Why You Need a Garage for Your Car

Martin Banks

Apr 26, 2024

As an Amazon Associate, Modded gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

It’s common sense for most car lovers — keeping your car in a garage is the best way to protect it. Even though we all know this to be a fact of life, most people don’t know the real reasons behind putting our cars in a garage. It’s just always been done that way, so we continue the tradition. If you don’t have a garage, or you do and you’re using it for storage rather than cars, here are a few reasons your car needs a garage.

What Is the Purpose of a Garage?

It’s important to mention one thing: many of us don’t use our garage in its intended way. The entire purpose of a garage is to park your car somewhere that is safe from thieves, weather damage and more. Instead, many people overwhelm their garages with storage and as a result they tend to become glorified closets.

In fact, 1 in 4 Americans puts so many things in theirs they can’t fit their car. If it’s reorganized correctly — and the right items are disposed of — then maybe you can put the car back in. That in itself might just be worth your time.

A Word to the Weather Wise

People who live in colder climates know the havoc weather can wreak on a car — salt from icy roads causes the undercarriage to rust, and muddy slush damages paint. Cars in warm climates might not have to face salted roads, but there are plenty of weather woes for you to worry about as well.

Hail, for example, can spring up during nearly any bad thunderstorm, breaking windows and leaving dents on your car’s perfectly polished exterior. Plus, the strong winds that accompany these storms can knock branches or even whole trees down onto your car, causing massive amounts of damage or totaling the entire car.

A car pulling into a brightly lit garage

Don’t think that just because the summer brings out warm and sunny days, you can’t get more out of keeping it inside. This protects the car from constant UV damage to the exterior and interior and adds protection from harsh weather storms like hailstorms.

When you decide to put your car away for long periods of time in the summer, you should also keep track of many hot climate factors while you have it in the garage.

Protecting Your Car From People

Human being are one of the biggest risks to your car when you park outside. While accidents do happen, if you park your car on the street or even in your own driveway, you put it at risk of being clipped by a reckless driver.

By that same token, there’s always the threat of someone stealing your car. A car out of doors is at high risk for vandalism and theft. If you lock your car away in a garage, a thief will likely pass it by in favor of an unsecured car further down the block. This is also why car thefts are so common in cities and other highly populated areas. Fewer people keep their cars in garages and thieves have an easier time getting lost in traffic behind the wheel of your car.

In fact, there are so many risks that insurance companies offer what’s commonly referred to as “parked car insurance.” Parked car insurance covers things like theft and natural disasters that may occur when your car is on the street or left unattended.

Be Kind to Your Wallet

If you don’t already have a garage, adding one to your home might seem like an enormous investment. However, it can actually save you quite a bit of money in the long run. In addition to protecting your car and cutting down on the need for repair work, most insurance companies will reduce your premiums if you park in a private garage. If you drive a sporty car with higher premiums, this can be a great way to cut your insurance bill back.

Also, it doesn’t matter if the garage is yours or you’re paying rent to someone to park your car in another garage — as long as the car is covered, so are you.

A cluttered garage with an orange and blue car

Toss Your Ice Scraper

There is nothing worse than getting up early and heading out to find that your windshield solid ice. Normally, you’d have to scrape it before you could go anywhere because visibility is important. If you had parked in a garage, you wouldn’t have to worry about scraping away the ice, because there wouldn’t be any.

This doesn’t prevent your driveway from filling up with snow. However, it does reduce the number of chores you’ll need to do to get on your way.

What Do You Need?

Do you need anything special for your garage? Other than a roof over your car and a good, sturdy door to keep out the elements, not really. A few things you should consider are:

Heating and cooling. Do you live in a warm climate? Then garage cooling is probably a good idea, though it might be more beneficial to you than to your car. On the other hand, cold-climate garages should consider a garage heater to keep both you and your car warm.
Is your garage full of, for lack of a better word, crap? Consider renting a storage unit for your stuff and making room in the garage. Or better yet, have a yard sale. Make some money you can put back into your car while clearing out a space to park.
If you work on your car, you’re bound to have a garage full of tools and equipment. Take some time to organize them, or invest in a good tool bench to hold your tools.
Your door. How long has it been since you really took a look at your garage door? Is it opening and closing like it’s supposed to? If not, consider replacing the torsion springs to give it a bit more sturdiness.