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Signs of Spring that Can Damage Your Vehicle’s Paint

As spring ends and summer rolls through, the long-awaited sights and sounds of summer have finally arrived. Colorful flowers, chirping birds, and warmer temperatures have come to the Midwest. On the other hand, summertime also ushers in several damaging forces from springtime that target your vehicle’s paint job. Protecting your vehicle’s finish from these forces start with knowing what you are up against. To help you better prepare, we have developed a list of signs you should look out for.

• Bird Droppings

As birds become increasingly active, the frequency with which they bombard vehicles can be astonishing. These droppings contain seeds, residue, and grit that can quickly affect your vehicle’s paint, along with uric acid that can eat through the clearcoat finish. If that is not enough, the sun’s powerful rays can also bake bird droppings into the finish. If left on the paint’s surface, it is a corrosive combination that can leave stains on your vehicle that are hard to remove without machine polishing.

• Pollen

As summer begins, pollen is running rampant in the air. Not only does it make your eyes water and nose run, but pollen particles are abrasive and can scratch your vehicle’s paint. To prevent pollen damage, give your car a thorough washing with soapy water.

• Flying Debris

As temperatures rise, pavement can buckle, fragment, and break apart. Those jagged projectiles get picked up by tires and are catapulted into your bumper, hood, or window, resulting in paint chips or broken windows. Left untreated, this can cause paint to chip and flake, which can lead to even more serious body corrosion. Remember, also, that summer is when many road-resurfacing projects are in full swing, so when you are driving on a newly resurfaced road, particularly one that has had a tar-and-gravel (“chip seal”) surface applied, try to minimize your speed and maximize your following distance behind other vehicles. This will reduce the number of airborne projectiles that can chip or mar your paint.

• Tree Sap

Throughout the springtime, trees begin to “awaken” for spring, and they tend to drip sap. When that sticky substance lands on your parked car, it can get baked on by the sun’s rays. This can leave an ugly rough patch behind. Promptly cleaning off tree sap with rubbing alcohol will reduce its potential to leave permanent damage, and the task will be much easier if it’s fresh.

• Bug Splatters

The summer months bring flying bugs that get splattered on the front of your vehicle. Bug guts and blood contain acids that can etch your car’s paint finish, especially when the bug splatters get baked on by the sun. To ensure that does not happen, rinse off any bug splatter as soon as possible; the longer you wait, the longer it will take to remove the bug splatter from your vehicle.

Locate Auto Body Paint Experts Nearby!

When your vehicle’s paint job needs some professional TLC, bring it to Spirit West Rapid Refinish! Our I-CAR and ASE-certified technicians have the training, equipment, and experience to restore your vehicle’s factory paint finish to like-new again promptly and reliably. It is our goal to make sure you are totally satisfied. We will keep you apprised of the status of your vehicle from the time it arrives at our auto body repair shop until the completion date. Give us a call today to see how we can get your car back into shape and back on the road…SAFELY!

About Spirit West Rapid Refinish

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. We 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 to see how we can restore your vehicle to its original factory finish.