Each season brings Denver, Colorado, a unique atmosphere with its beautiful change in scenery. The needs of your vehicle change with every season as it faces different adversaries. During the summer, your vehicle needs protection from hail damage and dust. Driving in the winter requires awareness of road salt and snow removal care.
This article will discuss car maintenance for the winter season in Denver, Colorado. We will discuss why it is essential to protect your vehicle from Denver’s winter weather and the common contaminants on Denver roads, as we share our top car care tips for Colorado winters. At the end of this article, we share ways to protect the exterior of your vehicle and how to combat auto rust. Keep reading to learn about Denver’s local auto body shop in Park Hill – Capital Dent Masters.
You can find more tips on driving during winter weather near Denver, Colorado. Otherwise, let’s dive into winter car maintenance in Denver and ensure your car is protected for the winter weather ahead.
Why is it Important to Protect my Car from Colorado’s Winter Weather?
It is easier to decide how to best protect your vehicle if you understand why it is crucial to do so in the first place. Protecting your vehicle from the elements is mainly focused on preserving the exterior of your car. When you can maintain your car’s paint and panels in good condition, you help retain the value of your vehicle.
The value of each vehicle declines over time, especially if it is frequently used. When you drive in Denver, Colorado, regularly, you are submitting your car to various contaminants. Common contaminants such as rocks, road salt, and acid rain can chip away at your car’s paint. Once exposed, these chipped areas can lead to more serious repair needs like paint oxidation, rust removal, or panel replacement.
If your vehicle still boasts a well-cared-for exterior paint job when it comes time to part ways, you will likely have a much higher resale value. Leaving your car’s paint job exposed to the elements is like exposing your return value to the elements. Enjoy driving a well-cared-for vehicle, and when it is time, your future self will thank you for maintaining the value of your car.
Common Winter Contaminants on Denver Roads
There are a few contaminants you can expect to be around each season. Wintry weather requires intervention to ensure safe(r) driving conditions in Denver and across Colorado.
Road Salt
Road salt helps many people walk and drive safely in Denver during the wintry weather. However, road salts also accelerate the chemical process of rust when in direct contact with your vehicle. The undercarriage of your car is the most at risk of damage from road salt.
Washing your vehicle after driving through road salts is the best way to protect the exterior of your car from the damaging effects of road salts.
Ice Melting Chemicals
Other chemicals also create safer driving conditions during snow, ice, and various winter weather. You can compare ice-melting chemicals and their environmental impact here, released by the Certifiably Green Denver program. As with road salts, washing your vehicle with particular attention to the undercarriage as soon as possible is the best protection from ice melting chemical damages.
Top Five Winter Colorado Car Care Tips
Here are five of our top winter car care tips for this Denver winter season!
- Use a Soft Brush for Snow Removal – One of the simplest things everyone can do to protect their car’s paint during winter in Denver is to use a soft brush for snow removal. Soft bristles are gentle yet effective, giving you a better clearing without scratching the clear coat.
- Avoid Parking on the Street – When you park on the street, your car is exposed to much more than extra road salt. While Denver road conditions remain slippery, your car could be struck as a vehicle slides down the street. Parking on the street also increases your chances of needing to shovel yourself out as the snowplows clear the road.
- Park in Covered Space – Covered parking saves you time in the winter with less snow to shovel after Denver snow storms. With covered parking, your car’s clear coat has less exposure to the elements. Snow, sun damage, and other natural contaminants are kept at a minimum when you regularly park in a covered space. For your convenience, there are all kinds of covered parking garages around the Denver metro area!
- Wash Your Car After Snow Storms – Washing your car after driving through road salt or other ice-melting chemicals is the best way to protect your vehicle from those common contaminants. Hand washing your car in Denver minimizes the chance of swirl marks or other scratches in the paint. Extend the life of your vehicle and protect the clear coat when you bring your vehicle to Capital Dent Masters for auto detailing.
- Utilize Covers – You can get frost covers for your windshield, waterproof mat covers for your floor, and a warm cover for your steering wheel. Get inspired by auto covers with this list of winter car accessories.
Use soft bristle brushes to remove snow from your vehicle to protect the paint and clear coat.
How to Protect Your Car from Rusting in the Winter
Protecting your vehicle from rust during the winter is a priority for winter car care. Many aspects of the Denver winter season speed up the process of rust, such as exposure to road salt or extended exposure to water and ice.
To protect your vehicle from rusting during the Denver winter, you can:
- Regularly wash your car after driving in the snow.
- Add a layer of protection to the exterior of your vehicle.
- Add a layer of protection to the underbelly of your car.
How is Rust on Cars Repaired in Denver?
Repairing rust on a vehicle is extensive work. It may not be worth it, depending on factors like the amount of rust, location, and your car’s current value. The paint on the panel surrounding the rust is first worn off, and then the rust is sanded away. Any holes in the panels will be patched, and the panels are repainted.
How to Protect Your Car’s Exterior During Denver Winters
Denver, Colorado, experiences frequent winter storms. It is essential to winterize your cars as the cold weather approaches each year. You can do multiple things to protect your vehicle from the elements of winter. Protecting the exterior of your car from the winter elements increases your ability to maintain the value of your vehicle.
Here are our top three ways to winterize your car in Denver and keep a lustrous coat of paint through winter into the new year’s spring.
Apply a Wax During Seasonal Auto Detailing
A popular way to protect the exterior of your vehicle from elements throughout the year is a seasonal exterior auto detail that includes a wax. Adding a layer of protection like wax or other paint sealants can protect your car’s clear coat for months. Capital Dent Masters offers multiple auto detailing packages for your seasonal needs.
Ceramic Coating Application
Ceramic coatings are becoming the best option to protect your car’s paint and exterior from the Denver, Colorado, elements year-round. Enjoy the deep luster of your car’s paint and the true hue of the color, with the depth and shine that result after applying a ceramic coating. The nano-ceramic technology of auto ceramic coatings protects your car’s paint job for years. Learn more about our ceramic coatings in Denver at Capital Dent Masters and give your vehicle the best protection.
Install Paint Protection Film
The paint protection film is commonly referred to as a clear bra. It is a transparent plastic film used to protect your vehicle’s exterior from scratches and rock chips. Installing paint protection film over a ceramic coating is the ultimate exterior protection for any car in Denver, Colorado. Choose from only high-impact areas to full vehicle coverage with Capital Dent Master’s Llumar paint protection film installation in Denver.
Denver’s Best Auto Body Shop
Nestled in the Park Hill neighborhood, at the heart of Denver, is Capital Dent Masters. Family-owned and operated, Capital Dent Masters is quickly becoming a preferred local auto body shop in Denver. Our exceptional customer service, auto insurance claim specialists, and premier quality work continue to impress residents across the Denver metro area.
Specializing in paintless dent repair, Capital Dent Masters offers auto body services from hail damage repair, door ding repair, collision repair, and auto detailing to ensure your vehicle is living its best life. Whether you are a car enthusiast or driving your daily ride, we promise to treat it as our own at Capital Dent Masters.
Reach out today for your free estimate from Capital Dent Masters. Ask about the different programs we offer, so you experience the smoothest auto repair experience in Denver. At Capital Dent Masters, we offer honest, swift service that disrupts your life in the slightest way possible. Call or stop by today at our auto body shop at 1515 Grape Street in Denver.
