A car under a tarp in a Wabash County summer is a car rusting on a schedule. If you have something worth keeping, the building matters more than the cover, and a few decisions at order time make the difference between storage and preservation.
Humidity is what actually eats the car
Temperature swings are not the problem. Condensation is. Warm humid air meets cold sheet metal overnight and water forms on and inside the car, in the door bottoms, in the trunk pan, on the underside of the hood. Then it does it again tomorrow.
Two fixes and you want both. Spray foam insulation on the roof and walls stops the building from swinging thirty degrees a day and stops condensation forming on the roof deck above the car. Ventilation, meaning gable or ridge vents, lets moisture leave instead of cycling. If the car is genuinely valuable, add a small dehumidifier, which needs power, which is the next point.
Get the electrical built in
A project car needs light you can work under, outlets for a battery tender, a compressor circuit and somewhere to plug in a dehumidifier. Our finish-out packages include electrical, flooring and wall coverings, and having it done at the shop during the build is far cheaper and much cleaner than running conduit through a finished building later. Do not run a car building off an extension cord from the house.
Floor and pad
This is the one case where I would push you toward concrete. A slab keeps ground moisture from wicking up under the car, gives you a surface for a jack and jack stands, and does not rut when you roll the car in and out. If concrete is not happening this year, a level, well built gravel pad extending about a foot past the building on all sides will carry the building fine, and our AdvanTech flooring carries a lifetime warranty, but put a moisture barrier under anything parked long term.
Size and door
Measure the car, then add room to open both doors and walk the whole way around. For a single car with real working room, 14×24 is the honest minimum and 14×28 is comfortable. If a second vehicle or a lift is in the future, go 16 wide. We build up to 16×60.
The door decides everything. A 9 foot roll-up is comfortable for most cars and trucks, 10 feet is stress free. Check the door height against anything with a roof rack or a tall antenna.
Security
A building with a car in it is a target. No windows on the door side, a heavy hasp bolted through with carriage bolts, a shrouded padlock, non-removable hinge pins, and a motion light on the approach. Put it where it is visible rather than screened behind trees. Tell your insurance agent it is there and ask how the vehicle is covered in a detached structure.
Coverage
Every Cardinal building carries our 10 year guarantee covering acts of nature such as storm damage and settling plus our craftsmanship, with LP SmartSide siding under a 50 year warranty, and we handle warranty claims for you. Pricing starts at $1,900 for a C+ Utility 6×8 and $2,762 for a Cardinal Utility 8×8, with garage sizes priced by size, door and finish. Rent-to-own has no credit check, 24 to 60 months, from $75.44 a month, first two months down, no early payoff fee.
Get Started on Your Mount Carmel Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for Mount Carmel.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
