Hail damage is nothing to scoff at, and at times, it is also nothing to panic about either. When your car suffers some damage from a hail storm, one of the first things you need to do is to assess the extent of what this force of nature has done to your vehicle’s windshield. Hail stones can cause serious damage, usually with bigger ones being able to crack or break windshields. You should not discount smaller hail stones though since even pebble sized projectiles can crack and chip your windshields.
You can always minimize hail damage by parking your vehicle in a garage, in an indoor parking facility, under a bridge, or under a shade to minimize the possibility of serious damage. If you find yourself in one, try to find a place to wait out the storm, preferably one with cover that can protect you and your vehicle. In short, one of the things you can do to help prevent such an event from damaging your vehicle is to always keep your car in a covered or roofed environment.
There will be times however when you are caught by surprise and your vehicle does get hit by a sudden downpour, which can damage not only your windshield but also other parts of your car too. What you need to do when this happens is check the extent of the damage on your car. Once you have assessed the damage, you will then need to contact your insurance adjuster to inform them of the damage.
When you find that there are cracks or chips on your windshield because of a hailstorm, your best move would be to have a local auto glass technician check it out. Chipped or cracked windshields, no matter how small the damage may seem, pose a threat to your safety. Finding out what kinds of repairs are needed as soon as possible will help you get your car back in safe driving form.
If the cracks or chips are small, or are not in the driver’s line of sight, these can be repaired by your chosen auto glass repair shop. If the damage is in the line of sight of the driver, no matter how small the crack or chip is, chances are good that, your auto glass technician will recommend replacing your windshield since repairing will leave a warped and somewhat blurry spot on the glass. Replacement jobs are also recommended for windshields with extensive damage to them, which usually occurs when large hailstones hit it.
No matter how small you think the damage may be, it is indeed best if you take your car to an auto glass repair shop like All Makes Auto Glass for assessment. Even when the hailstorm is brief and did not bring with it big projectiles, you might not see hairline cracks were caused by the hail. These small cracks may soon grow into bigger ones if left unattended, however auto glass experts can and will be able to see these and advise you on what should be done to remedy such an issue.
