What to do When Hail Damages Your Car
If you live in a region prone to hail storms, you're no doubt well acquainted with the fear of your car taking a direct hit. It's not an uncommon occurrence, and if it happens to you, some things need to be taken care of ASAP.
It may seem like just a dent on the outside, but once the ice melts and cools down, it will expand and contract inside the car damaging the paint job and anything else around it. This is especially true for older cars where rust could start forming under all that ice too. So here are some tips on what can be done once you noticed your car damaged by hail:
1. Remove All Ice as Soon as Possible
Remove any loose pieces of hail. If there's a dent, you don't want that expanding with the ice inside to further damage your car body and paintwork. So pry it out if you can without using any tools like screwdrivers or hammers. Keep some rags handy and try one of these methods:
Use a hairdryer on low setting - You can take a hairdryer, put it on warm mode and gently go over the spot where there are signs of car damaged by hail. The heat from the blowdryer will melt the ice and soften it, making it easier to remove.
Dip a rag or towel in warm water - wring out the excess and press it against the hail damage. Wait until the rag gets cold again, then repeat. You may have to do this a couple of times to get all the hail off.
Just go into your car body shop and have them remove it - body shops usually have body damage repair kits which include a scraper. If you can't get the hail off yourself, it's still best to find an auto body repair shop nearby and let them do it for you.
2. Do Not Move Your Car Until All Hail Has Melted
If the hail has already scraped off some paintwork or bodywork as it made its way through your car body before getting stuck in one area, do not move around with your vehicle until that damage is repaired. Even if only a little bit of paint has been peeled away (which is enough for rust to form), it'll start spreading and doing more damage if you move around with your car body.
3. Remove Hail Residue With Soap and Water
Yes, just like washing off dirt on the outside of your car, use regular dish soap and warm soapy water to get rid of any remaining hail residue that may be still stuck on your paint job or other areas inside the car. The main goal here is to get it all off before it hardens if possible since gel coat paint can be easily damaged by ice if left alone for too long. Rinse away any leftover residue once you're done, and don't forget to dry it thoroughly afterward.
4. Repair Any Dents Right Away
Don't delay bodywork because the longer you wait, the more likely rust can form - not to mention all those dents will only get bigger. If there are a lot of hail damage spots, it would be best if you brought your car into a body shop for an estimate as soon as possible so they can schedule repairs on your vehicle right away.
5. Fix Bodywork Paint Work At the Body Shop
The body of your car might have sustained hail damage as well as the paint job if any hailstones managed to break through that area. If so, take action immediately by bringing your car into a body shop nearby today before moisture forms in those dents, causing rust or other issues later on when driving around in rainy weather.
Car Damaged by Hail?
Since you don't want body damages to worsen over time and cost more money, have auto body shops near you quote body repair jobs as soon as possible. You do not want to ignore the car damaged by hails as it can damage your entire paint job.
