Wednesday 12 February 2025 Breathable Outdoor Fabrics & Condensation on your Car Body.
Find products
Select your vehicle
Choose make
AC
Alfa Romeo
Alvis
AMC
Armstrong Siddley
Aston Martin
Atalanta
Audi
Austin
Austin Healey
Beauford
Bentley
Bill Thomas
BMW
Bond
Borgward
Bristol
Bugatti
Buick
Cadillac
Caterham
Chevrolet
Chevron Cars
Chrysler Europe
Chrysler USA
Citroen
Dacia
Daewoo
Daihatsu
Daimler (See also Jaguar)
Datsun
Delorean Motor Co
Dodge
Donkervoort
DS Automobiles
Dutton
Ferrari
Fiat
Ford (Australia)
Ford (Europe)
Ford (USA)
Genesis
GMC
Gordon-Keeble
GTM
Gumpert
Hillman
Holden
Honda
Humber
Hummer
Hyundai
Ineos
International Harvester
Iso
Isuzu
Jaguar
Jeep
Jensen
Kia
Lada
Lagonda
Lamborghini
Lancia
Land Rover
LDV
Lexus
Lincoln
Lomax
Lotus
LTI (London Taxi)
Marcos
Marlin
Maserati
Maybach
Mazda
McLaren
Mercedes
MG
Mini
Mitsubishi
Morgan
Morris
Mosler
Nissan
NSU
Opel
Packard
Panther
Perodua
Peugeot
Plymouth
Polestar
Pontiac
Porsche
Proton
Reliant
Renault
Riley
Rolls Royce
Rover (see also MG)
Saab
Scion
Scion (USA)
Seat
Simca
Skoda
Smart
Ssang Yong
Standard
Studebaker
Subaru
Sunbeam
Suzuki
Talbot
Tesla
Toyota
Trabant
Triumph
TVR
Ultima
Vanden Plas
Vauxhall
Vaz
Volkswagen
Volvo
Wartburg
Westfield
Wiesmann
Willys
Wolseley
Zastava
Model
Year
Trim
Go
The nights are drawing in & those days of quite warm days but chilly evenings are now upon us. Your car is safely tucked up on the driveway under its waterproof yet breathable fitted cover so all is well….. and then the next day you find moisture under the cover! Oh no, you've been conned. The cover that you bought definitely was advertised as being fully waterproof so must have stopped working. During those heavy summer downpours it was great so what's gone wrong? Did it even rain last night?
11th September 2018
With Autumn arriving, we would like to talk about breathable outdoor fabrics & condensation on your car body.
The nights are drawing in & those days of quite warm days but chilly evenings are now upon us. Your car is safely tucked up on the driveway under its waterproof yet breathable fitted cover so all is well….. and then the next day you find moisture under the cover! Oh no, you've been conned. The cover that you bought definitely was advertised as being fully waterproof so must have stopped working. During those heavy summer downpours it was great so what's gone wrong? Did it even rain last night?
The moisture that is present on the vehicle is almost certainly condensation. We are now having heavy dew forming on almost everything and the atmosphere is water laden. Most technically advanced covers such as Coverzone's Stormforce or Apollo covers consist of a multi layer construction that are waterproof & breathable. There is a membrane sandwiched in the middle of the cover that is perforated with micropores that are so small that water droplets will not pass through the cover and cleverly any condensation can evaporate away from under the cover.
There are a few weeks in the late autumn and again in the early spring where the moisture content in the atmosphere is extremely water laden & there is a considerable temperature range between night time temperatures & the daytime. The vehicle will get increasingly cold through the night & then the ambient temperature rises quickly in the morning. As the cover is breathable the air hits the cold vehicle body & condenses. This will happen with any breathable car cover. As the atmosphere warms & dries, this condensation will evaporate & escape from under the cover. Any rain or precipitation simply runs off the outside. So, you may always expect your car to be totally dry but the laws of physics dictate otherwise.
You can do a simple test to check the waterproofing of any cover as follows: Position an egg cup or similar small collection bowl under the cover. Make a small divot in the fabric & pour in a couple of tablespoons of water until there is around 1cms of water in the divot. Leave for 4-6 hours. Upon returning, the egg cup should be dry showing that no water has passed through the cover if it is indeed waterproof. If water is found to be present, contact your cover manufacturer for advice. If heavy condensation is found under the cover, remove the cover & thoroughly dry. Re-apply the cover & ensure that the underbody straps are loose allowing the cover to move a little in the breeze. The cover should not be fitted tightly like a second skin as this will reduce airflow over the paintwork & prevent drying of condensation. The period of time when condensation rapidly forms is generally during an anticyclone & will soon pass. Happily most days your vehicle will be dry or may just show some misting on the surface as the cover is removed.
Coverzone manufacture covers in both breathable and non-breathable fabrics. The Monsoon range of outdoor covers are designed for cars that are left outside for long periods over-winter. These heavy duty outdoor covers feature a soft inner lining that is kind to paintwork & a non-breathable heavy PVC shell that has heat sealed double stitching. These covers cleverly mirror the temperature of the car ensuring that all moisture, dew and frost falls on the outer skin keeping your cherished car dry. If you are planning to tuck your car away over winter and don't have the luxury of a garage, a Monsoon cover fitted to a dry, clean car is the next best protection that you can find.
If you have further questions please contact us , call +44 (01903) 764689 or shop online at www.cover-zone.com .
Back to News