How to Prepare Your Car for Hail Without a Garage: 7 Simple Steps
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Jeff Weishaupt
- Last updated:
If you live in an area with frequent hailstorms, you know how hard it is to protect your car in these situations. Hails can be extremely disastrous to vehicles, often causing them to break down in the middle of nowhere.
However, there is no need to feel off guard in such situations. You can easily protect your car from hail in many ways, even if you don’t have a garage. For example, you can get a good quality car cover, yoga mat, or blanket, or even use your dog bed to cover your car.
You should also get weather alerts before going out in your car to prevent facing such a situation. We all know how terrifying it is to get caught in a hailstorm and wait for it to pass. However, if you still face hail, you can go to a shopping mall and wait for the weather to get better.
If you still have no clue how to prepare your car for hail without a garage, follow these steps or tips to learn how to do it easily.
The 7 Steps for Preparing Your Car for Hail Without a Garage
1. Buy a Quality Car Cover
First, get a car cover to ensure your car stays protected no matter when it hails. It is a good investment to cover your car in heavy storms efficiently. However, you must get a high-quality cover to prevent the risk of damage completely.
A standard car cover may not protect your car from the hit of heavy hail. Luckily, there are many types of car covers available. So, if you want to protect your car from hail hits, you can invest in a cover with thick cushions that protect the hits from hail and falling ice.
Also, keep an eye out for a car cover with air pockets like an air mattress. The air pockets reduce the damage hail causes.
2. Stay Updated About the Warning Alerts
After covering your car with a quality car cover, you should check for any warning alert about the hailstorm. Signing up for weather alerts can help you proactively prepare your car for the upcoming storm.
Check in with your local or state government to see if they offer emergency weather updates. Almost all the cities in the US provide citizens with emergency weather alert systems. Once you sign up for it, you will receive text messages or notifications about the changing weather.
You can also check in with your local non-governmental Institutions. Many of these organizations offer constant weather updates whenever a hailstorm comes your way. If your community has an official website, you can visit it to get more information about the alert system.
3. Find Effective Items in Your Home
If your weather forecast already informed you about the upcoming hailstorm, you should immediately start finding items in your home to cover your car. This should especially be the case if you don’t have a garage.
Look out for items that are strong and durable rather than those that can be easily blown in hailstorms. For example, don’t opt for things made of plastic sheets, aluminum foil, or newspapers. Instead, choose carpets or blankets that seem sturdy enough to protect the car.
Apart from these, you can also use the following easily-available household items to prepare your car for hail:
- Mattress toppers
- Cardboard
- Pillows
- Layered blankets
- Dog beds
- Yoga mats
You may think a car covered in a yoga mat or a dog bed will look silly. Of course, it will, but at least it will prevent your car from getting attacked by the hailstorm. This means you can save thousands of dollars that would be spent on the car’s repair otherwise.
4. Evaluate the Hazards in Your Neighborhood
After buying the right cover for your car, you should head outside and evaluate the chances of any potential hazard in your neighborhood. Focus on the area around your home or wherever you have parked your car.
Many things can bring disaster to your car during a hailstorm. These include TV antennae, loose roof tiles, and overgrown tree branches. If your car is parked near these hazards, you should move it to a safe area.
Make sure to inspect your surroundings before the storm starts. Not taking preventive measures can allow the hailstorm to affect your vehicle’s exterior badly.
5. Park in a Covered Mall or Structure
If you are still unsatisfied with the car cover or the household items, you can visit a nearby shopping mall and park your car there. Many shopping centers offer covered parking, which is good if you don’t have a garage. However, always check the mall’s opening hours and try to reach there before the storm starts, or else you may get stuck.
6. Get a Carport
An alternative to mall parking is buying or renting a carport, especially when you don’t have a garage to park your car. Unfortunately, most apartments typically don’t have a garage. But many complexes do offer parking for a monthly fee.
If you live in an apartment or a home without a garage, you can invest in a carport as an effective way to shield your car from hailstorms. In fact, you can also get a carport built outside your home if you have enough space.
7. Get Comprehensive Insurance
No matter what option you choose to prepare your car for hail, get a comprehensive insurance policy to cover any damage your car suffers. With insurance, you won’t have to pay for the maintenance or repair of your car.
Many auto insurance policies don’t include damages caused due to weather incidents. This even includes flood disasters. Comprehensive insurance policies, on the other hand, provide coverage for incidents unrelated to damage another driver causes in the traffic.
For example, suppose a poll falls on your vehicle. If you have a standard auto insurance policy, it won’t cover the cost of repair. However, if you have comprehensive insurance, it will cover all the costs.
Many experts suggest car owners add additional rental insurance to their auto insurance policy. The comprehensive insurance policy will replace your car with the same model if it is damaged beyond repair. However, this process may take time. Meanwhile, you can get a rental car that will be covered by rental insurance.
Tips to Protect Your Car During a Hailstorm
To prepare your car for hail without a garage, you must think beyond finding the best cover. Focus on doing little actions to keep yourself safe and minimize the damage to your car.
- Never fight the storm since it’s almost impossible to do so. Hail falls at a frightening speed that can damage humans and something as strong as a vehicle.
- Always pull over your car and find the best cover. While a garage or carport is the best option, what if you don’t find any nearby? In such a case, look for any structure or building that can protect you from hail.
- Observe the direction or angle of the hail as it rarely falls in a straight line. After identifying, look for a cover in the opposite direction of the wind.
- Don’t find cover near trees or bridges to prevent damage or traffic congestion during the storm.
- Keep sitting in the car and wait for the storm to pass.
Conclusion
Hailstorms can be terrifying. If you live in an area that receives frequent hailstorms, protecting your car can be challenging without a garage. While renting or buying a carport, you can also park for free in your nearest shopping mall.
To prepare your car for hail, you must get a good quality car cover with cushions that will shield the vehicle against all sorts of damage. However, if you are caught in a storm, never try to defeat it. Instead, pull over in a safe place and wait for the storm to pass.
Featured Image Credit: Comaniciu Dan, Shutterstock
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