superlative car storage higher than ever, the term ‘climate control’ is now commonly included in most descriptions for a dehumidified car storage environment. While the basic meaning is understood, less commonly discussed are the factors involved in controlling climate and, more importantly, what these physically mean for your vehicle when in storage. True climate control requires the monitoring and control of two variables: temperature and humidity. To understand the importance of controlling these two variables, you must also understand the results of exposing your car to an uncontrolled environment. Temperature It is well known that a cold environment is not preferable for storing a car, especially when considering long term car storage, with a mix of metal, perishable componentry and soft interior furnishings at risk of contracting and accelerating the aging process. A common misconception is that simply heating your storage area solves temperature-related problems, but unfortunately there are more factors to consider. Warm air is able to carry more moisture than colder air, therefore potentially increasing humidity. However, should the air be too cold it can reach ‘dew point’. At this point the air is fully saturated, and should anything else in your storage area be below this dew point condensation will form and corrosion risk rises dramatically. Furthermore, a particularly damaging yet less documented detrimental factor is a rapid change in temperature – such as pulling your car out from a toasty garage into a crisp day. As with any material, this change in temperature can cause rapid contraction and expansion which is ultimately damaging to your car, and if this is a common occurrence can quickly impact vehicle condition. Humidity When it comes to humidity, there is a fine line to walk. It is commonly understood that too high a humidity level will introduce moisture to the vehicle, and therefore a common mistake is to reduce the humidity too much. By drying out the air too much there is a risk of dashboards splitting, wood trim perishing and leather cracking due to a damaging lack of moisture. Industry grade dehumidifiers reduce and maintain humidity, which is a key differentiator from domestic units which simply reduce. Almost as important as the dehumidification is the monitoring of this, with top-tier storage facilities monitoring this on a second-by-second basis and routinely assessing the environment. Windrush Car Storage are experts in climate control and dehumidified car storage, so much so that we consult on the appropriate storage of perishable items out with automotive. Should you have any questions on climate control, our process and our storage facilities, please do not hesitate to contact us.
what-is-humidity-1-main-original-1.jpg?w=1024&h=683&scale
1 Minute Read

What is Humidity?

Read Article
Air in the natural environment contains a certain amount of moisture as is necessary for plants and animals…
Read Article
Air in the natural environment contains a certain amount of moisture as is necessary for plants and animals to exist. In car storage the aim is to control the amount to a manageable level. The ratio of the amount of moisture in the air compared to the maximum that the air can hold at a given temperature is called Relative Humidity or RH. It is expressed as a percentage. For any given amount of moisture, the higher the air temperature the lower the RH%. Equally the lower the air temperature is the higher the RH%. In winter the air appears to be noticeably wetter than in summer. It is the cooling of air that causes the problems. As air cools it can hold less moisture until a point is reached where the air is fully saturated (100% RH) – known as the dew point. If the car, tools, or anything else in this environment, is at a temperature below the dew point of this air, moisture is then given up by the air as condensation. This manifests itself as wet car surfaces, rust on tools, damp paperwork etc. Because the moisture condensed out from the air is pure distilled water it is also the ideal environment to encourage the growth of moulds and fungal spores, something you certainly don’t want to have to worry about with long term car storage. The solution to the problem is to reduce the dew point to a level below the temperature of any part of the garage and its contents AND to keep the RH% within controlled levels.
target-environment-main-original-1.jpg?w=1024&h=683&scale
3 Minute Read

Target Environment

Read Article
Due to the multitude of different materials present in any car, whether it be a classic, vintage or…
Read Article
Due to the multitude of different materials present in any car, whether it be a classic, vintage or modern vehicle, there is a very specific environment in which vehicles should be stored to maintain condition. Moisture is the cause of rust and mould and it is this which needs to be managed. At Windrush Car Storage we have spent (and spend) great deal of time researching the different opinions and ‘best practice’ for the storing your pride and joy in the best possible environment. In summary there are several options: Heating Whilst we may believe this is going to be ‘good’ for your pride and joy, there are several drawbacks. Firstly it’s expensive, how many of our garages are insulated? This means that the heater will be going a lot of time, with a lot of the heat straight out of the roof and walls. Secondly the heat has to come from somewhere. This usually means that the method of doing this has introduced a fire risk, not ideal. Finally, warm air does not necessarily mean dry air. By heating the air the amount of moisture it can hold actually rises. If you brought your vehicle out of the cold into your nice warm garage, condensation would immediately form on all of the surfaces (similar to taking a milk bottle out of the fridge and into the warmer air of your kitchen). Further information on this topic can be found by clicking here. Ventilation For air to form condensation it needs to be still. (On a windy cold night you’ll never find condensation on your lawn whereas on a cold, still night you will!) By keeping the air moving in your garage it is possible to prevent condensation forming. The downside of this is that the air can still be laden with moisture and wherever the air is allowed to become still (inside the engine bay, exhaust, interior etc) condensation can form starting the rusting or mould process. Plastic Enclosures The next step on from ventilating the whole garage is to place the vehicle inside a purpose built enclosure a little larger than the vehicle where powerful fans draw in air through filters to remove any dust particles and then circulate the air around the vehicle. Several manufacturers supply systems that enclose the car completely in a plastic ‘bubble.’ Advantages are that 99% of dust is filtered out and air is continually being moved by fans to prevent condensation forming. These also have the additional benefit of preventing any objects accidentally coming into contact with the bodywork. The best in our opinion have an internal supporting framework, such as the Airflow AirChamber. Dehumidification The preferred method of removing moisture from the air and regarded as ‘best practice’ in the vehicle storage industry is by dehumidifying the storage environment. Dehumidifying allows vehicles stored in a garage to remain condensation and corrosion free. Units reduce and then maintain the humidity. It is important not to dry the air too much as a relative humidity (RH) drier than 55% may dry any wood (dashboards) or leather too much, causing them to warp and crack. Anything ‘wetter’ than a RH of 55% will allow exposed, untreated metal surfaces to begin the corrosion process. This can include inside the cylinders, brake drums/disks, exhausts and the inside of your cars’ chassis. More advanced dehumidifiers have in-built humidistats to ensure that the air does not become too dry or too wet by turning the machines on and off as required. The Windrush Car Storage Chosen Method At Windrush Car Storage we have chosen to dehumidify all our buildings with dehumidifiers which monitor and maintain a target RH of 55%. As the ultimate level of protection we then offer to place vehicles inside AirChambers which then offer the ultimate protection for any vehicle in storage by filtering any dust particles out of the air before it enters the AirChamber. From everyday, to prestige and classic car storage, Windrush can provide you with a state-of-the-art, professional and passion driven service for all your car storage needs.
  • dehumidified-car-storage-main-original-1.jpg?w=1024&h=682&scale
    2 Minute Read

    Dehumidified Car Storage - What does “climate control” really mean for my car?

    Read Article
    With the consumer desire for superlative car storage higher than ever, the term ‘climate control’ is now commonly included in most descriptions for a dehumidified car storage environment. While the basic meaning is understood, less commonly discussed are the factors involved in controlling climate and, more importantly, what these physically mean for your vehicle when in storage. True climate control requires the monitoring and control of two variables: temperature and humidity. To understand the importance of controlling these two variables, you must also understand the results of exposing your car to an uncontrolled environment. Temperature It is well known that a cold environment is not preferable for storing a car, especially when considering long term car storage, with a mix of metal, perishable componentry and soft interior furnishings at risk of contracting and accelerating the aging process. A common misconception is that simply heating your storage area solves temperature-related problems, but unfortunately there are more factors to consider. Warm air is able to carry more moisture than colder air, therefore potentially increasing humidity. However, should the air be too cold it can reach ‘dew point’. At this point the air is fully saturated, and should anything else in your storage area be below this dew point condensation will form and corrosion risk rises dramatically. Furthermore, a particularly damaging yet less documented detrimental factor is a rapid change in temperature – such as pulling your car out from a toasty garage into a crisp day. As with any material, this change in temperature can cause rapid contraction and expansion which is ultimately damaging to your car, and if this is a common occurrence can quickly impact vehicle condition. Humidity When it comes to humidity, there is a fine line to walk. It is commonly understood that too high a humidity level will introduce moisture to the vehicle, and therefore a common mistake is to reduce the humidity too much. By drying out the air too much there is a risk of dashboards splitting, wood trim perishing and leather cracking due to a damaging lack of moisture. Industry grade dehumidifiers reduce and maintain humidity, which is a key differentiator from domestic units which simply reduce. Almost as important as the dehumidification is the monitoring of this, with top-tier storage facilities monitoring this on a second-by-second basis and routinely assessing the environment. Windrush Car Storage are experts in climate control and dehumidified car storage, so much so that we consult on the appropriate storage of perishable items out with automotive. Should you have any questions on climate control, our process and our storage facilities, please do not hesitate to contact us.
  • what-is-humidity-1-main-original-1.jpg?w=1024&h=683&scale
    1 Minute Read

    What is Humidity?

    Read Article
    Air in the natural environment contains a certain amount of moisture as is necessary for plants and animals to exist. In car storage the aim is to control the amount to a manageable level. The ratio of the amount of moisture in the air compared to the maximum that the air can hold at a given temperature is called Relative Humidity or RH. It is expressed as a percentage. For any given amount of moisture, the higher the air temperature the lower the RH%. Equally the lower the air temperature is the higher the RH%. In winter the air appears to be noticeably wetter than in summer. It is the cooling of air that causes the problems. As air cools it can hold less moisture until a point is reached where the air is fully saturated (100% RH) – known as the dew point. If the car, tools, or anything else in this environment, is at a temperature below the dew point of this air, moisture is then given up by the air as condensation. This manifests itself as wet car surfaces, rust on tools, damp paperwork etc. Because the moisture condensed out from the air is pure distilled water it is also the ideal environment to encourage the growth of moulds and fungal spores, something you certainly don’t want to have to worry about with long term car storage. The solution to the problem is to reduce the dew point to a level below the temperature of any part of the garage and its contents AND to keep the RH% within controlled levels.
  • target-environment-main-original-1.jpg?w=1024&h=683&scale
    3 Minute Read

    Target Environment

    Read Article
    Due to the multitude of different materials present in any car, whether it be a classic, vintage or modern vehicle, there is a very specific environment in which vehicles should be stored to maintain condition. Moisture is the cause of rust and mould and it is this which needs to be managed. At Windrush Car Storage we have spent (and spend) great deal of time researching the different opinions and ‘best practice’ for the storing your pride and joy in the best possible environment. In summary there are several options: Heating Whilst we may believe this is going to be ‘good’ for your pride and joy, there are several drawbacks. Firstly it’s expensive, how many of our garages are insulated? This means that the heater will be going a lot of time, with a lot of the heat straight out of the roof and walls. Secondly the heat has to come from somewhere. This usually means that the method of doing this has introduced a fire risk, not ideal. Finally, warm air does not necessarily mean dry air. By heating the air the amount of moisture it can hold actually rises. If you brought your vehicle out of the cold into your nice warm garage, condensation would immediately form on all of the surfaces (similar to taking a milk bottle out of the fridge and into the warmer air of your kitchen). Further information on this topic can be found by clicking here. Ventilation For air to form condensation it needs to be still. (On a windy cold night you’ll never find condensation on your lawn whereas on a cold, still night you will!) By keeping the air moving in your garage it is possible to prevent condensation forming. The downside of this is that the air can still be laden with moisture and wherever the air is allowed to become still (inside the engine bay, exhaust, interior etc) condensation can form starting the rusting or mould process. Plastic Enclosures The next step on from ventilating the whole garage is to place the vehicle inside a purpose built enclosure a little larger than the vehicle where powerful fans draw in air through filters to remove any dust particles and then circulate the air around the vehicle. Several manufacturers supply systems that enclose the car completely in a plastic ‘bubble.’ Advantages are that 99% of dust is filtered out and air is continually being moved by fans to prevent condensation forming. These also have the additional benefit of preventing any objects accidentally coming into contact with the bodywork. The best in our opinion have an internal supporting framework, such as the Airflow AirChamber. Dehumidification The preferred method of removing moisture from the air and regarded as ‘best practice’ in the vehicle storage industry is by dehumidifying the storage environment. Dehumidifying allows vehicles stored in a garage to remain condensation and corrosion free. Units reduce and then maintain the humidity. It is important not to dry the air too much as a relative humidity (RH) drier than 55% may dry any wood (dashboards) or leather too much, causing them to warp and crack. Anything ‘wetter’ than a RH of 55% will allow exposed, untreated metal surfaces to begin the corrosion process. This can include inside the cylinders, brake drums/disks, exhausts and the inside of your cars’ chassis. More advanced dehumidifiers have in-built humidistats to ensure that the air does not become too dry or too wet by turning the machines on and off as required. The Windrush Car Storage Chosen Method At Windrush Car Storage we have chosen to dehumidify all our buildings with dehumidifiers which monitor and maintain a target RH of 55%. As the ultimate level of protection we then offer to place vehicles inside AirChambers which then offer the ultimate protection for any vehicle in storage by filtering any dust particles out of the air before it enters the AirChamber. From everyday, to prestige and classic car storage, Windrush can provide you with a state-of-the-art, professional and passion driven service for all your car storage needs.
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