How to avoid scratching your car from your garage

car scratched from garage

As most owners of a garage may know, getting your car in and out of it doesn’t always go according to plan. Unless you’re the proud owner of a swanky extra wide garage, the risk of bumping or scratching your vehicle is relatively high. Obviously, the longer one has owned and used their garage the less likely it is that accidents will occur, but while you’re settling in to a new way of parking, or if your garage is situated on a tricky slope or corner, it’s best to be extra vigilant about garage accidents. Read on to discover what the most common garage accidents are and how you can take step to avoid them – after all, parking your car in a secure garage can take £££s off your insurance premiums; you don’t want to undo all of those savings because you have to claim for body repairs!

Use your Garage

If you have a garage, use it! It is the best way to protect your car. There are many benefits of covered parking, including protection from hail storms that can come with costly deductibles. In the winter, parking in a garage keeps ice and snow off of your vehicle, getting you on the road quicker. Garage parking also keeps your vehicle out of direct sunlight, which over time, can fade the appearance of leather or other aspects of your interior. Parking outside of the elements is the number one way to avoid hail and prevent car dents caused by it.

Driving Into Your Garage Door

A common mistake that many people make – particularly those with an automatic garage door such as a roller, tracked or sectional – is driving into the garage door itself. Of course, those with single panelled, up & over garage doors are not spared of this; a common mistake here is driving into the garage door when pulling up to it. This is particularly troublesome when the garage is situated on a slope. The key to avoiding this accident is patience. If you are waiting to drive your car out of your garage and the door is slowly being opened by the garage door motor, try to relax and wait until the door is in the fully open position. To risk driving into it is to risk damage to both your car and the garage door – neither of which are likely to be inexpensive to fix. Adding some outdoor and indoor spotlights which are trained to come on when the garage is being used can help to illuminate the door and increase your chances of stopping in time.

Driving Into The Side Of Your Garage

When driving in and out of your garage – particularly if you tend to reverse in – taking your time and ensuring the car is going in straight can save a lot of hassle in the future. Even the most experienced of drivers, who have used their garage a thousand times can dent or scratch their vehicle whilst manoeuvring in or out of the space. Generally speaking, a narrow garage entrance, a large car, or a complicated angle can make this a very genuine hazard, but even if your garage is wide enough, it’s something to keep in mind. Paying attention and seeking assistance if you’re struggling are the best ways to avoid an accident like this. Ensuring that your mirrors are pointing in the right direction, and even installing a convex mirror within or just outside the garage can help you to see what’s happening. It’s also worth noting that it’s easy to open your car door onto the wall of the garage or onto something being stored there without thinking.

Closing The Door On Your Bonnet or Boot

If you have a manual garage door, then you’ll know how heavy they can be, even if they have strong opening mechanisms and springs to hold most of the weight. Closing your garage door onto your car, therefore, is clearly not a good idea and can cause an awful lot of damage. Automatic doors will stop when they feel resistance due to safety laws, but manual doors will exert weight and force when closed on a car bonnet, roof or boot, so caution should be used if your door tends to be slammed a lot! If your door is automatic, one good way to prevent it from touching your car at all is the photocell kit, which can be found in our garage door accessories section. The photocells are placed on either side of your garage opening, either just inside or just outside the frame. They transmit an invisible beam between them, and if this beam is broken, the garage door will stop moving downwards until it has been manually overridden. If you can place these photocells so that they’ll catch your vehicle at the correct height, then you won’t have to worry about dents.

Overcrowding Your Garage Space

Having too much stuff stored within the garage is something that most garage owners and users will be familiar with. Garages, whilst not being truly ‘livable’ rooms of the home, tend to become a dumping ground for anything which doesn’t fit, is no longer used, or simply ‘doesn’t go’ with the house. Having some garage clutter is obviously not a problem, but when the stuff overrides the space and you still want to put your car in there, you raise the risk of running something over, or damaging your car. Try to keep your garage area neat and tidy, or at least ensure objects are stacked in boxes or on shelves at the back of the space, in order to keep a safe, open space for your vehicle.

To be safe and lower risks, it is best to hire a professional garage door specialist.  The specialist can determine and address the problems of your garage door and propose a feasible solution.  Feel free to contact us any time for help.  Call Yuval at (215) 805-9209 or visit SecureGarages.com – don’t forget our Awesome Amazon Local Deal!  Garage adjustment, reconditioning + safety inspection. and for another $34 we will replace up to 8 rollers!  Mention Code: Secure4Sure10 to get another 10% off your order!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *