For many car owners, parking their car in a garage is a thing of the past. Mostly, it’s because of garages getting cluttered over time or being turned into workshops. In fact, almost 1 out of every 4 Americans say that their garage is too cluttered to fit a car in there.
Still, parking such a big financial investment on the street when you have a garage just doesn’t make sense. Besides, transportation experts have confirmed that vehicles spent 95% of their time parked.
With that in mind, it only makes sense to reap all the benefits that parking in garage offers. Let’s see what they are!
The Benefits of Parking Your Car in a Garage Instead Of Outside
Security
Considering that buying a car is a big investment, it would be only right for you to take good care of it. Parking your vehicle on the street leaves it exposed to theft. Even newer, more secure cars can be easily broken into by a resourceful thief.
However, keeping your car locked in the garage will certainly prevent someone from trying to steal your car or anything from it.
To add to that, there are many other things that can damage your car when it’s parked on the street. Passing vehicles, falling tree branches, broken windows, dents, and scratches are some of the most common problems that can damage your vehicle’s exterior.
Protection from the Elements
Even though most new cars are specially designed to withstand long exposure to the elements, there’s still only so much they can endure. In addition, the weather gets more and more difficult to predict and the levels of UV radiation are increasing.
You’re probably thinking by now “Well, I wash and wax my car regularly, I’m safe from the elements”. Yes, that is true to an extent, but still, the elements will eventually harm the exterior.
Sun
Long and continuous exposure to the sun will eventually lead to the paint fading and losing its colour. This is especially true for cars with darker paint colours.
Even when the temperature is not that high, the high UV radiation levels can still contribute to the colours fading and you will need to get some work done to the paint work, such as detailing, to bring it back up to satisfactory condition.
Rain and snow
Rain and snow are particularly dangerous to your car’s exterior as they speed up the rusting process. Besides, the rain will collect other elements and pollutants and leave it on the car after the water evaporates. That’s why it’s important to wash your car after it has been exposed to rain to avoid damage to your car’s finish, or you can simply leave it in the garage and don’t worry about any rain getting on it.
But the exterior is not the only thing affected by the elements!
Extremely high temperatures in the summer can dry out the engine hoses and seals and make them snap prematurely.
Low temperatures, on the other hand, can change the consistency of the engine fluid and oils and make the engine run much less efficiently than it would have if the car was in a garage. Even making the car harder to start.
Garages keep a similar temperature throughout the year and don’t go into extreme high or low temperatures, meaning you can completely avoid this problem.
We’ve seen how the elements can harm both the exterior and the mechanics of the vehicle, but the damage doesn’t stop there. Your interior is at risk too!
The UV rays we’ve mentioned before can also fade the upholstery of the seats and the dashboard, resulting in a worn out look.
Additionally, the dashboard is the most exposed part to the sun and coupled with the fact that the wind-shield intensifies the heat, it’s likely that the materials used for the dashboard will start cracking and splitting.
Convenience
We’ve all been there – getting home after a long rainy day and not being able to reach the front door without looking like a soaked cat. Parking your car in the garage means that you and other passengers can easily get in or out of the car while it’s raining without getting a drop of rain on you.
Another small problem, but still an inconvenience, is having to carry heavy groceries all the way from the roadside to your home.
By parking in your garage, the distance will be almost non-existent and you’ll bring your groceries home much easier. Additionally, if you need to load something heavy into the car, it’s great to have it close by so you don’t have to spend much time carrying all that heavy stuff.
And let’s not forget the grueling task that is removing that pile of snow over your car. By parking in a garage, there won’t be a single thing you need to scrape off of your windows – all you need to do is jump right in and drive.
All of these little things might not seem much, but over time they save a lot of effort, keep your car looking brand new and extend its lifespan.
But, if you don’t have a garage and can’t afford to build one, a car shed might be the solution for you.
How a Car Shed Compares To a Garage
A car shed, also known as a parking shed, is a structure built to keep your car protected from the sun and rain. They are usually covered only from above, but if you install them on the side of your house you can get an additional layer of protection.
They are effective at keeping your vehicle dry and safe from the UV radiation but still can’t offer the same benefits of a garage. For starters, the temperature will still affect your car in different ways, and it’s not as safe considering that it cannot be locked.
Nonetheless, they are still a good alternative to a garage if you don’t have one – definitely a much better option than parking on the street.
To sum it all up…
Even though most garages have been re-purposed as an additional storage space, you might reconsider and put your garage on the spring cleaning list in order to make space for your car. After all, the benefits are significant and will only save your vehicle from any harm.