Car Outdoor Covers - What to look for.

It seems clear to most that the planet's weather is changing and so it becomes more important to be using car outdoor covers to protect your vehicle. Recently, normally arid places in Australia have been flooded, and heatwave conditions have made bushfires even more deadly. Another thing that's changed is the prevalence of violent storm cells containing hail stones larger than cricket balls.

Even areas with no previous record of hailstorms are now seeing these destructive events from time to time. You'll know how terrifying it is to be pelted with giant lumps of ice as you try to find shelter from the storm if you've ever been caught in a hailstorm.

Tropical cyclones are getting worse. In Australia, the country is often in intense heat wave for months. We also see bushfires burning for weeks on end. Storms with hail have become more common in areas where they were never seen before.

Cover for the car

If you don't have a garage or carport, hail can be devastating to your vehicle. If your car is parked in the driveway during a storm, it can be the worst place for it to be. Even if you were brave enough to pull on a hard helmet and race to the driveway with a Doona to throw over the car to protect it, these storms hit so quickly that massive damage will still occur. Even if the car is repairable afterwards, that process will involve your vehicle being returned without the original factory paint and at least some filler underneath.

 The best way to protect your car from hail damage is to have a garage or carport. If you don’t have one, cover your car with a proper hail protection cover.

Car Waterproof covers – the big disadvantage to cheap covers for the car

A superior quality car waterproof cover will only give limited protection against hailstones. A cheap waterproof car cover can do more harm than good over time. Most of us have used a cheap disposable plastic poncho or raincoat. They certainly work in keeping you dry for an hour or so. Then quickly the sweat and condensation builds up inside! You become ‘wet’ and uncomfortable.

Your vehicle is the same if you cover it in a cheap plastic cover. It can’t ‘breathe,’ and condensation quickly builds up on the paintwork. This dampness can eventually cause corrosion and other problems. A car cover is best if it can “breathe.” ‘Breathable” fabrics are best but unfortunately, they are only water-resistant as water will eventually get through the fabric. A good waterproof cover must have anti-condensation air breathers to prevent the build up of condensation. You don’t want your vehicle to feel the way you do after wearing a plastic disposable poncho for a couple of hours!

For most people in Australia, it just makes sense to go the extra step and ensure you use a padded waterproof car cover that offers good hailstone protection.

Protection From Hail for Cars

If you have a car parked in an exposed position, and there's any chance of such a meteorological disaster looming, a quality hail protection car cover is about as good as it gets in terms of prevention. So, what are hail proof car covers in the first place, and how are they different from any other outdoor car cover?

Not only do hail covers protect against hail, but they also help to prevent damage caused by falling branches. The padding in the top and sides of a hail cover makes it stronger than a normal outdoor car cover.

Waterproof Cover for Car and Hail protection Cover Differences

The difference between a normal outdoor cover and a hail cover is that the latter is made with a layer of padding to protect against impact damage. A good hail protection cover will also have anti-condensation air breathers.

A hail cover is more than just a padded cover--it will have a soft inner lining that protects the car from scratches and other damage as the prevailing wind tries to tear it off. A decent quality hail cover will also have adjustable straps to help keep it in place.

The best Hail and storm cover for Australia are come in a silver-grey colour. The covers will be UV resistant and silver-grey is the best colour to reflect the Australia sun’s intense rays. All car covers should also have a soft interior lining to protect the paintwork. Tie-down straps are necessary to hold the cover in place in storm conditions.

Hail Armour Car Cover - Car Outdoor Covers

A recent development has been the inflatable hail cover, which you fill with air to create a padded surface that will deflect hail stones before they get to the car's panels. They obviously require

inflation once they're draped over the car, so while they promise good protection, they do take a few minutes to fit correctly. These are designed for emergency hail protection cover only. They are only used as a hailstorm approaches. The inflatable hail protection cover you buy, should come with a compressor to inflate it. Most will also have a repair kit to fix leaks down the track.

Do Hail Protection covers really work?

Hailstones larger than the size of cricket balls can still be deflected by a good, padded hail protection cover. However, if their falling speed is accelerated by very strong winds, hail may still cause some damage purely because of their force. Even the best cover can never be completely hail-proof; however, if you have a good cover fitted, the damage will be reduced, and repairs may be minor rather than having. You will only get a superior quality in a hail cover by paying more money. Generic covers run between $200 and $500. The padding on a cover can vary from full, all-round padding to just padding on the top. The more you pay, the more padding you get.

Even without a physical shop-front, there's still plenty of valuable information available. There are many particularly good blogs and useful information to be found on Car Covers and Shelter. You will also see the hundreds of five star reviews these hail covers have had over the years. It's always good to check reviews before buying. Some of the businesses that do the most advertising have very poor reviews. Most bricks and mortar parts stores also advertise hail protection covers but most do not hold them in stock to view. Some chain stores have their own ranges imported from China, but they have not been specially designed for Australian Conditions as the Autotecnica brand has been. Just make sure the quality is what you want from such retailers because not all covers are created equal.

Buy Your Car Outdoor Cover from a Specialist Car Cover Business

Chains like Bunnings, Aldi and even SuperCheap Auto will sometimes stock outdoor car covers and hail protection covers. They are often cheap and not fit-for-purpose to the climatic conditions we get in Australia. A specialist car cover business, such as Car Covers and Shelter will be happy to discuss your needs and advise on the best car cover for you. This professional advice is often unavailable in many shop or other on-line retailers.

Finding Information on Car Outdoor Covers

The best place to start finding information on car outdoor covers is at Car Covers and Shelter, a site with plenty of information. Their link is: carcoversandshelter.com.au.