Hail is one of the most destructive elements that mother nature can throw at your vehicle. With some hail storms causing billions of dollars of damage (yes, that’s billions with a B), you can imagine that it is something we should be worried about when it comes to protecting our vehicles. So what can we do to protect our investments and how do we protect a car from hail?
I have come up with 14 of the easiest ways you can protect your car from hail. Some of them are more expensive than others but there are some DIY options as well.
14 Ways On How To Protect Your Car From Hail
Pull Over
I put this at the top of the list because safety is important in a storm. Not only does hail reduce visibility and cause damage to our cars when driving. The speed that we are driving can increase the damage that the hail does to your car. Imagine hitting a softball at 75 mph as compared to hitting the same ball at 0mph.
Remember a few simple safety rules though, and most importantly only stop when it is safe to do so. Please do not stop underneath an overpass or a bridge. Many people attempt to do this and there is only a small amount of room. This causes many cars to build up underneath and increase the chance of an accident by a passing driver who does not see them.
Use Cardboard
Try to place cardboard over the roof, hood, trunk, and even the doors of the vehicle. Now I know, it isn’t easy to do. By opening and placing the cardboard under your hood before you shut it. This will squeeze the cardboard, preventing it from flying away. If it is windy during the storm this option may not work.
Use A Carpet
Just like moving blankets, carpets are large and heavy. A full size carpet may be difficult to get in place over your vehicle, think of a large area rug. Again, this can be placed over the vehicle and will reduce the damage caused by the hail.
Fold In Your Mirrors
If your vehicle is equipped with fold in mirrors, fold in your mirrors. This reduces the amount of area that the hail can hit and damage the glass of the mirror. It may not seem like a lot, but I am a fan of reducing the chance of damage happening.
Park In Your Garage
I understand, not everyone has a garage. Maybe one of your relatives has a garage that they do not use. This would be a perfect opportunity to pull in any favours to get your vehicle in and out of the weather. Maybe you need to have a better relationship with your in-laws?
Watch The Weather
If you are in an area prone to hail damage, I would suggest staying glued to the TV and the weather channel when the weather gets bad. One of the best ways to prevent damage is to avoid it altogether. If there is a storm coming, maybe you can go away on a weekend trip. Or, start to pull in those favours from your family members to park in their garage.
Park Under A Tree
By parking under a tree you can prevent some of the hail damaging your vehicle. The tree will act like a barrier. Hopefully preventing or limiting the amount of hail damage your vehicle gets.
This can also be a risk. If the storm is large and windy, the tree branches may end up falling on your vehicle. The choice is up to you.
Hail Car Covers
If hail is common in your area it may be wise to go out and purchase a hail car cover. Something like the Hail Protector would be a surefire way to prevent damage to your vehicle. It is a car cover that inflates at the push of a button. The inflated cover acts like a cushion which absorbs the impact of the hail.
Find An Indoor Car Park
Take a quick look around your location to see if there are any indoor car parks in the area. You may have sports stadiums, shopping malls and other areas that have these giant hail protectors. While it may cost $10-$20 to park there for a day, it is a small cost for peace of mind.
Don’t forget to take your significant other shopping for the day if you end up at the mall. The shopping trip may end up costing more than the hail damage to your car.
Car Mats
If a storm is coming and you did not have time to prepare, this can be a good method of protecting your vehicle. Placing car mats over your windows and other areas of the vehicle can protect the surfaces from damage.
Hail Blankets
Yes, you read it right. Put your car to bed tonight peacefully with a new hail blanket. Sorry, this isn’t the blanket that your toddler drags to be with them every night. A hail blanket is a specially designed blanket that can be placed over your vehicle preventing it from damage. A hail blanket is similar to a car cover as it attempts to protect the vehicle from the hard impact of the hail.
Water Softener Salt
Bags of softener salt or topsoil can be very good at protecting your vehicle. You can place these bags on top of the roof, hood, windshield, and trunk to prevent damage. The bags are heavy and they are also less likely to blow away in strong winds. That can be a problem with some of the other diy hail protection devices.
Moving Blankets
If you have moving blankets left over these can work very well to protect your vehicle. Some moving blankets are very large in size, these are the ones you want. The large size the car port can cover, results in a large amount of the vehicle. These structures are permanent and are harder for the wind to blow away.
Build A Carport
This can be an expensive option to prevent your vehicles from becoming damaged. The carport however is one of the best ways to reduce the chance of your vehicle getting damaged. Having a hard roof over your vehicle the hail will bounce away harmlessly before melting on the ground beside your car. This is a good feeling if you have ever had a vehicle damaged before due to hail.
There is nothing worse than having a severely damaged vehicle after a nasty storm. Hopefully these quick tips give you a better idea of things that you can do and how to protect car from hail.
If your vehicle ends up damaged by hail. Check out our 3 simple steps if you vehicle is damaged by hail to find out what to do.
