Lots of Austin residents will wake up with cracked windshields this morning from the massive hail storm yesterday. Here are a few quick tips on what TO and NOT TO DO when your windshield is cracked from yesterday’s storm in North Austin:
1️⃣ Do NOT use duct tape 🤦♀️
It is not meant to be used on the clear coat of your car’s paint job and can leave a residue that is permanent. The only way to remove the residue is with alcohol, and that dulls paint. The only way to fix it then it to repaint and that’ll cost THOUSANDS.
2️⃣ DO use a type of painter’s tape
Such as Frogtape to adhere some sort of plastic (trashbag if nothing else) to your car’s window to prevent further water damage to the interior
3️⃣ What to know about your insurance?
Your insurance expects you to REASONABLY make an effort to prevent further damage to your car, and can refuse to pay for additional damages incurred due to your lack of effort.
What this means is that if you do not take steps to prevent further interior damage, such as covering the window with plastic and taping it down the best you can to prevent water from getting inside the vehicle, they can refuse to pay for that interior water damage.
It’s a bad situation and of course you’ll be livid with your insurance if that happens, but in reality that’s written in your policy and they can refuse coverage if they want. So be sure you can show some sort of effort to prevent further damage and haven’t just let the car sit and take in water for a week before the adjusters sees it.
4️⃣ Free and immediate remedy
Lots of windshield repair places may be booked up, but if you can limp your car to a place like Safelite, they will “crash wrap” your window for free. This of course wouldn’t work on the front windshield because it prevents you from seeing out, but if your sunroof or back glass are shattered, they’ll wrap this for free and it’s pretty effective at keeping water out until you can get in for the replacement
5️⃣ If you have full coverage auto insurance, don’t make a glass claim!
Make a claim for the hail damage, and the windshield will be covered with that too. Have a deductible that you’re concerned about? StormWise waives deductibles up to $500, so you won’t pay a dime for the hail repair OR the windshield with a comprehensive claim!
6️⃣ Be safe and use common sense.
If you can’t see out the front windshield because there are impacts in your line of vision, don’t try to drive the car. It is actually illegal, plus you could cause an unnecessary accident because you can’t fully see where you’re going.
7️⃣ Get a rental if it’s hard to see out the front windshield.
If you’ve got rental car coverage on your policy, you can get a rental free of charge by calling in your claim with your insurance. They’ll set it up for you, and you’ll need to call the branch to confirm the a availability (don’t assume that because you have a reservation number that the branch will actually have a car for you, you need to contact the branch directly with that reservation number). If you don’t have the rental car coverage, you should still call in your claim right away, and that will get you insurance rates on a rental which are far cheaper than retail rental car rates.
Auto Hail Repair for Austin Residents
I’m hoping you find this information useful!
From our years of experience with hail and windshields, this is some of the best advice we can give out!
With two hailstorms within the past 3 weeks, it is definitely hail season in Austin. If your car was damaged from one of those storms, don’t wait any longer as we already see waiting time builds up in nearby shops. Get in touch with our team at StormWise to schedule your appointment right away.
You can also call us directly at 512-643-9880.
