Helpful Garage Tips for Your Auto - and Avoiding Door Dings

Even when you  park in your own garage,  your car is susceptible to getting those  dreaded dings , especially if your garage space is somewhat  tight, or if you have an SUV, or a coupe with larger passenger doors.

When you have a two car garage, you most likely have a structural lally column  which also is an annoying culprit.  Attach a remnant piece of carpet  around the first 3' or 4' feet starting at the base of the column, so if your car door happens to hit the column when you open it, the carpet acts as a buffer to the metal and   the risk of chipped paint is greatly minimized.

If the length of your garage is somewhat short for your vehicle, and you have nudged the wall more times than you would like to count, here's a great little trick:

Park your car  comfortably in the garage. Next, consider hanging a tennis ball to a strong twine  that hangs from the ceiling at the exact place where your windshield would hit the tennis ball, so that the next time you pull in, you will know exactly where to stop. (as soon as your windshield hits that tennis ball)

Tips for when you are away from home

Few things are more irritating than finding a fresh door ding, but it’s hard to avoid them. Whether you’re driving to the grocery store, work, or the doctor’s office, chances are you’re going to have to park your vehicle in a parking space, next to other vehicles.

Your best efforts to avoid door dings and scratches can be enhanced by assessing your surroundings before choosing a parking space. Consider these common sense parking tips next time you’re out and about:
·    If an end spot is available, that’s normally your best bet.
·    Consider parking as far away as possible, odds of someone cramping your car that far out is more remote.
·    Before you pull into a space look at the length of the doors on the other vehicle(s), if those doors were fully extended could they reach your vehicle?
·    Look at the height of the vehicle you are parking next to, if it is another vehicle similar in height to yours and if your car has protective rubber door moldings those moldings may protect your car’s doors, but SUV’s and truck doors are taller and may cause dents higher than your moldings can protect, move to another spot.
·    Always try to look at the car next to you and determine if there may be passengers (at work maybe not, the mall, probably) this may impact which side of the vehicle you park on. If you’re at work and figure there are no passengers, maybe parking on the passenger side of that car is good, at least you can protect one side of your car.
·    If you have to enter a parking space where another car is crowding one side of the space you’ll have to decide how best to handle that risk. Never park crooked because someone is crowding the space, if the car that’s crowding the space leaves you will now look like the one that can’t park. Always try to park straight.
·    Child seats – If you pull into a space and the car you are parking next to has child seats in it remember for a parent to properly strap their child in they normally need to fully extend their doors. This could be a good sign to find another space.
In the end, a door dent here and there may be inevitable. There are companies that perform “Paintless Dent repair.” This is the art of using special tools to push the dent out from the inside without the need for painting the dent. It’s clean and many times the repair can be performed while you wait.

Article submitted by Brennan Purdy of State Farm Insurance

My vision is to be an insurance professional whose actions are driven by keeping the customer's best interest as my primary goal. My staff will treat all my customers in a caring, friendly, and professional manner. My office will provide warm, efficient, and seamless services to our customers at all times. I expect my business to be comprised of knowledgeable, multiple-line customers who see my office as their first and best choice for all their insurance and financial service needs

For more information on these and other home safety tips, stop by my office or visit www.brennanpurdy.com. My office is conveniently located in downtown Bethel. 203-798-7300.                   211 Greenwood Avenue , Bethel, CT 06801

 And a note From Judy: If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Fairfield County, and are in need of an Realtor to represent you, I invite you to contact me, and if you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Comments

[Wheelbase]

Hi Judy, these are everyday tips that drivers often forget. They are simple, but when the damages gets in the way they are regretful.