Blog

Ice Storms and How to Protect Your Vehicle from Damage in St. Louis County

It’s that time of year where the weather can get go either way with ice storms and freezing rain to slick snow and icy roads. The weather is unpredictable in February in the St. Louis and surrounding areas and it’s a good practice every year to take precautions where you can to protect your car from ice storm damage and even hail. Here are some tips to help you from costly damages with auto body repairs from natures unpredictable elements.

How can Ice cause damage to my car?

Ice storms can cause tremendous amounts of damage. Ice can cause sizable dents in your car upon impact if it falls from the sky or even high areas such as a tree or power lines. During the freezing or melting process, ice can produce cracks or even dings in the paint. Ice crystals can hit hard up against the car while driving and penetrate the paints surface.

What should I do if my car sustains damage from ice storms in St. Louis, MO area?

If you have damage from ice first step to take is get an estimate from your local auto body shop in the St. Louis area. If you have comprehensive coverage your local auto body shop’s certified technicians and estimators can file a claim and get your insurance claim process started. It’s best to get ahead of it so the damage does not progress. Paint can chip and flake and weaken the body with rust setting in. Repairs will then go up and no one wants that!

How can I protect my car from ice storm damage in St. Louis, MO?

• Park in a garage if you have one available. Most garages can become cluttered with storage over time so prepare a space while its still nice weather so that when winter comes your car is protected.

• If you do not have a garage set up a snow shelter for parking underneath it to protect your car from ice storms. Be sure to knock down any icicles that are hanging on the edges. Pulling out from underneath I could cause the ice to break and fall on your paint.

• Purchase a winter car cover and drape it over your vehicle each night to prevent ice from building up on its exterior.

• Wash and wax your vehicle regularly. A nice wax coating can help prevent excessive ice buildup on the exterior of your car or truck.

• Avoid parking beneath large trees or directly beneath roof eaves. Ice can easily form on branches, break off, and fall on your car.

• Consider spraying the rubber parts of your doors with a silicone lubricant or cooking spray to prevent water from freezing your door shut. Forcing frozen car doors can easily damage the body of your car and could even rip the door handle off if you pull to hard.

• If you are at work and a storm hits, be prepared and clean your car out and don’t lock your doors if the weather is to predict ice storms or below freezing temps (that way no one can steal anything, and you won’t have frozen locks). Be sure to carry Ice Melter with you…if you can…in case you have issues where the ice won’t melt, and you need a little push. Scraping ice can also scratch the paint’s surface so it’s better to do it subtly.

Spirit West Rapid Refinish in Manchester, MO in the St. Louis County offers paint matching, paintless dent repair (PDR), windshield replacement, and insurance claims assistance. Give us a call or stop in for a free estimate on auto body repairs if you should sustain damage from ice storms this Winter season.

Spirit West Rapid Refinish, established in 2011, was formed to focus on providing quality service for customers who are paying out of pocket for automobile repairs and streamline the workflow volume.

Spirit West Rapid Refinish take great pride with teamwork and our commitment to making sure our team receives training on the latest innovative state-of-the-art equipment and collision repair techniques.

We are proud to say our team is family, and we treat our customers like family too. Whether you need minor collision repair services, bumper repair or vehicle paint, give us a call today (636) 386-8060 to see how we can restore your vehicle to its original factory finish or stop by the shop 14643 Manchester Rd, Manchester, MO 63011 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm closed 12pm-1pm daily.