Depending on where you live, humidity can be a significant problem in a garage space. This is especially true in the hot summer months when there tends to be a lot of moisture in the air—particularly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. Once that wet air sneaks its way into your garage, you may struggle to get it out, and damage to your stored items could result. This article will dive into how to dehumidify a garage.
Starting with an excellent design for your garage is an essential piece of the puzzle, so if you are going to build one soon on your property, make sure to team up with American Carports, Inc. for that project. Since you can customize your design with our Build & Price tool, you’ll be able to include features that help with humidity management. Contact us today for more information!
Reduce Sources of Moisture
While it might go without saying, there is nothing you can do about the humidity outside. If there are certain times of the year when the air tends to be quite moist, that’s just the way it is, and you’ll need to adapt as necessary. With that said, you can do your part to bring the humidity down in your garage by eliminating moisture sources that add to the water in the air.
For an obvious example, leaving a bucket with water in the garage for an extended period would be a bad idea. That water will gradually get picked up by the air, and the air will become more humid. This is especially a problem when the doors are closed, and there is no ventilation available – the atmosphere will continue to get heavier, and you might wind up with issues like rust and other damage to your things.
Of course, a bucket of water is a pretty blatant example of a moisture source you’ll want to eliminate, but that’s not the only possibility. For example, it could be that your garage has a small leak in the corner that you haven’t even noticed. Or, you could be habitually dropping wet clothes inside the garage to dry after you’ve been out in the rain. Whatever it is, pay attention to anything damp that might land in the garage, and don’t let it stay there for too long.
Focus on Ventilation
We mentioned ventilation above, but this topic needs its own section here.
Properly ventilating a garage space is one of the best things you can do to keep the humidity down. When you can open up windows and doors to let air from the outside come in, you will neutralize the moisture in the garage and bring it to level with what is going on outside. So, if the humidity is low outside but the air in your garage is heavy because it has been contained in the space, opening up a few windows could make a huge difference.
You obviously can’t open up windows that you don’t have, so keep this point in mind when designing your new garage with American Carports, Inc. Include a few windows in the design, along with your door or doors, so it will be easy to invite the outside air to come in when the conditions are right.
Soak It Up
It’s also possible to use absorbent material to soak up extra water in the air and bring down the humidity. Cat litter is a common choice for this task, as it is designed to soak up moisture and hold onto it until the litter is disposed of and changed out. And, since cat litter is so affordable, placing a box in the corner of your garage won’t cost much to deal with humidity issues. Just remember to change that litter from time to time – more frequently during the humid months – so it can continue to get the job done.
Consider Using a Machine
Speaking of the humid months, you might find that your only viable option for keeping humidity down when the air is thick outside is to use an electric dehumidifier. These devices are not particularly expensive, and they are portable. Just plug one in, place it in the garage, and let it run. Of course, you won’t want to use this method all year, but it can be a great help when the humidity is high and none of the other methods are working.
American Carports Has You Covered
We hope you enjoyed this guide on how to dehumidify a garage! While you can’t control the climate outside, you can take steps inside your garage to manage the situation and keep the humidity as low as possible. To build a durable metal garage that will stand the test of time, get in touch with American Carports, Inc. today to learn more about what we offer.
With countless customization options, it’s easy to make your new garage a perfect match for what you need. So whether you need a huge metal garage or a modest space, we can make it happen. Remember to explore our free Build & Price tool when you are ready to start building. Thanks for visiting our blog, and we hope to serve you soon!
When you have a detached garage on your property, you have access to an extremely functional indoor space that can be used in many different ways. The word “garage” might make you think about parking first and foremost, but that’s just a starting point for what this kind of building can handle.
While anyone who has a detached garage would be sure to sing its praises, one thing you won’t hear them talking about is how warm and comfortable a detached garage is in the winter months. These types of buildings can get rather cold in the winter since they aren’t attached directly to a climate-controlled space, such as a house. But that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying all that a detached garage has to offer – we’ll offer some tips in this article to keep your garage space comfortable throughout the cold season.
Ready to build a detached metal garage of your own? Head over to our Build & Price tool to see what’s possible when you partner with American Carports, Inc. You can also contact us directly if you have questions or need more information. Our friendly and experienced team is here to help!
Insulation Is the Starting Point
Without a doubt, the best thing you can do to keep your garage comfortable in the winter is to have it insulated. No, this isn’t active heating, and we’ll talk more about that in a moment, but insulation is too important to move down in this discussion. Many metal garages are not insulated when they are built, and as a result, they readily transfer the air temperature from the outside to the inside.
This happens, of course, in both the summer and the winter. So, in the summer, your detached garage is going to be extremely hot on warm days if it does not have insulation. Then, when winter does arrive, the cold temperatures will be conducted through the metal and into the garage, and the space will be frigid. Having quality insulation added brings a barrier between the outside and the inside that slows thermal transfer. You won’t suddenly have a warm and cozy space all winter just due to insulation, but this is a necessary starting point and you can build from here.
Your best option for creating an insulated detached garage is to work with American Carports, Inc. to have the insulation added as part of the construction process. Don’t wait until later to attempt to go back and add insulation – that will be a frustrating process that doesn’t leave you with ideal results. We can do the hard work for you, in this case, and your new garage will be more comfortable from day one as a result.
A Simple Heat Source
With insulation in place, you’ll already be on the right track. Next, think about how you can introduce a little bit of heat to the room so that the insulation has some warm air to collect and keep inside. Perhaps the most affordable way to do this is through the use of an electric space heater. Unless your garage is particularly big, you may be surprised to find just how comfortable it can become while using a small space heater.
The nice thing about this option is that you don’t have to have anything professionally installed. You can just buy a good heater, plug it in, and let it do the rest. Of course, remember to never let that space heater continue to run while you aren’t around, as that could present a safety hazard.
Install a Mini-Split
For a more formal heating – and cooling – solution, you could go with a mini-split system in your detached garage. This is the type of project that is going to require some professional assistance, so it will come with a significant price tag. However, if you use your detached garage for business purposes and need to be out there day after day regardless of the weather conditions, having this level of control over the conditions in your space may be necessary.
It should be noted that you will want to be sure that your space is properly insulated before thinking about having a mini-split system added. Without insulation, whatever warm air is created by this system is largely going to be lost to the outside, and you’ll just be burning through energy without getting much in return. Good insulation is what will hold the heated air in the garage and enable you to enjoy it.
American Carports Has You Covered
You don’t have to deal with a freezing cold garage space all winter long. Remember, if you are going to build a new garage with the help of American Carports, Inc., be sure to have us insulate the space from the start so you can avoid having to deal with this project later on! If you have any questions about creating your structure, don’t hesitate to contact us directly. Our team is always here to help, and we hope to serve you soon!
Having a garage on your property in any form is a big win. Whether it’s being used for parking, storage, projects, or some combination of those functions, garage space is a big advantage. Garages on residential properties tend to come in two forms – attached and detached – and we’d like to explore the pros and cons of these options in the article below.
Here at American Carports, Inc., we specialize in building beautiful, durable detached metal garages for our customers. The journey toward adding a detached garage starts with our Build & Price tool, which is a quick and easy way to customize one of our standard buildings to make it fit your vision perfectly. Need help along the way? No problem – just contact us at your convenience and our team will jump into action.
Two Quick Definitions
There probably isn’t much confusion regarding these two types of garages, but just in case there is, we’d like to take a moment to define them accurately.
An attached garage is a garage space that is physically attached to a house. In other words, it is built into the design of the house, and there is a door (or two) from inside the house that allows residents to access the garage space. In many cases, the garage will be a part of the lower level, with some of the upstairs living space being located on the top of the garage area. While it’s possible to add an attached garage later on after a house has been built, these types of garages are usually included as part of the original floor plan.
A detached garage is any type of garage structure that is not connected to the house. It could be located only a few steps away from the house – or it could be on the other end of a large property. As long as it is not connected to the home, it is considered a detached garage. This type of structure can be built from a variety of different materials, with wood and metal being the two most popular options.
For the most part, what you can do inside of an attached or detached garage is going to be pretty much the same. The space inside the garage is what it is, and you can use your creativity and imagination to put it to use for your needs. With that said, one of these two styles is going to be the right choice for your situation, and we’ll help you get to the bottom of the matter with the pros and cons below.
The Benefit of Distance
One of the immediate benefits that we can point to as a pro in the favor of a detached garage is the distance that you’ll have between the garage and the house. This is a great thing when you are going to be doing things inside that garage that make a lot of noise and might disturb people trying to sleep, study, or just relax. Getting away from the house will free you up to make noise without feeling bad about bothering people inside, and that should immediately mean more enjoyment while doing your work.
For example, if you are into woodworking – whether as a hobby or a profession – you may have plenty of tools that make a lot of noise. Routers, saws, sanders, and more can all make quite a racket when they are turned on. In an attached garage, you might not make people in your family happy if you are working on a project early in the day or late at night. By having a garage space that is detached from the house, this concern will be a non-issue, and you can get to work whenever the time is right for you.
This same concept applies well beyond woodworking, as many things that are done in a garage come with some level of noise. Working on cars often means turning on an air compressor, which is out of the loudest pieces of equipment around. Or, even if you don’t have an air compressor running, you might be banging on things with a wrench or hammer. No matter what it is you’ll be working on in the space, it’s likely to make some noise – and that noise won’t bother anybody when you go with the detached arrangement.
Detached Is Easier to Add Later
There is no way around the fact that it’s hard – and expensive to add an attached garage to an existing house. If you have been living in your home for years and have always wanted a garage space to use for storage or projects, the thought of attaching one to the house might be too much to take on. First, there is the design challenge, as it could be hard to properly integrate the new space into the existing house, especially if the house has been standing for decades. And, even if you figure out the design part sufficiently, the cost of the project might be prohibitive.
None of these things are a problem when you decide to build a detached metal garage with the help of American Carports, Inc. As long as you have a suitable building site somewhere on your property, you’ll be ready to get started. And, since you aren’t trying to get the new building to attach nicely to an existing structure, you won’t be limited in any way in terms of the design of your new garage. Whatever features you want to include, you can do so – just establish how much space you have to work with on your land and get to work designing a garage that will suit your needs nicely for years to come.
Convenience Is a Factor
So far, we’ve been saying a lot of nice things about a detached garage, and that is for good reason. However, the convenience factor is one point where you might give the edge to an attached design. Since you can walk into the garage directly from the house, it is easy to use the room in the garage for storage – you can just hop out there without even putting on your shoes to retrieve some supplies.
That’s a nice benefit, to be sure, and it’s something you’ll appreciate if you do have a house with an attached garage. But that doesn’t mean a detached garage has to be a hassle. In fact, it can be nearly as convenient as the attached version, as long as it is designed strategically. If ease of access is one of your primary concerns, place the new detached garage relatively close to the house and add a covered walkway to connect the two. You’ll still technically need to go outside to get to the garage, but the walk will be short and covered.
Detached Garages Can Make Home Shopping Easier
Are you currently in the market for a new home? If you have been house shopping for a while, you already know just how hard it can be to find the perfect property for your needs. It seems like every property you look at has 90% of what you want, but that last 10% can be extremely difficult – if not impossible – to find.
Keeping the idea of a detached garage in your back pocket can go a long way toward making your search a little simpler. Instead of being hung up on the need to find a property with the perfect garage, remember that you could always build a detached garage on a property that you purchase. So, for example, if you find a house that you love but doesn’t have a garage – or it has a small attached garage that isn’t enough space for your needs – you could plan on building a metal garage apart from the house to finish off the property.
Keep the Mess Away
Let’s face it – garages are often messy places. The types of projects you are likely to work on in a garage will often lead to a mess, and some of that mess might get carried into the house if the garage is attached. Whether it’s sawdust from woodworking, oil from caring for a car, or anything else, you’d probably prefer to keep that mess as far away from the house as possible.
This is another point you can place in the “pro” category for a detached garage. The distance between the garage and the house will create a reminder that you should clean up before going back inside. You’ll probably even get into a habit of changing out of some messy clothes before you go back inside, and you might add a sink to your detached garage, so you can wash up regularly.
Consider the Impact on Landscaping
This isn’t a point that will fit neatly into a pro or con category, but it is an important topic to discuss related to garages. If you like to take care of your property and you want your landscaping to look beautiful throughout the year, the placement of your garage is going to be a factor in that process. With an attached garage, you might not be able to plant right in front of your house as you would like, because you’ll need to keep that area open for vehicles to drive into the garage space. In that sense, having an attached garage could be a negative for landscaping purposes.
Yet, at the same time, you could turn that point on its head and argue it in the opposite direction. If the only space you have available for your detached garage is right in front of the house, you will again be impacting your landscape design options. Of course, this won’t be a problem if you can put your garage somewhere out of the way in a corner of the property that wouldn’t otherwise be used often. So, how a detached or attached garage plays into your landscaping is highly variable and needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
American Carports Has You Covered
We’ve covered a lot of ground in this article, and we hope the value of a detached garage is clear to you at this point. Of course, there is nothing wrong with an attached garage, but if you find yourself in the position of needing garage space added to your property, a detached garage is the best solution. Explore the options available here at American Carports, Inc., and get in touch with us directly if you have questions or are ready to start the project. We hope to serve you soon!
There is a lot to love about adding a detached garage to your property. Of course, it’s easy to be sold on the benefits of a detached garage, but it’s a little harder to convince yourself – or your spouse – to spend the money. Not only is there the cost of construction to consider, but you’ll also need to think about any additional costs that will come along with the project.
This brings us to the potential of additional property taxes. Paying property taxes is one of the unwelcome responsibilities that come with owning land, so adding to your property tax bill is something you probably aren’t in a hurry to do. So, what kind of impact will a new detached garage make on your tax liability? Let’s take a closer look below.
If you decide to go ahead with a new detached garage project, turn to our team at American Carports, Inc. for help. We make it easy thanks to our Build & Price tool which allows you to customize a metal structure to perfectly suit your needs. You can also contact us directly if you need assistance. We’d love to work with you!
A Simple But Complicated Equation
When you increase the value of your property, your property taxes can be expected to go up at the same time. So, doing something like building a new detached garage on your property is going to elevate the value of that property, and you will be faced with a bigger property tax bill as a result. In that sense, this is a simple enough situation to figure out. When you add value, you pay more.
The tricky thing here is determining just how much of a tax hike you will experience. Tax rules vary somewhat wildly from one place to the next, so you might find that your structure doesn’t have much of an impact on your bill – if any at all – or it might make quite a difference. It could be useful to do a bit of homework before taking on this kind of project, including contacting your local tax authority, to gain some clarity on how these things are calculated where you live.
What About a Business Addition?
If the detached garage you add to your property is for business purposes, the tax picture will look somewhat different. It’s quite likely that you’ll be able to write off the expense since it was for your business, as long as you meet the qualifications for doing so (such as using the space only for business and using it as your primary location). Again, as with all tax situations, the right thing to do is connect with a professional to discuss the situation and sort out what the outcome will be based on the specifics of your project.
Explore Exemptions
There are certain cases where property owners qualify for tax discounts or exemptions based on their personal status. Being a veteran is one common example of this type of benefit, but that’s not true in all places. A local tax professional with knowledge of the rules in your area would be able to help you understand if any available exemptions apply to your situation. Even if you don’t have a connection with a tax professional, an experienced real estate agent who regularly works in your market may have some knowledge that could be helpful.
Value on Your Purchase Matters
Knowing you might wind up increasing your tax liability a little bit through the addition of a new garage, it would be smart to make sure you get the best possible value for your money when buying the garage itself. That’s easy to do when you choose American Carports, Inc. for the project. Our metal garages are affordable yet durable, meaning they deliver value from the start – and that value only grows as the years pass and the building continues to get the job done.
You won’t mind those extra taxes so much when you remember just how much your new garage is doing for you day after day. And, whenever the day comes to sell your property, that value you added will come in handy and you should be able to command a higher sale price.
While you might need to pay some extra property taxes for the value you’ve added to your property in the form of a detached garage, that bill might not be as bad as you fear. The best approach is just to consider the property tax factor as one component of the overall price of the project. If the job still falls within your budget, and you are excited about everything that a detached garage can offer, reach out to American Carports, Inc. to get started. We hope to serve you soon!
In recent years, catalytic converter theft has become a consistent – and frustrating – problem for vehicle owners. If you are worried about this happening to your car or truck, you might want to think about some preventative steps you can take to reduce your chances of becoming a victim. We’ll take a close look in this article at some of the options that you can consider. Read on for your guide to catalytic converter theft prevention.
Of course, one of the best ways to avoid catalytic converter theft issues is to park your vehicle inside behind a locked door. That’s possible by adding a garage from American Carports, Inc. to your property. Check out our Build & Price tool today to see what options we have available. If you have any questions along the way, contact us for assistance.
Why Is This a Problem?
First, let’s quickly discuss why thieves are after catalytic converters in the first place. What they are not doing is stealing this part to resell it for use on another vehicle – the converter is destroyed in the process of crudely removing it. The goal here is to access the precious metals that are used inside a catalytic converter, as those are quite valuable on the scrap market.
While many local government agencies have enacted laws to make it harder for stolen catalytic converters to be sold to scrap metal dealers, the problem persists and likely will for some time. In addition to the value of the metal inside the converter, the other problem here is the speed with which this crime can generally be committed. With a bit of practice and know-how, a thief can complete the job in a matter of moments, reducing their chances of being caught in the act.
Finding a vehicle parked in a relatively dark, somewhat isolated area is all the opportunity that is required to get it done and get away before anyone notices. If your catalytic converter is stolen, the cost of having it replaced is something that is typically covered by insurance. Unfortunately, you might not even hit your deductible when you file that claim, so you may skip it just to avoid having your rates go up in the aftermath. That means it might just be an out-of-pocket expense to have a new one installed.
The Ultimate Solution
Without a doubt, the best solution to this problem is to park your vehicle indoors. If you parked behind a closed garage door, potential thieves won’t even be able to see the vehicle, and they would have to work hard to find a way to get inside the garage. Most likely, they won’t even try, and will just move on to look for easier targets, instead.
Of course, you might not have a suitable garage on your property currently, which is where American Carports, Inc. can come to the rescue. Our affordable metal structures are impressively durable and easy to customize. By building something that will provide you with indoor parking – while also offering many other uses – you can keep your vehicle behind a closed door and make it far less likely that any criminal activity will occur.
Other Ideas
While having indoor parking for your vehicle or vehicles is ideal, we recognize that such a solution isn’t viable for everyone. If you can’t park inside, adding an anti-theft device to the vehicle is another option to consider. Doing some quick searching for devices that fit the make and model of vehicle you drive should reveal a list of options. Some of these devices make it physically difficult for thieves to access the converter by putting a barrier around it. Another option is an alarm that will make noise and hopefully send the criminal running.
It’s also worth thinking about where you leave your vehicle when it is parked. Criminals tend to avoid the light, so parking in an area that is well-lit – and ideally has some people around – could help. You won’t always have much of a choice as to where you park, but picking the brighter and busier spot when possible is a smart move.
American Carports Has You Covered
We hope you enjoyed this guide on catalytic converter theft prevention! While it’s impossible to completely eliminate the risk of theft in your life, there are usually steps you can take to make life harder for criminals and hopefully steer clear of any issues. We hope the ideas in the article above have given you something to think about – and if you decide that a new metal garage on your property is the best solution, turn to American Carports, Inc. to make that happen!
To get started, explore our Build & Price tool to see what options we have available. If you have any questions along the way, contact us for assistance. Thanks for stopping by our blog. We hope to serve you soon!
Indoor space is always in high demand. Given the cost of rent in many places, people tend to have less room than they would like – so renting out additional space is often an appealing option. The demand for this type of service can be seen clearly in the explosion of the self-storage market in recent years. Storage facilities have been showing up on seemingly every corner because so many people wish to rent out space to store their things.
So, can you rent out your garage for storage? Yes! And, if you have a garage on your property that isn’t currently full, the opportunity in front of you is obvious. With space available in your garage, and a market full of people that are willing to pay for storage space, you are suddenly faced with a passive business opportunity. In this article, we’ll take a look at the idea of renting out your garage and whether or not this might be a good choice for your situation.
To add a garage on your property that you could rent out for storage, or simply use for your own purposes, turn to American Carports, Inc. for help. Explore our free Build & Price tool to experiment with sizes and design options. If you need any help along the way, contact us at American Carports. Our team is always here to help!
Start with Legal Matters
While it might not be that much fun, it’s best to start this process by focusing on laws in your local area. There is a good chance that you’ll be able to rent out your garage space but check with local government agencies just to be sure. Also, think about what you might need to have in place in terms of insurance.
What happens if the property of others is damaged while being stored on your property? A quick call to your insurance agent could save you a lot of headaches and frustration down the road.
Storage Possibilities
The idea of renting out your garage is appealing because there are so many different possibilities within this space. On the one hand, you could offer it as enclosed, protected parking for a vehicle. This would be helpful to someone who would otherwise need to park on the street – and street parking might not always be available. By renting out space in your garage, they would know that secure parking is always waiting for them when needed.
But parking is not the only use for a garage. Alternatively, you might offer the space up as storage for boxes, furniture, etc. For instance, someone who has recently had to move into a smaller home or apartment for a while might have extra furniture that they want to keep but can’t currently use – and your garage could make for a great home for those pieces. Whatever the case, business is all about solving problems, and your garage can do just that for people in need of space.
How Much Money Can You Make?
What you can charge monthly for your garage storage offering is going to vary wildly from place to place. If you live in an expensive area where space is hard to come by, you should be able to charge top dollar – but rents will be much lower in rural places where space is cheaper and the demand is lower. You might be able to pull in a few thousand dollars per year in a good market, but you will have to get out and shop your space around to figure out what it is worth to someone in your area.
Finding Potential Renters
Perhaps the best way to start looking for renters is to ask around with friends and family. You might find that someone in your circle of connections needs some additional storage space, or they know someone who does. This method is great because you’ll know the people and there will already be some trust established before you get started. If this doesn’t work, you can use any number of different local classified ad options – both digital and traditional – to put the word out.
Build the Perfect Garage with American Carports
So, can you rent out your garage for storage? Absolutely! The idea of renting out your garage is at least worth a closer look to determine if it’s a good fit. If it does work out, you’ll have a mostly passive form of cash flow that could help to offset your expenses and open up other opportunities.
To add a metal structure to your property that would serve as a great space to rent out – or to use for yourself – contact us at American Carports, Inc. today! There are so many ways to design your structure, whether you want to build a 2-car garage or even a 3-car garage. Our stainless metal structures come with a 20-year warranty. Windows, skylights, and doors can all be added on. The sky is the limit!
Explore our Build & Price tool to get started. If you need any help along the way, contact us at American Carports. Our team is always here to help.
The cold winter months present several challenges to drivers. For one thing, you need to be mindful of road conditions, altering your plans when snow or ice make the roads dangerous. But another issue that often comes up in cold weather is frozen windshield wipers. If the temperature drops below the freezing mark, and there is enough moisture on the windshield, the wipers will likely become frozen to the glass. This is a problem not only because you won’t be able to move the wipers if you need them, but also because the rubber wipers might be damaged in the process. We’d like to tackle this problem in the article, below. Read on to learn how to fix frozen windshield wipers.
It’s no secret that winter weather can be harsh on your vehicle. You may also like to consider solutions that help protect your vehicle from other cold-weather car problems, like the dreaded dead winter battery or snow damage to your car and its body. You can accomplish this by adding a detached, insulated garage where you park your vehicle! If that’s the option you want to pursue, get started by exploring our Build & Price tool. If you have any questions about customizing your garage, simply contact us at American Carports. Our team is here to help you design the perfect garage for your vehicle and your home.
Start By Avoiding These Mistakes
Dealing with frozen windshield wipers is as much about what you shouldn’t do as what you should do. First and foremost, absolutely do not bring hot water from your home to pour on the wipers. This seems like a logical step, but it could do serious damage. When the hot water meets the frozen wipers and glass, the windshield could crack due to thermal shock. Sure, this would be the fastest way to get the wipers unstuck and ready to go, but rushing the process just isn’t worth the risk.
Also, resist the temptation to grab the wipers and pull them away from the windshield. In the process of trying to pull them up, you could rip some of the rubber off of the wiper blade, or you might even break the wiper assembly. Again, it’s just not worth the risk, and there is a better way to solve the problem.
The Right Solution
When you find that your wipers are frozen to your windshield, simply get inside the vehicle, turn it on, and turn up the defroster. After a few moments have passed, the air will get warm and the windshield will gradually lose its ice. Yes, this takes longer than pouring hot water on the wipers, but that’s the point – gradually warming the area avoids thermal shock and prevents damage from occurring. You’ll just need to bring some patience with you while sitting behind the wheel and waiting for everything to melt.
If you have to leave your home early in the morning, and you know the temperatures are supposed to drop well below freezing, plan a little extra time into your schedule to defrost the car. Even bumping your alarm clock up by five minutes should be enough to give you the time needed to warm up the vehicle and get ready to hit the road safely.
Prevention Is Even Better
Allowing your defroster to run for a few minutes will gradually thaw out your windshield and the wipers will be released from the frozen grip. This is a good solution when you find yourself in such a situation – but it would be better to avoid such a situation in the first place.
Ideally, that would mean parking inside a garage, where the temperature will be moderated and moisture won’t be able to settle on the vehicle. A properly insulated detached garage can control temperatures by as much as 10 to 20 degrees F. While this may not seem like much, it can mean the difference between freezing temperatures and non-freezing temperatures for your car. If that isn’t possible, you can cover the vehicle with cardboard, a large cloth, or a dedicated car cover. This won’t do anything about the outdoor temperatures, of course, but it should keep moisture from freezing on the windshield, and the wipers won’t be locked up when you are ready to leave.
Protect Your Vehicle with American Carports
We hope you enjoyed this blog on how to fix frozen windshield wipers! As you can imagine, it’s hard to overstate the luxurious feeling of parking inside an insulated metal garage in the middle of winter. If you are used to parking outside and having to deal with the elements, walking out in the morning to a vehicle that has been protected from the weather all night long will be quite a treat. To build a quality structure that is backed by a 20-year warranty and can be expected to stand the test of time, turn to American Carports.
To get started, explore our Build & Price tool. If you have any questions along the way, simply contact us at American Carports. Our team is here to help you design the perfect garage for your vehicle and your home!
There is a lot to love about cats. As pets, they can make life around your house endlessly fun and interesting – but you don’t necessarily want them crawling all over your car. If you have been dealing with the problem of cats making your vehicle something of a home base, we’d like to offer some advice in this article to appropriately deal with the problem.
At American Carports, Inc., metal carports are our specialty. Through the use of our simple Build & Price tool, it’s possible to design something that lines up nicely with your needs, suits your budget, and keeps the neighborhood cats away.
Car Covers Offer Physical Protection
As a starting point, you might think about buying a car cover to protect your vehicle while it is parked. If you are having a problem with cats crawling on your car and marking it up with scratches, the cover will protect the vehicle’s finish and keep it free from damage. As an added bonus, using a car cover will offer protection from other forms of potential damage, such as UV rays from the sun on a hot summer day.
Of course, the notable downside to a car cover is the work you need to do to take it on and off each day. When you head out to your vehicle in the morning, you’ll have to take the cover off – and then you’ll need to put it back on when you return home. This task doesn’t take particularly long, but it might get frustrating doing it day after day. As a result, you might find that you stop bothering with it at all after a while, and then it won’t provide any protection at all.
Try Various Repellant Options
If you don’t want to use a car cover to create a physical barrier between the cat and your car, there are various other techniques that people use to keep cats (and other animals) away. These tend to deliver inconsistent results, so you might have to try a few before you land on something that works.
One of the common options to keep various types of animals away from a vehicle is to use mothballs. The smell of mothballs is quite unpleasant, and the cats may simply decide to look for somewhere else to hang out rather than dealing with the smell. Of course, that smell isn’t going to be enjoyable for you, either, so if placing them around your vehicle leads to an unwanted odor inside, this technique might not be a win in the end.
Cayenne pepper. Another option for something you might have around the house is cayenne pepper. If you know where the cats tend to hang out, lightly dust that area with cayenne in an effort to keep them away. It might even work to sprinkle the pepper around the perimeter of the car on the ground so you don’t have to put it directly on the vehicle.
Buy commercial products. There are plenty of products on the market that are intended to help keep cats away from your vehicle, so you might choose to purchase one of these sprays to see how it works for you.
Address the Root of the Problem
Some of the repellant techniques might pay off for you, at least for a while, but they are a hassle and probably not a good long-term solution. Do you want to sprinkle pepper around your vehicle every night before bed? Probably not. At some point, the best thing you can do is address the problem and figure out where the cats are coming from and why they are hanging around your vehicle.
Who owns the cats? Can you ask that they be kept inside, or at least off of your property? Maybe even asking that the cat’s nails are cut shorter so no damage is done to your vehicle would be a possibility. While it might not always be possible, finding a way to address the issue of stray cats entirely would be the best outcome for all involved.
Keep the Cats Away with American Carports
While the methods we mentioned above all have the potential to be effective strategies for keeping cats away, there is nothing quite like parking your vehicle in a protected space. Building a metal garage with the help of American Carports, Inc. will put a physical barrier before your car and the neighborhood cats. We’d love to help you bring this project to life! Get started on your next project today with our simple Build & Price tool. If you have any questions along the way, our team is always here to help!
One of the easiest ways to get your vehicle looking great is to give it a wash. As dirt and grime build up mile after mile, your car can start to look pretty nasty. Most car owners give it no second thought, and a quick trip through the car wash it is.
Not so fast. There is some concern that the act of washing your car could actually be harmful in the long run. Is that true? This article is going to dive into this topic and help you understand the big picture of what car washes can do to your car and how to make them a healthy part of your car maintenance plan.
If you are someone who takes car care seriously, you would probably love to park your vehicle under a roof, rather than out in the open. For that, turn to Carport Kingdom to add an affordable carport or metal garage to your property. You might be surprised by how easy this project can be, and when you order from us, the building you receive can be expected to last for many years to come. Start by trying our Build & Price tool, and contact us if you have any questions along the way!
Are Car Washes Bad for Your Car?
Determining whether or not a car wash is going to damage your vehicle depends entirely on how the car is being washed. Generally speaking, automatic car washes – the kind you pay a few dollars to drive through – are going to be pretty rough on your vehicle’s finish.
Sure, the car might look sparkly when you drive away, but some damage was likely done that could come back to haunt you later on. Some automatic car washes are better than others, but you can assume that at least a little damage will be incurred when you take this option.
As you might imagine, hand washing is far better for your vehicle in terms of avoiding damage. Sure, you might still create some tiny little scratches, but if you do the job carefully, your vehicle’s finish should come away in good shape and the car will be nicely cleaned when you are done. If at all possible, opt for hand washing over automatic car washes to help protect your vehicle’s finish in the long run.
The Best Way to Care for Your Car
Just skipping out on washing your car entirely isn’t the right way to approach this matter. After all, washing your car doesn’t just make it look nice, but it also has some protective benefits by taking dirt and grime off the vehicle that could gradually harm the finish over time. So, what you’ll want to do is come up with a plan that allows you to keep your car clean throughout the year without inflicting too much unintentional harm along the way. Here are some tips to do just that –
Mostly hand wash. We aren’t going to say that you should never take your vehicle through an automatic car wash, because that might not be reasonable for your situation. But we do think you should wash your car by hand most of the time, if at all possible. Then, the occasional automatic wash won’t be a big deal, especially if you visit a quality facility with good equipment.
Buy good gear. Speaking of quality equipment, be sure to invest in good supplies to perform your hand washes. That means buying nice towels and brushes to work on your vehicle, and even spending a little more on quality car wash soap. The small things can make a big difference in the results you get for your efforts, so build a good kit of car wash gear and your time is sure to be well spent.
Apply some wax. If you are willing to go through the extra step of adding some wax after you wash your car, you’ll be creating a protective layer that can help keep the vehicle’s finish in good condition. You don’t have to do this after every wash, but keep it in mind when you have some extra time and want your vehicle to look its very best.
Protect Your Vehicle with American Carports
After taking the time to care for your vehicle, it would be a shame to allow your car to be harmed by the conditions that Mother Nature might throw your way. To keep your vehicle protected, consider parking under a metal structure from Carport Kingdom. Our carports are affordable, impressively durable, and can be styled to look great alongside your home or other buildings. We are excited to work with you on this project. Start by trying our Build & Price tool, and contact us if you have any questions along the way!
