‘Tis the season when hailstorms are going to ravage New South Wales. Be prepared!
During the hail season in Sydney between November and March, most hailstorms hit between 3pm and 7pm, reports Risk Frontiers (formerly Natural Hazards Research Centre). Just last month in October 2021, hailstones between 3cm and 5cm wide in diameter were reported in Penrith, the Blue Mountains and Goulburn.
The high concentration of people, buildings, and cars in metropolitan Sydney means there is a higher exposure and risk of damage by hail in Sydney than the rest of NSW. The highest recent hailstorm damage bill was $673.9 million for an incident in December 2018, and $320 million in January 2020. More than 73% of the 81,194 claims in 2018 were for motor vehicle damage, as were two thirds of the 29,000 claims in 2020.
How to prevent hail damage
If possible, park your vehicles under cover or in a garage. If this is not possible, protect your car with a car cover, especially one that is built to withstand hail.
Unfortunately, we never really know when hail will strike, and if your car is hit while exposed to the elements, come to us to get your car looking good or ready to drive again.
How does hail damage cars?
Hailstones can leave a pock-marked blanket of dents and dimples on car hoods/bonnets, tops, and boots. Dislodged side mirrors or stuck doors could also be caused by hail damage. In some instances, smashed windshields, mirrors or windows may expose the inside of your car to water damage.
The largest recorded hailstones in Sydney are about 3.8 to 4cm wide. Missiles of this size fortunately don’t always smash glass or damage the paintwork on vehicles beyond repair.
What are your repair options for hail damage?
You can count on us to assess the damage honestly and provide advice on the most cost-effective approach to get the best results. Hail damage can range from localised to extensive areas. You don’t need to make an insurance claim if the cost of damage is below your insurance excess, which may be the case for light cases of hail damage.
Without paint damage. If the paint is not affected by the hail damage, we suggest a method that does not require repainting called PDR – paintless dent repair. Purpose-built suctioning tools are used to smoothen the dents. As a fully equipped smash repair shop, we also have the proper tools to get to any dents in awkward positions.
With paint damage. We provide a choice of several techniques:
- SMART Small and Medium Area Repair Technology. We focus on fixing and painting the hail dented area, if there is no need to respray the entire hail damaged car part.
- Car Spray Painting with the latest gas infrared and computerised spray ovens. If there are cracks and creases in the paint over large areas, then a full respray is required.
- Option to follow up with Car Paint Protection with Permagard coating.
Smashed glass and parts replacement. If the hail damage on your car is more extensive, our experienced technicians can help you source for the right parts and do a great job installing them.
Insurance claims. If you should require insurance claims we are happy to coordinate it for you so you can focus on taking care of yourself, and have peace of mind.
You can count on Parramatta Smash Repairs
In summary, be mindful that hail season is upon us. If your car should suffer from hail damage, please let us help you find the most cost-effective way to get your car back into great shape again. Simply give us a call, Parramatta Smash Repairs is happy to help!
