Car owners particularly appreciate a garage when it is snowing and temperatures are below freezing. Time-consuming scraping and de-icing can be avoided, and the car’s engine always starts reliably. ZAPF GmbH, an expert in prefabricated concrete garages and garage renovation, has compiled a few tips to ensure that the garage is not affected by frost, moisture, and road salt and that damage does not occur over time.

 

Ventilate – especially in winter

One problem that often occurs in a closed garage is freezing water due to excessive humidity. This means that even a safely parked car can become covered in a layer of ice overnight.

However, prefabricated concrete garages have a decisive climatic advantage over their brick-built counterparts: the humidity inside a prefabricated concrete garage is lower than outside. This prevents the vehicle from freezing over. The solid building material concrete reacts very slowly to temperature fluctuations, so even in freezing and heat, the prefabricated concrete garage has an excellent climate-balancing effect.

However, for optimum air exchange, it is still advisable to ventilate from time to time. If the garage has a built-in window, perfect. However, leaving the door open in winter is not the best idea. Moisture, snow, and dirt can get in, and there is also a risk of vandalism and theft. ZAPF GmbH recommends special sectional doors: unlike an up-and-over door, these do not remain completely open during ventilation. “With the Premium sectional door from ZAPF, for example, the floor segment does not need to be raised at all in the ventilation position; instead, only the top slat opens. This protects against moisture, but also against theft and other uninvited guests.”

At ZAPF, the prefabricated concrete garages can also be equipped with a ventilation unit that is operated solely by wind power. This stainless-steel construction with a louvered hood draws in the air inside the garage and transports it outside—without any electricity. In combination with the premium sectional door from ZAPF, this further optimizes ventilation.

Even if the garage usually stays dry in wind and weather, the car itself does not. When parking in snow or rain, you inevitably bring moisture in with you, which in the worst case can collect on the floor, freeze there, and cause damage. Road salt residue or grit can also damage the floor. Regular sweeping can make a big difference here. If initial defects have occurred, they should be repaired at an early stage. “Such small repairs are far more cost-effective than waiting until the floor is really dilapidated.”