Dedicated car owners are often just as concerned about their car’s appearance as much as much as they are its functions. One area of concern is often the car’s paint. The paint doesn’t just make a car look new or shiny, it helps protect the car’s body from rust and erosion. When it comes to protecting your car’s paint, many people fear the damage from the sun. To help protect the car’s paint from sun damage, some will park under the shade, including underneath the tree. Where you are in fact protecting the paint from the sun, you are now also exposing your paint to an even greater threat—bird droppings! Many people often ask if bird poop can damage the paint. In short, yes! Top Notch Body Shop & Mechanic would like to share how bird droppings can damage automobile paint and what you can do to protect your vehicle’s paint.
How Does Bird Poop Damage Car Paint?
Can bird dropping really damage automobile paint? The answer to this question is yes. Bird droppings are actually worse than UV damage. UV damage takes a lot of time before it can break down the paint. Bird droppings can break down paint very fast. Bird droppings contain uric acid with pH level between 3 and 4.5. The pH is a measurement of hydrogen and hydroxide ions in a substance. When the hydrogen levels are higher or greater than the hydroxide ion, you get uric acid. When the pH levels are between 0 and 7 the uric acid is rather strong and can begin to eat away at paint and even steel. However, it is not just the bird droppings working alone to break down the paint. When the vehicle is exposed to heat it will expand and then contract once the surface cools down. During the expatiation period the paint is more open and the uric acid seeps deeper into the paint. As the surface cools and contracts, the uric acid gets trapped inside. You now have the perfect storm and your paint is doomed. To protect your vehicle’s paint job you will need to consider bird dropping as much as you do UV damage.
Car Paint Protection Against Bird Droppings
To protect your vehicle’s paint from the damaging force of bird dropping there are a few steps you can take. One way to prevent bird dropping damage is by avoiding areas where bird poop. Take care where you park inside parking garages as birds love to nest and congregate there. Avoid parking underneath trees as bird will rest in trees and often poop. When you are at home, park inside your garage whenever possible. If you have to park outside the home or even underneath a carport, consider getting a car cover to help protect your car from both bird droppings and the sun. If a bird happens to poop on your vehicle, quickly wash off the droppings. You want to wash it off before the uric acid has time to seep into the paint.
Custom Auto Body Paint & More in Dallas, Texas (Just Minutes Away from Addison, Balch Springs, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Coppell, DeSoto, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Ferris, Garland, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Irving, Lancaster, Lewisville, Mesquite, Ovilla, Richardson, Rowlett, Sachse, Seagoville, Sunnyvale & Wylie, TX)
Bird droppings are a major problem for automobile paint. At times bird droppings can break down the paint and the paint will need to be repaired. If you have paint damage and need auto paint services, contact or come on down to Top Notch Body Shop & Mechanic today.
