How to Protect Car from Hail: Stress-Free Guide

Depending on your location, you may already be a Tiger Woods at handling golf-ball-sized hailstones falling from the sky.  but if you have never experienced a hail storm, you could be pretty surprised. no matter how prepared you may be, it can make damage on your car. Hail damage is devastating and can include a broken windshield, chipped paint, and more. The potential for damage and overall car devaluation jumps when you don’t have a garage. But, several things can be done to protect your vehicle from hail in the absence of a garage.

If you seek the best ways to protect your car from hail, the following rows will help.

How to Protect Your Car from Hail without a Garage

If you don’t have a garage, here a few other methods you can guard your car against the dents, dings and other damage caused by hail.

Use a Car Cover for Hail

You can find car covers at most auto supply shops and certain grocery stores with automotive sections. You will have to know the make, model, and year of your vehicle since most covers are specific to those classifications. If you can’t buy one from your car’s manufacturer or dealership, consider shopping for a generic or custom-made model. Some companies produce covers specifically designed to prevent hail damage.

Use Hail Blanket for Cars

If you find that a hail cover for a car isn’t enough, then you can always fortify your vehicle’s protection by applying a heavy blanket. Blankets are pretty thick and affordable to buy, so if you know that your car might need some refuge, simply fold the blanket lengthwise and throw it on top of your car.

The more blankets you can utilize, the better. You should have a minimum of one layer of blankets covering your whole vehicle. Still, if you can double or triple up the blankets, it will give your car more protection. If you are short on blankets, cover the windows first. Duct tape them at the bottom of the vehicle. It shouldn’t damage the paint, but you might get a sticky residue after removing the tape.

Put Floor Mats on the Windshield

Throw the floor mats over your windshields if you don’t have blankets or a cover. If you are away from home when you get stuck in hail, you can put floor mats over car windows. They probably won’t cover your entire windshield or back window, but they can provide some coverage. Place the floor mats on the windows with the fabric side facing up. Therefore, the feet or grippers on the bottom of the mat will be on the window, and this DIY hail car cover won’t slide around as much in high winds.

Use Tarps

While most folks don’t have dedicated car covers, tarps are quite common items in many households. Using a tarp can be better than nothing when it comes to hail protection for a car. A tarp will give some protection from hail, but since they are usually relatively thin, they won’t fully protect your ride from large hailstones. The thicker the tarp is, the more protection it will deliver.

How To Protect Car from Hail Damage While Driving

In case you are driving along when huge hailstones start raining down. What do you do? Follow these suggestions to prevent or at least minimize the damage if you are ever caught in a hail storm.

Pull Under an Overpass or Bridge

If you can find a large overpass or bridge to park underneath, these structures should guarantee some protection against hail. Still, if the storm is blowing sideways and the bridge is very high, this shield might be minimal.

Park Beside a Tall Building

Parking next to a high building can help in protecting car from hail, as long as you park on the side where the wind is blowing towards. Try to locate your vehicle’s entire length next to the building if it’s possible to do it safely. The closer you are to the structure, the better guarded you will be from the blowing hail.

Park in a Parking Garage

If you can pull into a parking garage, using any of the covered spaces will enable you to hide from the hail. Even if you need to pay a fee for using the garage, it will be well worth avoiding costly hail damage. Finding the shopping or business areas will give you the best chance of discovering covered parking garages.

Reach a Gas Station with an Awning

Many gas stations use a large awning to protect customers from the elements. If you can find one of these stations during the hail storm, pull under the awning as fast as possible. Many other drivers will attempt to seek shelter in there also, so the quicker you get in, the better.

Car Hail Protection Tips

Here are a few ways to protect vehicle from hail to help minimize the chance of your wheels copping a summer hail storm beating this year.

• Stay up to date with the weather – Sign up for weather alerts, so you get time to protect your ride. Most smartphone weather applications will send you notifications when severe weather is coming. Be sure you have that notification turned on. It will tell you asap when hail might be coming and give you time to protect your vehicle ;
• Stay in the vehicle during a hail storm – Always stay protected during a hail storm and do not leave your car unless it’s required as hail can cause severe bodily damage;
• Get a carport – If you live in an area prone to hail storms, but don’t have a garage, consider buying a foldup or collapsible carport to keep your auto safe through the season. For extra protection, look for one that includes covered sides and snaps or zips closed;
• Cover vehicle with whatever you have on hand – In a jam, thick comforters could be just enough to protect your parked car from severe hail damage. Consider using ropes to secure your vehicle’s improvised jacket until the storm has passed and you are ready to hit the road again;
• Park in the garage – Of course, the best option, if it’s available, is to pull your car into a garage. These sturdy structures will provide the most protection from hail since they can ward off hail from all angles. However, this isn’t always an option – many people don’t have access to a garage for any or all of their vehicles;
• Comprehensive insurance coverage – Despite the best preparation, sometimes hail damage is unavoidable. Ensure that you are carrying a solid, comprehensive insurance policy for your vehicle so that you will be covered in case of damage.

Hail can be one of the most expensive weather conditions when it comes to your ride. Use these strategies to help protect your car the next time hail comes around. But of course, keeping your vehicle in a covered area and staying out of potential hail storms will always be the #1 protection.