Apart from the way we dress, nothing says more about you than the car you drive and the condition you keep your vehicle in – you wouldn’t go outside the house naked and nor should you leave your vehicle exposed to the elements and environment without using a car cover!
The car cover you will choose will depend on where you live and the conditions your car is facing – you may live in the colder north where snow and rain are more of an issue than in the south, where blistering sun has more of an impact. When you come to buy a car cover you need to think carefully about getting the right product to do the job for you – protecting your car.
Basic principles are that a car cover should be relatively lightweight in order to be fitted easily and stowed without taking up too much room for when it is in the trunk for instance. In addition it has to be capable of being stored for lengthy periods without deteriorating or cracking. Most of all, a car cover needs to fit your vehicle properly and provide all year round protection, all around your car.
Car covers ought to be water resistant to a high degree but not waterproof – they should allow moisture which is present in the atmosphere to leave and for air to circulate, otherwise, your car will be attacked by mold and become “stuffy” smelling as well as damp causing other issues, such as rust. They need to be water resistant so that rain and snow melt is unable to penetrate the cover to any degree and will be sloughed off before it can pass through the barrier.
Just as you can become sun burnt while wearing clothes, so the harmful rays of the sun can penetrate materials and cause damage to your paint and coachwork. The car cover you select must be capable of protecting the vehicle from the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Just think of the times you have seen cars with faded paint jobs and especially with red paintwork – a car cover with UV protection will easily protect your car from that fate.
A car cover also has to be robust enough to protect your vehicle from minor impact and dings from the kids playing ball or the neighborhood cat deciding your parked vehicle is the ideal spot on which to take a snooze while surveying the street. Cars parked under or near trees are also subject to falling branches or tree sap, which is a really hard substance to clean off your car and will damage the paint. Even worse, bird droppings are acidic and will eat your paint job in a few minutes if they make contact with your car’s body leaving a permanent and unsightly blotch.
When you come to buy a car cover, think about what elements are threatening your car the most and how you will be using the cover. By matching car cover specifications more closely to your conditions and needs, you will get the very best protection for your investment.
Author Resource:
Jack Labens works for Empire Covers, a leading provider of car covers, truck covers, motorcycle covers, and other vehicle covers and accessories. Empire Covers can be found online at: http://www.empirecovers.com or at their blog http://www.empirecovers-blog.com .