When you have no option but to park outside, how do you protect your auto glass from environmental damage? At Only 1 Auto Glass, we realize not everyone has the luxury of parking their vehicle in a garage or even in a covered parking space. But we also know that even if you must park outside, you can still take steps to protect your ride. If you’re parking outside this winter, check out these helpful tips that can help you avoid an auto glass repair or replacement:
Avoid Parking in Direct Sunlight
Whenever possible, park in shaded or semi-shaded areas to protect your windshield from direct sunlight. If you’ve ever touched your auto glass after it’s sat in the sun for hours, you know just how hot it can get. And while hot auto glass may not be particularly alarming, excessive heat can compromise the integrity of your windshield. If your glass already has minor chips and cracks, excessive heat may cause them to spread rapidly. If you must park in direct sunlight, visit an auto glass repair specialist to have those chips and cracks repaired.
Avoid Parking Under Trees
It’s no secret that tree branches can accumulate several inches of snow after one night of heavy precipitation. When you park your vehicle beneath those branches, you risk incurring auto glass damage. Unfortunately, there’s no way to determine when or if a branch will detach from the trunk and fall directly on your windshield, so keep that in mind when parking.
If your regular parking area is fraught with overhanging branches, consider trimming them back before heavy snowfall hits. The shorter the branch, the more snow it can accumulate without detaching from the tree.
Be Mindful of Your Temperature Control Setting
It can be tempting to crank your heat to high as soon as you start your vehicle, but please, resist the urge. When your vehicle has been sitting outside in frigid temperatures for several hours, your auto glass contracts slightly. Much like water contracts as it forms ice, your windshield follows the same pattern.
When you immediately crank your defroster to high as your vehicle warms up, you create a sudden temperature shift against the frosty glass. Like an ice cube cracks when you drop it in a glass of room temperature water, so might your windshield if it contains existing chips or cracks.
Rather than immediately turning up your defroster, allow your vehicle to warm up completely before using the defroster. Even then, set the defroster on a low to medium setting just to be on the safe side.
Need Auto Glass Repair? Contact Only 1 Auto Glass
If your auto glass has incurred damage as a result of outdoor parking, it’s time to call Only 1 Auto Glass for repairs. With 15 locations throughout the Twin Cities metro, we’re just around the corner when you need us. And when you can’t come to us, our mobile repair technicians will come straight to you. To schedule your service appointment or estimate, give our team a call at 651-798-1111, or you can reach out to us on our contact page.