Car Ports

[Tywais]

The vast majority of houses I see around Chiangmai only have garage space to put the nose of the car under while the back 2/3s stick out in the sun and rain. I find it a bit confusing since most Thais take a lot of care of their cars. Any clues as to why this phoenomenum? Example below:

[ProThaiExpat]

I have often wondered, as well, about most falang who build their own houses or have one built by a developer and don't have an enclosed garage and electric door opener.

There must be at least 30 falang, or more, in my project and I am the only one with a garage. And yes, their "carports" only seem to cover half of their vehicles.

After moving in, many buy cheap aluminum covers for their driveways, thus turning, what would otherwise appear to be a nicely designed house, into a "trailer park" look.

[chownah]

Could it be that most Thais don't own cars but they do own motorcycles and motorcycles fit into these spaces easily?

[Dakhar]

Or maybe the car port is designed to protect the owner from rain as they are getting in and out of the car, rather than protect the car from the elements.

[Dragonman]

Or maybe the car port is designed to protect the owner from rain as they are getting in and out of the car, rather than protect the car from the elements.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe this is the case. Study has shown that in most areas, but particularly those of high humidity rust occurs quicker in cars garaged. Unless you are in an area with high acidic rainfall. Then you will probably end up with holes in your hood.

[chownah]

I believe this is the case. Study has shown that in most areas, but particularly those of high humidity rust occurs quicker in cars garaged. Unless you are in an area with high acidic rainfall. Then you will probably end up with holes in your hood.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rust occurs quicker in cars garaged? You've got to be kidding....if this were true all those people with collections of antique cars would park them outside....

[chaiyapoon]

Once bought a house in Uk that hadn't been lived in for six years.In the garage was a car that was 8 years old with only 9000 miles in the clock. Interior was as brand new with plastic covers on the seats and door cards.The sills,suspension turrets and exhaust system were totally rusted out and it just wasn't worth saving.

Sold off a lot of spare parts though.Garage was in good condition with a concrete floor.

[corkscrew]

Once bought a house in Uk that hadn't been lived in for six years.In the garage was a car that was 8 years old with only 9000 miles in the clock. Interior was as brand new with plastic covers on the seats and door cards.The sills,suspension turrets and exhaust system were totally rusted out and it just wasn't worth saving.

Sold off a lot of spare parts though.Garage was in good condition with a concrete floor.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That may say more about the car than whether it is parked outside or inside. I can't imagine that the shelf life of a car parked under the elements would fare better than one in a garage. Also, long non-use of that car may have contributed to its condition.

Years ago I owned several English (Austin Healey, Triumph) cars and none of them fought off rust very well. Now I buy German (MB). But that may say more about their cost and continuing improvements in car manufacturing.

[Dragonman]

I believe this is the case. Study has shown that in most areas, but particularly those of high humidity rust occurs quicker in cars garaged. Unless you are in an area with high acidic rainfall. Then you will probably end up with holes in your hood.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rust occurs quicker in cars garaged? You've got to be kidding....if this were true all those people with collections of antique cars would park them outside....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't shoot the messenger I'm not a scientist! Apparently if the cars are totally dried before storage that is fine. But most people drive their cars, which are damp, straight into the garage and leave them. This is what is not fine!

[Diggerbasher]

Maybe it's something to do with ventilation.

[lopburi3]

Cars in the rust belt get eaten by road salt in garages because the temperature is higher thus the salt works faster. Not a problem here.

I can't believe nobody has observed that the family Mercedes or BMW can not be seen in a garage. We are obviously not upper crust here. Why pay the price if nobody can see it?

[chownah]

I believe this is the case. Study has shown that in most areas, but particularly those of high humidity rust occurs quicker in cars garaged. Unless you are in an area with high acidic rainfall. Then you will probably end up with holes in your hood.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rust occurs quicker in cars garaged? You've got to be kidding....if this were true all those people with collections of antique cars would park them outside....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't shoot the messenger I'm not a scientist! Apparently if the cars are totally dried before storage that is fine. But most people drive their cars, which are damp, straight into the garage and leave them. This is what is not fine!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not shooting...I'm just disagreeing....it is OK to disagree with someone on TV isn't it? You mention that "Study has shown that in most areas, but particularly those of high humidity rust occurs quicker in cars garaged." Can you give me a reference to the study you are referring to? I find it hard to believe the results of this study and I'd like to check it out myself. I have first hand experience in Thailand with steel reinforcing bar and it definitely rusts faster if not kept in a garage. Please note: I'm still not shooting, just trying to learn something.

[ProThaiExpat]

My Toyota has be garaged for three years and rust I haven't seen. Of course, my garage has a three meter high ceiling and a vertical louvered vent port of at least two meters, which might have something to do with it.

It also gets taken out at least once a day.

On a prbability scale, I would say avoidance of rust as a reason for not building garages in Thailand is extremely low on the scale, if it appears at all. On the other hand, saving construction costs and lowering the sale price of a house would seem to be much higher on the same scale.

De ja vue, fifty years ago I had a second hand Ford Hardtop Convertable in the plains of Wyoming and although humidity there is non-existent year round, my chrome bumper pitted and I had much rust around cowlings and other areas where paint might be scratched off. In those days, most wise new car buyers spent extra bucks to "undercoat" their cars to avoid rust.

I suspect cars are built differently these days and I doubt Toyota would become the world's most popular car maker if it allowed itself to be defeated by rust, garage or no garage.

Edited July 17, 2005 by ProThaiExpat

[Dragonman]

I believe this is the case. Study has shown that in most areas, but particularly those of high humidity rust occurs quicker in cars garaged. Unless you are in an area with high acidic rainfall. Then you will probably end up with holes in your hood.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rust occurs quicker in cars garaged? You've got to be kidding....if this were true all those people with collections of antique cars would park them outside....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't shoot the messenger I'm not a scientist! Apparently if the cars are totally dried before storage that is fine. But most people drive their cars, which are damp, straight into the garage and leave them. This is what is not fine!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not shooting...I'm just disagreeing....it is OK to disagree with someone on TV isn't it? You mention that "Study has shown that in most areas, but particularly those of high humidity rust occurs quicker in cars garaged." Can you give me a reference to the study you are referring to? I find it hard to believe the results of this study and I'd like to check it out myself. I have first hand experience in Thailand with steel reinforcing bar and it definitely rusts faster if not kept in a garage. Please note: I'm still not shooting, just trying to learn something.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry don't have any details. It was just in a Classic Car mag. a few years ago and my mate who collected old Morris' said this is why he dried the cars thoroughly when garaging. As ProThaiExpat said however probably not as relevant for modern cars. Perhaps we have a Metallurgist out there somewhere.

[Heng]

The vast majority of houses I see around Chiangmai only have garage space to put the nose of the car under while the back 2/3s stick out in the sun and rain.  I find it a bit confusing since most Thais take a lot of care of their cars.  Any clues as to why this phoenomenum?  Example below:

Try looking in some better neighborhoods. (hint: anywhere that the driveway is a bit more than what.... 5 meters to the street?)

[ThaiPauly]

Maybee they only care about the occupants of the front two seats when building the house.? This would not surprise me in the least. (TIT)

Lek Dek (Kids) can easily acclimatise to the heat in the back. My place only has room for my large car to get the front two seats under the overhang, my Wife has to fry, so badly that the rear view mirror wont stay in a static position until the car has cooled down. Thank Whoever invented Air Con!

ProThaiExpat, you are very fortunate to have a garage, wish I had space for one

Cheers

TP

[RDN]

My car port:

[Thetyim]

Rust occurs quicker in cars garaged?  You've got to be kidding....if this were true all those people with collections of antique cars would park them outside....

A garage suitable for storing a car should have a sealed floor.

Many owners do not seal the the floor, this results in high humidity and hence promotes rust.

It is also important to clean the underside of the car. Layers of dirt hold moisture and again promote rust.

Basically the dryer it is the slower the rust process.

If you have a bare unsealed cement floored garage on the north side of your house with overhanging trees and no ventilation it might be better to leave the car outside.

[paulfr]

A garage suitable for storing a car should have a sealed floor.

Many owners do not seal the the floor, this results in high humidity and hence promotes rust.

Good point.

Cement is a very porous material and will draw water up from the ground. Raising the humidity in a closed space certainly will promote the chemical (oxidation-reduction) reaction of rusting.

[corkscrew]

My car port:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good show! I like it.

[corkscrew]

I have often wondered, as well, about most falang who build their own houses or have one built by a developer and don't have an enclosed garage and electric door opener.

There must be at least 30 falang, or more, in my project and I am the only one with a garage.  And yes, their "carports" only seem to cover half of their vehicles.

After moving in, many buy cheap aluminum covers for their driveways, thus turning, what would otherwise appear to be a nicely designed house, into a "trailer park" look.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In the car wash.

[corkscrew]

I have often wondered, as well, about most falang who build their own houses or have one built by a developer and don't have an enclosed garage and electric door opener.

There must be at least 30 falang, or more, in my project and I am the only one with a garage.  And yes, their "carports" only seem to cover half of their vehicles.

After moving in, many buy cheap aluminum covers for their driveways, thus turning, what would otherwise appear to be a nicely designed house, into a "trailer park" look.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In the car wash.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But, I overdue things sometimes.

[chownah]

A garage suitable for storing a car should have a sealed floor.

Many owners do not seal the the floor, this results in high humidity and hence promotes rust.

Good point.

Cement is a very porous material and will draw water up from the ground. Raising the humidity in a closed space certainly will promote the chemical (oxidation-reduction) reaction of rusting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, cement is a very porous material...that's why they make boats out of it.

[Thetyim]

From website on Ferro-concrete boats

" Another problem is that the concrete material is not waterproof by nature. It requires some type of sealing process to "close it up", either by way of proper troweling technique and/or epoxying and painting."

http://lists.samurai.com/pipermail/great-l...ber/001838.html

[Bikkel]

Maybe is the project developer just skimping. If they can squeeze a buck...

I saw many houses with just one or two meter to spare from the perimeter fence. No room to put a big carport.

[paulfr]

A garage suitable for storing a car should have a sealed floor.

Many owners do not seal the the floor, this results in high humidity and hence promotes rust.

Good point.

Cement is a very porous material and will draw water up from the ground. Raising the humidity in a closed space certainly will promote the chemical (oxidation-reduction) reaction of rusting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, cement is a very porous material...that's why they make boats out of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Chownah

I am sorry to hear such sarcasm from you.

I usually enjoy your contributiions to TV.

And apparently you have never been in a warehouse with a concrete floor after it rains. Those dark spots you see are where the concrete has drawn up the water. I am surprised you do not agree with this well known fact about concrete.

As another poster said, one can seal concrete to overcome this problem.

We use concrete in nuclear physics laboratories to attenuate radiation. It is less effective than lead, but MUCH cheaper. And water porosity is not a consideration.

Again, your sarcasm was surprising. Maybe you just had a bad day.

[chownah]

A garage suitable for storing a car should have a sealed floor.

Many owners do not seal the the floor, this results in high humidity and hence promotes rust.

Good point.

Cement is a very porous material and will draw water up from the ground. Raising the humidity in a closed space certainly will promote the chemical (oxidation-reduction) reaction of rusting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, cement is a very porous material...that's why they make boats out of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Chownah

I am sorry to hear such sarcasm from you.

I usually enjoy your contributiions to TV.

And apparently you have never been in a warehouse with a concrete floor after it rains. Those dark spots you see are where the concrete has drawn up the water. I am surprised you do not agree with this well known fact about concrete.

As another poster said, one can seal concrete to overcome this problem.

We use concrete in nuclear physics laboratories to attenuate radiation. It is less effective than lead, but MUCH cheaper. And water porosity is not a consideration.

Again, your sarcasm was surprising. Maybe you just had a bad day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry it created such a bad reaction...that wasn't my intent...I thought it was funny...someone making a claim that cement (actually the correct term is 'concrete' since 'cement' is the term for the binder in the concrete that binds the stone and sand together) is a porous material when it is actually used to make boats!! Can you at least see that in theory this could be considered funny?

Anyway. Concrete can be more or less porous depending on how it is made and put in place. It can be very water tight...for example in ferro-cement boat building and in water tank construction...or it can be very porous like in air entrained light weight concrete. One of the many variable in making concrete porous is the amount of water used when mixing. In Thailand alot of water is usually used and this creates a very porous concrete.....I'd say that most concrete in Thailand is porous. In constructing a concrete floor on grade (on grade means on the ground...without an air space below) it is important to assure adequate drainage. This is usually done by putting a layer of gravel or sand down first before the concrete...this gravel or sand layer should be thick enough so that when the water is at its highest point it does not contact the underside of the concrete. Often drainage pipes are placed under the concrete in the gravel/sand layer to allow water a free exit and keep its highest level down. If a floor is constructed this way there will never be wet spots and moisture will not come through the concrete to the interior surface of the floor. If you see wet spots on a concrete floor caused from water from below then either the designer has made a mistake in the design or the constructors did not follow the design properly.

[cobra]

Study has shown that in most areas, but particularly those of high humidity rust occurs quicker in cars garaged. Unless you are in an area with high acidic rainfall.

I think it's not just humidity,

Port towns near saltwater have serious corrosion problems.

Whether in or out of the garage makes a big difference I don't know,

[jayenram]

I neglected to research 'car lengths' when building my car port. The designer had detailed a length of 5.00 metres. When the house was finished and I parked my 5.00 metre truck in the car port, I found that the motorbike deflectors (front and rear) had added approximately 250 mm to the length of the truck and therefore the back end sticks out almost 0.50 metre.

A friend of mine later had a similar house built and I advised him to extend the car port to 6.00 metres. The builder said that you couldn't span concrete beams and suspended slabs more than 5.00 metres.

Edited July 21, 2005 by jayenram

[Thetyim]

Does your builder understand the word cantilever ?