Do you guys have problems keeping everything from rusting/rotting? (house, new construction)

[motoracer51]

We're seriously considering moving to NH, and from another post, made me consider the ramifications of moving from a dry, arid area back to a pretty moist one.

I was wondering if it's a losing battle keeping anything metal from rusting and rotting? Do vehicles take a beating from the winters? Is there anything that can be done?


Thanks

John

[newhampshiregirl]

Well, it's like a rain forest up here right now!

I guess the answer to your question is you need to do some rather basic things to keep your vehicles and home in good shape so they'll last a long time without major maintenance.

In the winter, wash your vehicles as often as you can to get the salt off. I don't bother because the car wash is a 20 minute drive, and our vehicles last a good long time. One of our cars is a 1998 Dodge Caravan that now has some surface rust. Last fall we had to replace the rusted bed on our 1994 pick-up truck. That's not too bad, I don't think.

We live in a town that doesn't use salt on roads, just sand, so our cars only get salty when we get onto state roads or highways.

The exterior siding and deck on our house tends to get a little moldy/mildewy, and my husband just power washes it with a water/bleach mix and it's like new (we have cedar siding & pressure treated deck).

We have a full basement that gets damp, so we run a dehumidifier all summer long. In the winter we get so dry we have to run a humidifier AND we have kettles of water on the wood stoves.

[lisa g]

Agreed!
Keep salt from sitting on your car too long, and use a dehumidifier in the basement.
Make sure whatever home you're interested in has been well maintained (if it's not new construction).
On the flip side, if you're moving from an area with ozone-laden smog, you'll find that in NH you can leave outdoor furniture, etc. outside for a long time without color being bleached out of things in one summer.

[GregW]

In a short answer - yes, yes, No

Use Bo-shield on your tools or keep everything iron coated with oil.

[leavingnh]

Originally Posted by motoracer51

We're seriously considering moving to NH, and from another post, made me consider the ramifications of moving from a dry, arid area back to a pretty moist one.

I was wondering if it's a losing battle keeping anything metal from rusting and rotting? Do vehicles take a beating from the winters? Is there anything that can be done?


Thanks

John

Salt from the roads in winter will rust out your car; even faster if you live near the ocean.