According to CBS News, in 2019 the United States saw as much as $22 billion worth of hail damage to cars, crops, buildings, people, and more. We often forget about this form of precipitation, since the focus on the news seems to be more about hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and other natural disasters. However, these falling balls of ice can end up causing catastrophic damage to our cars.
We use our cars for just about everything, so it makes sense that we want to protect them from threats such as hail damage or other weather events. If you keep your car parked outside all the time without any kind of protection, then the likelihood of sustaining damage is much higher. Without comprehensive car insurance, you could be staring at a hefty repair bill, as your insurance company will not be able to help. There are a few ways to keep your car protected from hail damage.
Keep your car parked in your garage.
The best and most reliable way to keep your car protected at all times is by keeping it in the garage. You may have to clean out your garage or enlist garage door repair services in order to make it happen, but protecting your car is protecting your investment in your vehicle. Sometimes you may need garage door roller replacement, Oregon City, Oregon, as those rollers can be a common part that malfunctions.
If your door can’t be repaired, you may need to install a new garage door. Keeping it inside your garage during a hailstorm can help preserve the value of your vehicle and avoid a large repair cost for putting on a new door, windshield, or even facing a totaled car depending on the severity of the damage. Not only can a garage help prevent storm damage, but it can also serve to protect your car from vandalism or even car theft.
Add a carport to your home.
If you do not have a garage or can’t get yours cleaned out, then consider putting in an aluminum carport to protect your vehicle. The metal roof will shield your car and provide better protection than having nothing at all. You may even be able to get a carport custom-designed for other vehicles on your property, such as RVs, jet skis, or boats so that they can also be protected from storm damage.
If you’re driving, park under a covered area.
If a hailstorm strikes while you are out and about, then you may not be able to quickly get home to protect your car. In this case, try to pull over and find a covered area to park under until the storm passes. This could be a gas station, a parking garage, or another covered spot. It generally is not safe to drive during a hailstorm anyway, so you should pull over for your safety as well as the protection of your car.
Purchase a car cover or use blankets.
As a last resort, you can purchase a car cover or try to cover your car with blankets if you know a storm is heading your way. Some companies manufacture specialized car covers that are designed to protect your car as much as possible. You will need to secure these with some kind of duct tape, though, as the wind may pick up and blow the cover off of the car otherwise. The tape may leave a sticky residue, but that is easily removable and is better than trying to get the damage repaired or paying a deductible amount before your insurance policy kicks in to cover the damage done.
