Hail storms are something that most of us in the Olathe, KS area are more than familiar with. They often come and go during the spring and summer months, are often rather unexpected and can cause all kinds of damage. And often some of the worst hail damage affects vehicles that were ‘unlucky’ enough to get caught in the deluge.
What is Hail Anyway?
We all know what hail looks like, and, if you’ve ever been out in a hail storm, you know what it feels like too. But what is exactly?
Hail is ice. Sort of. Rather than being a byproduct of moisture and cold air, in the way that snow and winter ice are, hail is the by-product of severe thunderstorms. As a thunderstorm moves across the sky currents of air move upwards (called updrafts) and downwards (called downdrafts). Inside the updrafts, water vapor (which is a gas) and rain (which is liquid) are pushed high into the storm cloud. At a certain height, the air temperature drops below freezing, producing a tiny ice particle which serves as the center of a hailstone.
When the storm clouds finally break they release these little ice pellets, which, while sitting up in their cloud have often grown in size considerably. They fall fast, and they fall violently. Like little – or not so little in some cases – ice bullets being fired from the sky. They can fall with such force that they shatter winters, can cause injury, and, in the case of a motor vehicle, cause deep denting in the blink of an eye.
Dealing with a Hail Damaged Vehicle
Not so long ago, if a car or truck sustained hail damage that was anything more than a few tiny dents, it was more than possible that an insurance company would consider it an almost immediate write-off. And if your policy did not cover hail damage (which, if you live in Kansas you should always make sure it does by the way) then you were likely left with a car that looked like it had been driven through a shooting range and that had very little left in value.
That was because not so long ago, hail damage repair was very difficult and very expensive. Fortunately, however, things have changed. Something called paintless dent repair has come along and what it can do in terms of hail damage repair can often be near miraculous.
Hail Damage and Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless dent repair is not, in itself, a hugely complicated process or one that takes a great deal of time. It’s simply an innovative way, devised by some major auto manufacturers in the 1980s, of removing small dings and dents effectively and – and this is the genius part – the vehicle’s paint warranty is not affected.
The key to effective hail damage repair using paintless dent repair is, however, the technician performing it. It’s a process that calls for a high degree of skill and attention to detail, as well as an extensive working knowledge of the process itself. All things that the technicians at Newman’s Auto possess in abundance.
This year we hope you manage to keep your vehicles safe during the almost inevitable hailstorms that will rumble our way. The same goes for your property, your possessions and yourselves. However, if your car or truck does fall victim to those vicious balls of ice don’t despair – give us a call about our paintless dent repair solutions for hail damage. We work with all insurance companies and we can guarantee the quality of our work every time. Even when dealing with Mother Nature’s own little ice bullets and the havoc they can wreak.
