Summer sun's UV rays targets you car, truck or SUV’s finish here in McHenry

Those UV rays from the sun shining on

McHenry are incessantly sucking the pigment
out of the finish of your car, truck or SUV.

It’s a beautiful day in McHenry. What shall we do?

A few of us may decide to ‘catch some rays.’ We’ll either take a run, play some sports, garden or just lay out where we can get an even tan. Of course, we don’t want to give the sun access to our skin without some kind of protection.

Joggers, athletes and gardeners will probably want to wear hats. And everyone, especially those trying to catch a tan, will want to consider a safe sunblock. The sun can literally bake us if we give it a chance. And long before we’re ‘baked,’ it could cause some serious health conditions, such as skin cancer.

If a McHenry sun can do all that to your skin, what can it do to your car, truck or SUV?

The Ultra-Violet (UV) rays of the sun are like a barrage of heat-seeking missiles targeting your vehicle’s finish.

You like that nice, shiny finish on your car, truck or SUV, don’t you? And protecting that finish will pay cash in your pocket when you trade the vehicle in or sell it. But if the sun wreaks havoc on your vehicle’s finish, your pocket won’t be as full.

You can almost watch the resale value of your vehicle fall as the sun dries the shine out of your car, truck or SUV’s finish.

Why does the sun do that? The UV rays of the sun go through the clear finish of your vehicle and cause the paint below to oxidize. Overtime, the finish will fade as strong colors become shadows of their former self. A dullness will replace that shiny finish. In some cases, the paint can crack and peel.

There are other threats to your car, truck or SUV’s finish, such as bird droppings. The acidic nature of the bird droppings don’t do the vehicle’s finish any good at all.

And then you have tree sap. Tree sap hardens and chemically bonds to the clear coat. This can lead to fading and, if you’re not careful cleaning it off, can lead to scratches in the surface.

So what can you do about all this damage targeting your vehicle’s finish? Move to the Arctic Circle where it’s always winter?

No need to do anything so extreme. There are some tips that will help you protect the painted exterior of your car, truck or SUV.

Wash the vehicle regularly
Wax it regularly (some waxes actually provide some UV protection)
Park in the shade (of course, if the shade is from a tree, you’ve got that sap to consider)
Park in the garage or use a car cover

The latter two of these are only occasional options for most of us. But washing and waxing your vehicle regularly will go a long way. And then, you can enjoy the sun without worrying about your car’s finish. But do wear some sunblock.

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